Dad is having cataract surgery. Has anyone had this?

[RandySF]

My 85-year old dad is having cataracts removed next month. How involved is this? Anything to worry about?

[triron]

1. No, piece of cake

takes 15 min per eye. sedation with local anaesthesia. Your dad must have great eyes to have this so late!

[irisblue]

2. My mom last yr @82. She did fine, she told me "I forgot how blue the sky was"

It is a common surgery. Mom is still mentioning how happy she had it done.

[MyNameIsKhan]

3. 99.999% cases its very easy and recovery takes few days... but

it depends on size of cataract, if that is "huge", for some cases it can become complicated, which being swollen cornea and even in cases pieces of cataract going into retina liquid. Complications such like this have different surgeries such as Vitrectomy to remove vitreous fluid and pieces, and corneal transplant for persistent swelling.

Based on success rate 99.9999% , you dad will be fine and recover in a day or two. Please ensure there is eye block into cheek (type of local anesthesia) in place to ensure no discomfort during surgery.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

4. I had both eyes done along with cornea transplants and it went very smoothly.

No pain no strain.

[a kennedy]

24. do you mind how old you were when you had this done?? eom

[Tom67]

5. Nothing to worry about

It's actually a great thing. My mom had it done and was grateful as the results.

[Texasgal]

6. I'm a surgical nurse

that works in a cataract surgical practice.

Cataract removal and lens replacement is done quite easily and quickly now days without pain or down time. It's generally a very easy procedure. Do you have anything specific that you are concerned about?

Please feel free to PM or ask. We just did a patient roll of 12 today. All procedures went beautifully!

[RandySF]

25. Thanks!

Nothing specific. I've just been a worrier since mom passed away and we live in different parts of the country.

[Throck]

7. If he's in fair health no problem.

Had two done myself.

Keep up on the anti-biotics, no eye rubbing, observe the temporary physical restrictions.

My right eye was corrected to 20/20 distant. My left eye was done 10 years ago and is only 20/60. Older technology then. My eyes were 20/200 with horrible night vision.

Life is good, best wishes and a prayer for your dad.

[Siwsan]

8. I had it about 5 years ago and it was absolutely the easiest thing, ever.

I paid for upgraded lenses so now I don't even need glasses, except for the very finest of fine print. And before my surgery, I was REALLY nearsighted. Even when I wore contacts, I always had a pair of 'emergency' glasses or a second set of contacts with me.

It was just about the best money I've ever spent.

[elfin]

9. Easy Peasy. Sometimes some people have trouble with the drop regimen after

So make sure he is comfortable with it and have a time chart handy. help him or have a friend help if necessary.

If he isn't already using drops for a bit of dry eye now and then, make sure he can do it with some natural tear drops.

I never knew that some people had trouble with eye drops until a few friends said it was a problem.

i was so surprised at how easy it was. The hardest part for me was the tests beforehand where you look into an instrument and told not to blink for way too long for me. Then, when you think they are done -- they do another one and then another.

But they are measuring your eye from many aspects to make sure that all goes well.

Also -- He will need to show he has other transport than himself. Need to arrange with a friend or senior cab or bus in order to leave the clinic.

He will be amazed at the clarity of his sight and how fresh and new the colors are.

[GP6971]

10. It's a breeze

Had both eyes done 2 weeks apart 2 years ago. Biggest after effect is being sensitive to sunlight, but it's very manageable.

My biggest problem was adjusting going from being near sighted to far sighted. It was a huge adjustment and I recommend he stay with what his current eyesight is.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. It is both the most common and the most successful surgery in the US

It removes cataracts and restores vision to better than you can imagine. I have "baby" cataracts that I am WISHING get worse so I can use my Medicare to get it done.

[marlakay]

12. Mom in late 80's had both eyes done

one at a time last year went fine, she is happy can see. They wouldn't renew drivers license without it. She is 89 and still drives, although scares me!

[Ilsa]

13. Make sure he wears the hard patch to bed.

You don't want him scratching or rubbing his eye.

The eye drops are a complicated schedule, unless you can afford the expensive ones that Medicare doesn't pay for. It's usiually four types of drops, including a steroid, two types of antibiotics, and I think a pain reliever. Create a paper schedule for yourself so you can check it off after administering the drops. Usually, you start with all four, some 4x/day, others 2x/day. After a week, the schedule changes, etc.

It's a wonderfully modern fix for an age-old problem.

[crazylikafox]

14. Yes, I made a paper chart of the eye drop schedule & taped it to my bathroom mirror.

Checked it off each time i used the drops. I wouldn't have been able to keep track otherwise.

[roamer65]

15. Both parents had it done. I am destined for it.

No complications for either one of them. All should be well after.

[TeamPooka]

16. I had both eyes done a few years ago. Easy and a miracle. Just follow up properly with the drops

during the after care and all will be great.

[WinkyDink]

17. SO easy-peasy! And he will come out of it saying his new vision is like a miracle! I did (both eyes,

last summer)!

ZEE-ro, I mean ZEE-ro, discomfort.

But someone might want to help him with his eye drops, before and after (a couple weeks). There are several types, with differing regimens.

Oh---Each eye has to be done separately, with about a month in between.

[struggle4progress]

18. This is almost always good. Serious complications are possible but rare

The doc should explain possible warning signs. Follow medical advice.

My mother had the operation in her 80s, my father in his 90s.

[jehop61]

19. Very quick and easy

Mild medication helps with anxiety. He'll see so much better. Just be sure to keep up the drops needed early on to avoid infection. Good luck

[Hoyt]

20. Should be easy. Been a year since mine. No complications beyond a

little irritation for a few days. One eye really hurt during procedure because they didn't numb my eye up enough. But it didn't last but 30 seconds or so. Next eye was numbed properly with drops.

