I’ve had cataract surgery this summer - first on 6/26 and second on 7/12. So many people told me it would be a piece of cake and it hasn’t been horrible, but I think my recovery is slower than what I expected. I love my new ophthalmologist and she said my sensitivity to light, which is my only real complaint, could take a month to two months before it resolved. First eye is almost resolved, but second eye which is “2 weeks old” today still has peripheral vision that feels like I’ve been crying or have dilating drops in. I trust my doc, but would like hearing what the experience has been for others here.
My eyes weren’t that bad prior to the surgery - mostly trouble with night driving and reading street signs in new city. I can tell improvement in being able to see the line score of tennis matches (Wimbledon) more clearly, so there’s that
Had mine done on 5-3 and 5-24. Overall very pleased. Still some light sensitivity but getting better. Some days no sensitivity at all. Still not consistent day in and day out but improving.
Vision wise very pleased.
My H is concerned about getting his cataracts removed. His eyes are finally “ripe,” but he will have to stop wearing contacts for about 6 months prior to the surgery, so he wants to wait until after our S has is October wedding.
My mom had hers done in April and May. I think that’s all I’ve heard about since. Those drops and the super thick sunglasses she has to wear any time she steps outside. She followed the directions to a T. The first one went great. The second, she had some rebound swelling/infection? Something with the antibiotic drops that she had to go back on. But, I think they are fine now. I have not heard of any sensitivity or anything like that. She did mention after the first just how much brighter the world looking out of the repaired eye vs the other. She was going to hold off doing the second until she saw the difference.
She also went from not being able to see the big E on the chart to 20-20 vision for distance. She still needs glasses for reading. But she’s worn glasses for 70 years and doesn’t want to worry about readers, so she has bifocals with no correction in the main part.
I got the standard lenses. I still use my readers for the computer, but finding they aren’t always necessary now for some other things I had been using readers for.
You probably have some residual refractive error, probably nearsighted by your reduced need for readers, that will present itself at your final post op on a week or two. Glasses will fix it if that’s what it is.
Some years ago an optometrist suggested multifocal lenses in new glasses. Big mistake. Although I could use for distance, regular, reading, my neck began to be sore as I would have to constantly be moving my head up or down in order to find the sweet spot to see. I stopped using these glasses, went to just reading glasses, my neck felt better. Sometime later, prior to cataract surgery, I remember having an appointment sitting in a room with several glossy, colored posters of people all enjoying life’s activities (aka ads) wearing their new multifocal cataract lenses. My previous experience with multifocal lenses hadn’t worked out well, so I chose the standard lenses. I still use readers, but the neck discomfort is gone.
I had progressive glasses for years and they took some getting used to. Made me a bit dizzy especially going down stairs but eventually got used to them and liked them.
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I did mono vision contacts for years. One eye focused for distance and the other eye for close up. Took about a week but my brain finally adapted and it was great. Not everybody’s brain makes the transition (about 25-30 percent). That is an option for cataract surgery but I’d hesitate to suggest it unless you’ve already been wearing contacts with that configuration.
I chose multifocal intraocular lenses. They do work very differently and have improved in just a few short years. I love them! No readers, no glasses at all. No getting used to anything–except the colors around me were so bright! Felt like a kid in a candy shop!
Light sensitivity, rings around lights at night can take up to six months to a year to reside. Hopefully there is continuous improvement with the caveat that some people don’t improve.
But don’t panic–definitely give yourself time! I wear sunglasses all the time now outside but the sensitivity has definitely subsided over the last year.
I’m surprised at the need to not wear contacts for that long. That’s over the top.
It’s usually conservatively 2 weeks (and just a few, 3 days usually) for soft contacts and at the most 3 weeks for hard contacts (also conservative-- usually 1 week).
Unless there is something special about your H’s contacts or condition that would make me question the doctor and I might be looking for a second opinion.
He’s worn hard lenses for many decades and has a pretty bad astigmatism. I’ve read 1 month of not wearing contacts per decade of contacts. I was surprised he’s supposed to go without contacts for so long.
The guidelines for RGP are 3-4 weeks and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve worn them.
I have TERRIBLE astigmatism to the point I didn’t think I couldn’t get multifocal lenses.
Nope! No problem. Surprised the heck out of me at the time.
Just saying I’ve worn glasses since 2nd grade. Hard contacts in HS. I think I’ve done it all just about. I’ve always been on the “verge”–can’t get soft lens because they don’t make them strong enough or not enough astigmatism correction. Well. Now they do.
Just saying that 6 months is WAY over the top. And I’d definitely get a second opinion.
Again, this varies by practice. It isn’t a static number. We perform serial topographies and deem the patient “ready” when we get two consecutive that are the same. On average that ends up taking about 1 month per decade of RGP wear, but stable is stable. It could take longer or it could happen sooner. It’s very important that the cornea be stable in its unaltered state to get accurate biometry measurements.
Thanks for all the feedback. If he is stable sooner, the ophthamologist said she could operate sooner but wanted him to know the longest he may have to expect. She will keep checking to see when he’s stable.
I think I am going to get this done soon. I’ve been wearing contacts and glasses almost all my life. Now that I’m retired and home, I’m in my glasses during the day as I can’t read with just my contacts anymore. So, my eyes aren’t as used to them when I wear them and starting to bother me.
Doctor says I’m a few years out, but should consider doing it. I can live a contact and eyeglass free life which sounds incredibly and would be life changing for me.
I have to sit and have an actual appointment to discuss this. Of course I’m apprehensive about it all. I have astigmatism so never could so lasik.
So, tell me how it was for you and how you are doing now!
