Community Chat

[Lindsays Grandma]

On 10/3/2014 docsgirl said:

I'm so glad it's over for you and that all went well. Your experience is vastly different from mine. I had my right eye done in August and my left eye done on Sept. 16. Three days prior to surgery, I put in eye drops from one bottle 3X daily. Following surgery, I put in drops from 3 different bottles. I was fully awake for both surgeries and did not have to wear an eye patch. I was able to sleep on either side but did wear a shield over the eye at night. I was driving the next day and back at work on Sept. 18. I guess different surgeons have their own preferred methods. I will get new glasses in about a week now that both eyes are done. I'm very happy for you. I don't know how old you are but for me, at age 68, my first look in the mirror following surgery was quite a scary experience. There were lines and wrinkles I never saw before. Yikes!!! Good luck. docsgirl

docsgirl You are not the first person that said they discovered lines and wrinkles after cataract surgery. I told my doctor that and he told me not to worry about because I don't have wrinkles and I must have good genes. My skin looks good thank the good lord but I am amazed at the vivid colors I am seeing. Just think, after the right eye is done I will see true colors again but the best part is that I will be able to read books I love without using a magnifying glass.

[docsgirl]

cody,

Please do not be afraid. It's a very short, simple, painless procedure. I was wide awake for the entire procedure as my surgeon prefers her patients that way. I was given Versed and numbing drops but I recall the entire procedure. My surgeon was talking to me and telling me what she was going to do next. She kept reassuring me that all was going well. Following a brief stint in the recovery room, I was out the door and my friend, who took me, and I went out for lunch. I was up and running the very next day. I was driving the next day and back at work 2 days following surgery. I was told not to bed over from the waist nor to lift anything above 25 pounds but it was not a problem. I am a teacher so bending and lifting was not an issue. I was able to shower the very next morning but was told not to get soap or water in the eye...basic common sense. The eye drops are not a big deal. When I had to use them 3X a day, I took them to work and put them in during lunch time.

Have no fear. You will be fine and you will be amazed at how sharp and clear everything will be. I'm thrilled that I had it done and you will be, too. Good luck to you. docsgirl

[sophiamarie]

cody: I have to echo docsgirl. I had the same experience. No problems at all. I also use the drops 3x a day.

I used Prednisolone and Vigamox in both eyes. I wrote a little chart down like this: The day of the week on top of each row of times. I was told to space them 5 minutes apart.

12 noon

6 pm

12 mid

Then, each time I put the drops in, I crossed out the time. Not a problem at all. You could say 10 am, 4 pm, 10 pm., or whatever times are convenient for you.

I had no restrictions but for the usual no lifting or bending for a few days and that was it. In the shower, I turned my back to the spray and bent my head backwards to wash my hair. Not a problem. I wouldn't go to a beauty salon for fear they would not be gentle...... As docsgirl said, basic common sense.

If I had a job, I could have gone to work right from the surgery. I had no pain anywhere. I don't know where the cheek bruising comes from. I have never heard of that. In cases of severe cataracts, the eye might be bruised a little, but the cheek??? I don't know if that had anything to do with cataract surgery.

Please don't let anything said here, affect you. Everyone has a different experience, from what I'm reading here.

Good luck and get back to us.

[cody2]

Thank you to docsgirl and sophiamarie for your comments. I am really skeevy about doctors in general. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

I recently got new glasses and they didn't help much. I went back to my doctor and she tested my eyes again with and without the glasses and said that there wasn't any changes she could make so that the glasses would work. She told me to set up an appointment with their cataract specialist as she thought it was time for surgery.

My husband has had his done and didn't have a problem but it is scary to have eye surgery. When I read that a person had one eye done and hoped that she wouldn't have to have the other done, or, that recovery takes a few weeks...sounds scary.

I haven't made my appointment yet as we have plans for this month. Hopefully around the beginning of November I can get this over with. Thanks again ladies.

[sophiamarie]

cody: I had mine spaced 2 weeks apart. As for me, there was really no recovery. I have to remind myself that I even had it done. It was really a walk in the park for me. I know you'll do fine.

BTW - I went from wearing Progressives (trifocals) to no glasses at all and I had the MONO IOL's..... It's incredible what they can do nowadays.

[Tyak]

On 10/3/2014 I am still oxox said:

Are you able to wash you hair, I had cateract surgery in both eyes before I was 45, and I remember I was not able to wash my hair for at least 10 days.

I had cataract surgery just Wednesday morning and washed my hair Thursday morning. My only instruction was I had to have my back to the shower head and absolutely no water in eye.

[Tyak]

On 10/3/2014 cody said:

On 10/3/2014 docsgirl said:

I'm so glad it's over for you and that all went well. Your experience is vastly different from mine. I had my right eye done in August and my left eye done on Sept. 16. Three days prior to surgery, I put in eye drops from one bottle 3X daily. Following surgery, I put in drops from 3 different bottles. I was fully awake for both surgeries and did not have to wear an eye patch. I was able to sleep on either side but did wear a shield over the eye at night. I was driving the next day and back at work on Sept. 18. I guess different surgeons have their own preferred methods. I will get new glasses in about a week now that both eyes are done. I'm very happy for you. I don't know how old you are but for me, at age 68, my first look in the mirror following surgery was quite a scary experience. There were lines and wrinkles I never saw before. Yikes!!! Good luck. docsgirl

I don't mind seeing the lines and wrinkles but some of the other comments here are making me afraid. I am scheduled to do my pre-ops for cataracts in my first eye and now I am not so sure.

I was scared to death and there was nothing to it. First cataract done 3 days ago, second scheduled for the 22nd of this month. I can't wear any eye make up for a week and I'm finding that to be the worst restriction. I have very sparse eyelashes and personally, I think I look like death warmed over without my little bit of eye makeup that I usually wear. I was awake the entire time with the dr. talking to me, I was so afraid I was going to feel the incision but like I said, nothing to it. I could read so far down on the eye chart the day after surgery, the doctor was amazed as was I. I had my astigmatism corrected also and the doc told me he made several big incisions and the only discomfort I had was the first night there was slight achiness around my eye. Don't be afraid of this surgery.

[tansy]

Tyak, what creeps me out about the procedure would be seeing equipment coming right down on my eye. Are you aware of that during the procedure? I have a slow growing cataract apparently.

[Tyak]

On 10/4/2014 tansy said: Tyak, what creeps me out about the procedure would be seeing equipment coming right down on my eye. Are you aware of that during the procedure? I have a slow growing cataract apparently.

I could see things coming towards me but honestly, I didn't feel a thing. At my post of appt. he told me that because of the lens I chose to get, it's more complicated and he needs to keep these patients awake because he has to instruct them exactly where to focus. I'm so looking forward to no glasses that I just wish I didn't have to wait three weeks to get the other eye done. I was so freaked out by the thought of incisions in the eye that I was making myself physically sick from worry. Believe me when I say there is nothing to it and for me to say that is something because I'm very squeamish about anything touching my eyes. The worst part of it are all the drops. When I think back to surgery, the one thing that bothered me terribly was that they taped my head down and I have claustrophobia problems and I thought I was going to panic but after 5 minutes or so I didn't even think of it.

[tansy]

Thanks for the response. I'm squeamish about anything touching my eyeball, including drops:/ How nice to get rid of your glasses. Oh, ugh, I just saw the part about having your head taped down. LOL. I'd need a Xanax for sure.