I'm having cataract surgery today.

[zanana1]

Has anybody out there had it? I'm wondering about post-surgery recuperation. Will I have to wear a patch?
Will I be able to watch TV or go online?
I'm not worried about the surgery itself, but what is it like?

[MFM008]

1. My mom had it done

She had to use antibiotic eye drops and sleep with the patch over the eye for a week I think.

[underpants]

7. My mom as well

One eye then the other eye a few months later. No big deal according to her. Her sight has improved a lot.

[sweetroxie]

2. I had 2 cataracts

Walk in the park.My sight was dramaticallly improved

[secondwind]

3. I have friends who had cataract removed. It was easy peasy.

The procedure lasted only minutes.

[Itchinjim]

4. Had it done in 2014. Both eyes. Surgery was a breeze.

Since they did them about a month apart, the worst thing was having near perfect vision in one eye and being almost blind in the other. I kept one eye shut most of the time. After both were done, I was stunned by the clarity of my vision and the colors I could see. The difference was like watching a movie on a worn out VHS tape and watching the same movie on Blue Ray.

[brush]

17. Did you have to wear an eye patch immediately after the surgery, for how long?

Could you see better immediately?

[Itchinjim]

18. An eye patch for a few days. And yes I could see better immediately.

[brush]

19. Do you mean an eye patch at night or from immediately after the operation?

I'm asking as I will have it done soon but have poor sight in my other eye due to an accident years ago.

[zanana1]

5. Thanks everybody.

I feel alot better now!

[Ilsa]

6. You will need to wear a hard patch at night

for however long the dr prescribes. They will give it to you in a kit. The hard patch prevents you from rubbing or scratching in your sleep. The kit might include really dark wrap-around sunglasses.

You may benefit from setting up a chart for your eye drops. They will likely include an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, something for pain. If Medicare or insurance is paying for the drops, it will likely be 3 or 4 items. If you have several hundred dollars to spare, there may be combination drugs available.

Hope this helps. I took care of my MIL when she had this surgery. Good luck!

[True Blue American]

11. You need that hard patch to protect the eye

You are absolutely right. I was scared of the surgery until I went with my friend.

Would you say the process took less than 2 hours? The medication takes longer than the surgery,right?

[Ilsa]

21. I was taking care of my MIL.

I don't remember the procedure taking long. But you'll be monitored for awhile afterwards due to the medications. And you should expect the effects of medications to last the rest of the day, to be on the safe side. Don't rush anything.

[LiberalBrooke]

8. Wore a clear plastic patch

for the first day and while sleeping for a few after that. No pain at all and almost immediate visual clarity. I agree with another poster that the most annoying thing was that the surgical eye could see clearly so old prescription glasses did not work. A few weeks later after the second eye was done both eyes could see. For that time in between, it was hard. In afterthought, I should have gone to a 1 hour prescription place and had an appropriate lenses put in old glasses, yes, I could read and watch tv for the first day but that eye did get tired and I slept part of the day.

[mgardener]

9. Husband had it done 3 weeks ago

He also has to have surgery for macular hole but cataract had to be done first.
Surgery went well. Slept a lot sfter surgery, vision was blurry for first two days and then it cleared. He was so happy about the difference!
Remembering to use the drops 4 times a day was hardest part, but he is down to once a day till Thurs.
Good luck with your surgery

[True Blue American]

10. I took a friend to both of hers

You are allowed to stay with the patient during the procedure up until they go onto surgery. 10, 15 minutes. She dressed, they wheeled her out,I took her home. Back to the Doctors office that afternoon to have the patch removed.

Uncomfortable the first few days, but she could see clear as a bell. Second one a couple of weeks later.

[snowybirdie]

12. Thanks for asking the questions

Having my surgery in two weeks and can use any advice too.

[Petrushka]

13. Cataract removal & lens implants done two summers ago.

One regret: As a lifelong avid reader---and someone who enjoyed doing such things as close needlework---it's a bummer . . . because, after being near-sighted for 80 years, now I need more and more powerful reading glasses PLUS (at times) a magnifying glass in order to see anything right under my nose. If it weren't for wearing 350X computer glasses and being able to enlarge this page, I'd be up that proverbial creek without a paddle.

[True Blue American]

14. Really?

Sorry to hear that. That is terrible. I am a life long reader.too. Could not wait for the Book Mobile that stopped in front of our house every two weeks. 8 books , then 3 of us would read the others.

Several friends got rid of their glasses. One needs them to read.

[hedda_foil]

20. That's EXACTLY why i asked the doctor to implant a lens that would still leave me nearsighted.

They can do that. I've been wearing glasses for 60 years and everything I do involves reading and writing. I can still work on the computer and read without glasses and wear the new prescription for tv and driving, etc. The reading glasses solution just wasnt right for me.

[Ilsa]

22. I'm inclined to do the same thing in about

Ten years when it's my turn. I like doing needlework, sewing, etc. Can't imagine losing the sharpness of my near-sight.

A friend had lasix. She had one eye corrected to 20-20 and the other left nearsighted. She said her brain compensates and both near and far vision is good. I'm considering wearing one contact lens to see if that will work for me over time.

[Petrushka]

23. If I'd have been made aware that I'd lose my near-sightedness . . .

. . . I'd have thought twice before accepting the doctors' recommendations.

[hedda_foil]

24. I know. They don't think about us nearsighted nerds whose best sport as a kid was reading.-)

[Hoyt]

15. Yep, easy surgery. For me, it was a life changer. My eye sight was so bad, couldn't see my feet

in shower. Now I can, although they look rough.

I can walk in the rain and snow without cleaning glasses. I can swim and see where I'm going. I can wake up in the morning and not reach for the darn things. I do wear a mild correction for very sharp vision, but don't need them usually. And I can now get glasses at reasonable prices.

The cataracts didn't really affect my vision that much, except at night.

Good luck to you.

[Wounded Bear]

16. Had it done a couple of years ago...

Both eyes, a few weeks apart. Minimal irritation or problems. Wore the hard patch for 24 hours. Mine was ventilated so I could see through the little holes. IDK how bad your cataracts are, but my improvement was astounding, not just in focus and clarity of vision, either. What really surprised me was how bad my color acuity before the operations.

Without a doubt, the best thing I've done for myself in years. Wore glasses since 3rd grade. Now I'm 20/20 distance. Still need reading glasses, but I can live with that. My VA doctors didn't offer some of the newer lenses. It also helps that I don't have astigmatism or severe macular degeneration.

Have no fear, it's one of the most common surgeries performed, and the success rates are in the high, high 90% range. You should be very happy.