I've always worn big thick glasses, couldn't see my feet in shower. If I had known it would be so easy, would have had procedure decades ago.

Good luck to your dad.

[ATL Ebony]

21. Know a few people that had the surgery -- no worries, no problems.

[DeminPennswoods]

22. Takes 7 minutes

Mom had one removed a couple years ago. It literally takes 7 minutes and is done on an outpatient basis. The only possible complication is if your dad took Flomax or generic version at any time. Apparently flomax keeps the eye from completely dilating. There's a work around, but make sure to let the doc/medical team know. Otherwise, just follow the instructions and he should be fine.

[duncang]

23. As all the other posts no problem here

Had both cornea replaced. Kind of strange getting a card with a serial number on it for each eye. There is one thing that freaks out my family. They say sometimes is my eyes have a sheen to them. Not sure never have seen it myself in a mirror.

[MFM008]

26. My mom had it done

No problems.
She was in her 70s.
I need to have it done...

[Wounded Bear]

27. Had both eyes done a couple of years ago...

not as easy as some here have reported, but rousing success for me.

Vision since has been 20/20, and I wore glasses since I was in 3rd grade.

I'm early sixties.

[northoftheborder]

28. I had both eyes done two years ago.

Easiest surgery I ever had. I even drove myself to the Dr. office the next day to have patch taken off. It took a brownish grey haze off my sight and I could then see at night! I was building a house, and had to rechoose all my paint colors, because I didn't realize how much my eyes were affected in seeing gradations in color.

Now my shoulders need to be replaced, and I am dreading this for sure. Anyone know about the recuperation period?????

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Nothing at all to worry about.

This is by far the most common surgery in this country.

I like to say that cataracts are the best thing that ever happened to my eyes. I could not see the blackboard in first grade. Wore glasses, then contact lenses for over 50 years.

I learned at around the age of 45 or so that I had the beginnings of cataracts, which was a bit distressing at that age, but they simply didn't progress for over a decade. Then at one eye appointment the doctor said, "It's time for cataract surgery." I was only 63, so I was a bit distressed. And at every pre-surgery appointment, then at the clinic where the surgery was done, and at the follow ups, I was by at least a decade the youngest person there.

I think that for a lot of older people, like your 85 year old dad, they think of this as serious surgery and put it off as long as possible. Bit mistake. These days it's a quick outpatient procedure, and with the implants his vision will be better than ever. I know mine is.

He absolutely must follow the schedule on the eye drops. I was not yet on Medicare and my policy covered those eye drops. I think there was a trivial co-pay. If he has a supplemental plan of any sort they may well be covered for him. But regardless, they are crucial.

I apparently had better results than most people. Within six hours after the surgery the vision in the eye had stabilized, and simply improved over the next few days and then the next year.

Anyway, as others have already pointed out, it's a common procedure that has very very few complications. Trust me, your dad will be astonished at the improvement in his vision, especially if he's put off the surgery for any length of time.

[Leghorn21]

30. Randy, my late mama was born in 1921. And one of the "stories" she told more than

once was about how, back when she was young, when people had cataract surgery, they had to return home and sit in a chair with bricks on either side of their head for six weeks. DO. NOT. MOVE.

(she didn't jive me, did she?!)

My sister, 69, just had both eyes done. Quick easy virtually painless piece of cake, and she's thrilled with her results!

Hugs to you and your dad, "no worries"!

[elleng]

31. No prob. I've had 2 done, separated by years.

Very brief surgery, under 'twilight' or somesuch anesthesia.

Need to use eye drops days before, and a few weeks after, so be sure this can be done. Not sure that 2 are often done at the same time.

[Binkie The Clown]

32. Had both eyes done, a couple years apart. Piece of cake.

Prep time (happy meds to relax me) took half an hour or so, then the surgery took about 15 minutes. Once the "happy meds" wore off I went home (my sister drove me). Next day I went back to the eye doctor for a followup. In a couple weeks I tested 20/20 where before I was almost blind.

That was about 15 years ago. Never had a single problem since. Still 20/20 distance vision, although I need readers for closeup work.

(On Edit: FYI I'm 71.)

[Itchinjim]

33. I had it done in 2014. No problems at all.

And my eyesight went from seeing the world in VHS to seeing it in Blue Ray.

[egold2604]

34. The only downside is I need reading glasses

I had both eyes done last fall. My cataracts were so bad I missed fishing last year because I couldn't see to tie the flies to my line.

I keep forgetting to keep my reading glasses on me when I go out and I have to have people in the store read the fine print to me.

I went from 20/400 in either eye to 20/20 in my right eye and 20/35 in my left eye.

I also forgot how blue the sky actually was because I saw everything through a yellow-green filter.

[TheBlackAdder]

35. Don't do both eyes at same time. If an infection occurs, both eyes could be subject to loss.

.

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/can-cataract-surgery-be-done-in-both-eyes-at-once

Question:

Can cataract surgery be done to both eyes in one operation?


Answer:

Yes, cataract surgery can be performed on both eyes the same day, but I don’t know any surgeon who exposes his or her patients to this risk. The concern is that, should there be a rare infection in one eye, a person could develop an infection in the other eye, too. Doctors think in terms of risk and benefit. The risk of ending up blind in both eyes seems too great a risk to most of us compared to the benefit of having both eyes operated on the same day.

===


If they suggest that, run, don't walk to another doctor. The thought of placing convenience before safety is appalling, yet there are those who do that. They seem to be mainly those cataract surgery mills, where the centers perform thousands of them. There are certain viruses and bacterial infections that would decimate an eye, if exposed. It is too easy to bridge the eyes. Just think of how many times you would get pink eye and how many times it has spread to both eyes.


.