The Downside to Cataract Surgery: Five days since my first cataract surgery. Wow. What a difference. Once the second eye is done next week I may not have to wear glasses even for...

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

Five days since my first cataract surgery. Wow. What a difference. Once the second eye is done next week I may not have to wear glasses even for reading.

The downside? I look into the mirror and can literally count each gray hair. Also, who. Is that wrinkly old man staring back at me? Scary. frightening. I could audition for a Steven King movie. Definitely going to have to photoshop all my portraits.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

ImageCreator wrote:

Five days since my first cataract surgery. Wow. What a difference. Once the second eye is done next week I may not have to wear glasses even for reading.

The downside? I look into the mirror and can literally count each gray hair. Also, who. Is that wrinkly old man staring back at me? Scary. frightening. I could audition for a Steven King movie. Definitely going to have to photoshop all my portraits.

COOL!
('cept the photo shopping part...)

I'll be doing that, possibly in the near future?

Question: Will you have both eyes done the same or one near and one far?
I'm curious how the near/far combo is to get used to seeing.

Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA

My wife had both eyes done. She chose to do both for distance. She does not need glasses for driving. She does have glasses for reading and screen work. Your having fixed lenses and I do not understand how you could do one eye different from the other. That would be disorientating.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Dave327 wrote:

My wife had both eyes done. She chose to do both for distance. She does not need glasses for driving. She does have glasses for reading and screen work. Your having fixed lenses and I do not understand how you could do one eye different from the other. That would be disorientating.

Yes, it would take getting used to, but I've heard some people have done it.
Just re-conditioning of the mind, concentration on the desired eye (near/far), but I wonder how long may take.

I was pondering right eye for close (the camera eyepiece/controls) and left eye for distance.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

just wait until you see how old your friends look these days....

pendennis

Longshadow wrote:

COOL!
('cept the photo shopping part...)

I'll be doing that, possibly in the near future?

Question: Will you have both eyes done the same or one near and one far?
I'm curious how the near/far combo is to get used to seeing.

I had it done, correcting for severe astigmatism, and my left eye vision is a tad myopic; right eye is spot on. I tested earlier this year and was 20-16 in each eye. The astigmatism correction made the operations worth it. I had a cylinder of 4.5, and the maximum correctable is 4.5. The changes and improvements in my color vision are quantum leaps.

Whether you have slight differences in each eye is your choice. However, had I to do it again, I'd opt for equal vision in each eye.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

ImageCreator wrote:

Five days since my first cataract surgery. Wow. What a difference. Once the second eye is done next week I may not have to wear glasses even for reading.

The downside? I look into the mirror and can literally count each gray hair. Also, who. Is that wrinkly old man staring back at me? Scary. frightening. I could audition for a Steven King movie. Definitely going to have to photoshop all my portraits.

tairving Loc: Magnolia, Texas USA

Following. The eye doc tells me I have this coming in my near future.

pendennis

tairving wrote:

Following. The eye doc tells me I have this coming in my near future.

All of us get cataracts; just depends on the degree of opacity. The primary reason has now become quality of life vs. "ripeness" of the cataracts.

When I had my surgery, I was given Versed as an anesthetic. Man, that's some good stuff.

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

I'm doing both the same. The lenses that Medicare pays for. The upgraded lenses are $3k each. But I'm seeing very well with just one eye done now, so I'm guessing when the second eye is done next week I'll be able to see clearly at about 18 inches to infinity. So, I'll just need some glasses for closeup reading.

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

Both eyes will be done the same

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

I agree. I'm doing equal in both eyes.
Its a pain now as its difficult to read with just the one eye done. I removed the lens in one of my glasses, so I can read close up for now, but its annoying.

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

They gave me a mild anesthesia but it still made me wobbly walking out of the office after the surgery. I went then to In & Out Burger, ate and then promptly felt sick to my stomach. Glad I wasn't driving.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I had both eyes done, 1 week apart. There was a really noticeable white balance change between the eyes when the first eye was done, but it faded over the week. Didn't go away completely but the effect was probably around 70% diminished. So your vision is not mainly in your eyes, it's in your brain.

I had both eyes the same. I was nearsighted and got my new lenses set for distance (and corrected astigmatism) so I now only need reading glasses. The only downside I've found is that the inversion of my glasses habits means I set my glasses down and walk off. Fortunately I can buy generic reading glasses, no need for a prescription lens, so they're MUCH cheaper. I just bought a couple packages of 3 at Costco on sale. Spread them around the house and a couple in the car's glove box.

pendennis

ImageCreator wrote:

They gave me a mild anesthesia but it still made me wobbly walking out of the office after the surgery. I went then to In & Out Burger, ate and then promptly felt sick to my stomach. Glad I wasn't driving.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I received Versed, and I had no after-effects at all, although my wife drove us home.

On a side note, I have colonoscopies done periodically, and the first one the anesthesiologist used Versed. Now they've gone to using Propofol. It supposedly is faster acting, faster to come from under, and fewer side effects. Fortunately, I haven't had a problem with either.