How does the cataract surgery and potential complications work out with people who have dry eyes? I had a friend who had lasix and ended up with horrendous dry eye and other issues
My dry eyes got dryer.
Surgery 7 yrs ago, last winter I couldnāt read the big E on the eye chart. Cornea on right too dry and surface getting like pointed crystals. Forced to do drops several times a day, but now almost back to normal. Corneal ablation surgery avoided, but the upcoming dry winter is concerning.
Had my first eye done this morning. My arrival time was 11:00 and was back in the car at 12:25. Couldnāt have been smoother. Since chemo in 1992, drugs have little effect on me; drugs that would knock out my husband, do nothing to me. They of course gave me an IV to relax me and make me groggy did absolutely nothing. What that means is I am home playing on the computer with my one good eye and one patched eye!
@snowball , good luck during this awkward time. I remember that I couldnāt wait until my other eye could be made as good as the repaired one. The drops were a pain, but manageable.
I went from coke bottle glasses for nearsightedness to 20/20 in both eyes w/o glasses. Renewed my license last month and passed the eyetest with flying colors! Stashing cheap reading glasses everywhere is a small price to payāI had worn glasses since 4th grade.
Youāll be surprised at how much better you can see once the patch is off. It was like I saw the world in sepia and after the surgery, I saw the world in technicolor. Good luck!
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@Bromfield2 My cataracts were smallish, but large enough that I decided it was time to have them done. As I mentioned earlier, I decided to correct for my mid range as I am on the computer all day at work, which I can currently see without correction. I wear my glasses for distances, but with the cataracts, I also could not read street signs until I was on top of them! I never had trouble with color, which I know many people do, so donāt expect a change there.
Assuming all goes as planned, I should only need glasses for distance, and maybe readers for tiny print, like medicine bottles. I can actually watch tv without my glasses now, if I was mindlessly watching; if a show I care about, I will put my glasses on. I believe they are correcting my right eye to a -.75 and my left to a -1.50.
I go for my first of many follow ups tomorrow, and get to take the patch off an hour before my appointment. Second eye scheduled for two weeks from today, which is the eye that had better vision, but the cataract blocks more field of vision than the other. I remember asking my doctor about the timing for the second eye, and if I needed to do it so soon after the first. His comment was, āOnce you do the first one, you will want the second done as soon as possible when you see the difference!ā I hope he is right.
I had cataract surgery on my left eye about a year ago. It was traditional cataract surgery in a hospital operating room, done by an ophthalmology resident with a more experienced ophthalmologist sitting nearby. It did not turn out as well as Iād hoped. They got the prescription of the new lens wrong. Four years ago my vision in that eye was either 20/20 or 20/30. With the cataract it had gone down to 20/50 with a dingy, yellow tint. About 6 months after the surgery my optometrist measured it at 20/60.
The ophthalmologist said they sometimes had a hard time figuring out the correct lens prescription for cataract patients whoād had Lasik like I did, but that they usually got it right. Well, they didnāt get it right. I had been reading before the surgery that if they got the lens wrong that they could go in and replace it, but both my optometrist and the ophthalmologist are advising against it. Very disappointing. Now Iām getting a cataract in my other eye, and Iām afraid to have surgery done on that one. At the moment my vision in my right eye is still good enough so that I can manage without glasses, although Iāll usually wear glasses if Iām reading or at the computer. Iām worried that Iāll need glasses full-time if they mess up the next cataract surgery like they did the last one.
I paid the extra cost for the laser incisions. My past history with a retinal detachment indicated that this would be better, more gentle on my repaired eye a than a surgeon using a scalpel. Having had laser treatments before the retina detachment repair, I expected blinding flashes of light. The laser for the cataracts look like a kaleidoscope, not harsh at all.
The relaxant that I was given I hear is very much like a date rape drug in that you remember very little of the procedure. I swear I was in actual surgery for only a minute or 2, but Iām sure it was longer.
As my eyes are healthy with no previous problems or surgeries, I opted for traditional surgery without laser. Both my doctors and my research agreed there was no need for laser unless I went with the multifocal len.
@simba9 I am so sorry you have not had a good outcome. I had read that sometimes it is harder with a eye that has had Lasik. I did think about my son when I read that as he had Lasik when he was 33. Hopefully by the time he might need cataract surgery they will have a different procedure. I also though they could do a laser procedure after cataract removal to correct any issues; are you not a candidate for that? I know nothing about it, just that there can be some tweaking after surgery for some.
