Cataract Surgery

[morgandawn]

 I've done some reading online but no one is answering these questions. My mom is gong for cataract surgery on both eyes. Eye 1 will be first and then a month later eye 2 She is nearsighted and needs to wear glasses to walk, eat, drive, watch TV, move about safely

1. During the one month between the 2 operations - how will she see? Her old glasses will not work on Operated Eye. I've read some people had to pop out the one lens of the old glasses so they can see

2. During the weeks after Second Eye surgery she will have even worse vision. Neither eyes will be able to see through her old glasses. They will give her a new prescription BUT.......

The doctor told her they will not give her a new prescription until one month after her second surgery. It will then take another 4-6 weeks for those new glasses to be made. What is she supposed to do for those 2 months? She is a senior at risk for falls and relies on good vision to walk safely

The new lens will most likely be fixed to give her 20/20 long distance vision.  She will have to use reading glasses or bifocals to read. She will also have problems with computer work - most progressives offer too small a 'slice' for middle vision (computer work)

Comments

[adair]

As it happens, just today I saw the surgeon who will do my cataract surgery. I finally gave in to it because I need more and more light for everything, and I am having difficulty witn mid-level vision - reading road names, reading titles on books on shelves about 4 feet away unless they are in big letters and high contrast, needing to lean in to my desk computer and laptop to read many screens. I am 73; friends who have had cataract surgery recently are in their 70s. We are all retired, mostly from state university jobs.

In this area the surgury is done on one eye; wait 2 weeks, then the other eye. Most people had a bit of a struggle but are happy. They mostly had the lens set for distance vision and use glasses for reading. They had to wait for 4 weeks after the last surgery for final glasses; making them took about 2 weeks. Some people bought commercial reading glasses to fill in the wait time; no one drove until at least 2 weeks after the 2nd surgery, and then only in limited amounts.

Things are different for me; I am extremely near-sighted and one eye has evidence of what seems to be called a corneal cone developing. This may never happen, but will need more surgery if it does. I have never driven, and do not want to be able to not need glasses, so the choice for bot lenses will be to favor close vision. I will probably be able to read without glasses, as I do now. I am uncertain what will happen with computer screens. My iPad will be readable without glasses, as it is now, but I need to be able to see the desk computer well to be able to write anything much.

My eye with the corneal issue will get a standard lens set for close reading. My other eye will get something called a Toric lens that will correct a lot of astigmatism; the first eye won't really do well with that because of the cornea issue. When thei first eye is done I will try taking a lens out of one of my back-up pairs. When both are done I am going to try my husband's backup glasses - he is much less nearsighted than I am. The surgeon chose lenses that gave -2.5 vision rather that the -12 and 10.50 that my eyes currently have. There is no way to predict just how the my eyes will resolve with these new lenses, but my distance vision should improve and I will be able to do close work without glasses. When I am ready for new glasses I will talk it over with my opthamologist, especially the computer use. I have never used progressive lenses, but I might try them this time. My surgeries are not yet scheduled; I expect to do them in August and get the new glasses in late October.

A friend has just finished surgery for her eyes; she is also very near-sighted but not as much as I am. She had the Toric lenses for both eyes, both set for close vision.. She is not yeat driving and will not drive until she gets her permanent glasses. She has always been able to read, but at this point is not comfortable at the computer. Her depth perception is sill not very good; she is careful where she puts her feet. She will see the surgeon this week for the final check of the 2nd eye, and will see the opthamologist in 4 weeks to be checked for new glasses. She will get progressive lenses to enable her to use the computer, and will probably try driving again after she adjusts to the new glasses. During this wait time she is using her son's back-up glasses, which seem to work for getting around, although the depth perception is not good.

My friend who was not so near-sighted has distance vision, but wears her glasses most of the time when driving. She has another pair for reading, but can use her distance glasses some of the time. She is fully recovered, is driving, and still working out how to use glasses for reading. She bought a commercial pair for the wait time and found she could still use them for reading.

Another person used her eye insurance to buy an interim pair; they are still not that good, but her eyes are still healing. Insurance is an issue. Both friends have Medicare and Medicare supplement, plus some state employee glasses insurance. I have the state glasses insurence but am not eligible for Medicare and never will be. I have the insturace given to state employees; it is decent, and will cover the surgery but not the special Toric lens. Email me if you have other questions.

[morgandawn]

This is hugely helpful. I am trying to persuade my Mom to use a ride share service to get to and from work. And then to possibly plan a few weeks off from work. And last to be prepared that her computer work may be difficult/impossible.

Right now her vision is 20/50 (just beyond what is legal in CA)