@MADad I am sure I was out some, but it couldnāt have been long. I know I was awake during part of the procedure as the surgeon had me look down at my toes and over to the side. He and someone in the room was discussing the setting on his scope as it wasnāt as clear as he would like. Seems it was on another docs settings, but he didnāt want them changing it mid procedure as he could see well enough 
They changed it toward the end when he was checking placement. Hopefully he really saw what he needed!
So remember when I said earlier I had no trouble with colors; well, I lied. 
Took my patch off as directed an hour before my follow up appointment; OMG, the difference in color, sharpness and clarity! My computer screen is white with my right eye, compared to the beige of the left eye that has not be done yet.
I was pleasantly surprised that I could see so well with the right eye for distance; I could read the street signs as my husband drove without glasses on! Why I missed this point, my right eye was being corrected more for distance, and my left more for mid range. While the mid range in the right eye is still not perfect, I was told I still had swelling and some dilation, so it will get better. I am just excited I can see so well for distance. At least for now, I can drive to work without glasses on as I only have a mile to go. I donāt think I will try to drive any distance in the evening at this time, as I have no where to go, but will wait and see how well my night vision is.
The only issue, which is not an issue, is I keep seeing a what seems like a flashing light out of the outside corner of my eye. I was told that I am actually seeing the reflection of the new lens, but as the swelling goes down, that will go away.
So far very pleased and looking forward to the second eye in two weeks. Wish I had done this sooner!
@snowball haha about the color! Before my cataract surgery, we were getting our house painted. I picked out a really nice off white with a very slight yellow tinge. My husband readily agreed, and we had the bulk of the inside of our house painted. I thought it was odd that he agreed to the yellowish color.
Wellā¦post cataractā¦there isnāt a drop of yellow tinge in that paintā¦not a drop. I could easily see the difference when eye one was done. I closed one eyeā¦and saw yellowish, closed the other and saw no yellowish at all.
Moral of the story, if you have cataracts, donāt pick out paint until you get them done!!
@snowball, you can have a laser touch-up to relieve cloudiness that sometimes forms after your cataract surgery. I asked about it, and even though at times it seems like I have a thin film of Vaseline on my eye, I was told my vision wasnāt bad enough for a laser touch-up yet.
After surgery, I was given a lens implant identification card with the information about my particular len-model, power, size, etcā¦ What was not mentioned to me, nor did I ask about the actually lens they would use, is this lens has UV with blue light filter. I had read prior to surgery that some lens have UV, I just didnāt think to ask what lens I would be getting. I guess that is what happens when you trust your surgeon!
Second eye was done on Tuesday, so the patch came off Wednesday. As I live 1 mile from work, I havenāt ātestedā out the new vision much. I did notice I could once again read a street sign before I was on top of it, so that was nice!
Last night was the first time I have been in the car in the evening since having either eyes done. Not only could I see street signs in the dark, I could see the lanes and exits without difficulty. While I knew my night vision wasnāt great, I didnāt realize how bad it was. If my husband and I were out, he would drive, but I did drive in the evening when meeting friends or visiting my mother.
As I mentioned before, not sure why I didnāt have this done before, other than my doctor said I would know when it was time. I didnāt think I āneededā it done, was just waiting for the right time.
@snowball I am 3 years since my cataract surgeries, and I am still amazed at the improvement in quality of life in terms of vision! Enjoy!
Getting my first cataract surgery tomorrow. Not too scared, just uncertain how I will feel after surgery. Not sure what to expect.
Do most patients sleep a lot when they get home ? on day of surgery?
@powercropper I had both cataracts done a few years ago. It was the easiest surgical procedure Iāve ever had done.
I did not sleep when I got home. I had really no pain.
In my case, I saw the doctor the following morning, and was good to go. I couldnāt drive myself to that post op visit, but I was cleared to drive after that.
Good luck. Really, it should be fine.
After surgery, you will probably be hungry!
@powercropper , I was noticing on the ride home how much better my vision was in the repaired eye, even before the dilation had worn off. Ditto the comments about no pain or drowsiness.
TREMENDOUS improvement in quality of life.
Just did both eyes last month. No sleeping; actually watched tv and read on my computer! Like the above, it is an easy surgery with no pain. My doctor patches the eye after surgery; needed my sunglasses when I took the patch off the next morning as the operated eye was light sensitive. It was still a bit dialated.
Best of luck; you will enjoy the results!
I did not have a patch blocking either eye after surgery but had a clear ācupā to protect the eye from being struck. Had to sleep with the cup on my eye for the first 5 (?) nights after surgery.