Cataract surgery...

[Greyswan]

I just had cataract surgery about six weeks ago, both eyes done. I know many here are in my age bracket (just started the 7th decade, aagh!) and facing that operation.

Anyway, one of the things I worried about, as many photographers do, was how would that affect my shooting, and I just wanted to reassure anyone facing this, that it really does not. I've been extremely myopic all my life, and got distance vision installed as I thought it would actually help finding birds, and also give greater DOF. Yes, the lens they install in your eyes are exactly like camera lenses. It is SO nice not to have to reach for glasses first thing in the morning! So I do have great distance vision now.

The only impact it has had with photography, is not being able to see the camera settings on the rear view monitor - I need cheap readers for that. And since I do mostly wildlife, I can look through the viewfinder and see the settings perfectly, after adjusting the diopter for my new distance vision. Laptop and phone also require the readers, no big deal for me.

I also found that most of my photos were pushed to overexposure in post, unfortunately because the cataracts clouded my vision somewhat with a a sepia tint, and the colours were not what I thought they were. Quite a few blown whites in them as well. Thankfully I never did a lot of colour adjustments or saturation, so not too bad.

So for anyone facing this, if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them.

Cheers, Chris.

 

[OhLook]

I just had cataract surgery about six weeks ago, both eyes done. . . .

So for anyone facing this, if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them.

That's kind of you. Thanks.

1. How did you deal with the horror of having an eye cut or punctured?
2. Were you prescribed opioids for postoperative pain? My neighbor was. They're addictive. She said that after a while she indeed felt a craving for the next dose.

 

[Greyswan]

1) honestly, you do not even notice when they are working on your eye - it's totally numb, the only thing I felt was the liquid they put on the eye. I promise you, it's the easiest op I ever had, lasted about 10 minutes. The idea of it is far more terrifying than the actual op.

2) I had no post-op pain. None. A slightly gritty feeling that was cured by lubricating eyedrops in between the other drop regimen. The gritty feeling lasted about three days. The most I took was a Tylenol for the irritation. You are given prednisolone (steroid) drops that reduce any possible swelling, and an antibiotic drop as well. The eyedrop regime lasts about a month, with successively fewer drops each week. I was never given any opioids. I have never heard of anyone getting opioids for pain for this op unless something went very wrong, which very seldom happens. I'm in Canada, so maybe it's different elsewhere. But there was simply no pain during or after. I could drive the next day, that's how easy my eyes felt.

One of the best places to get information for this is the r/cataract surgery subreddit on Reddit. Truly a fount of information from the patient's points of view. It really helped me make the decisions on the lens choices as well.

 

[paddler4]

ditto. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes, and your eye is totally numb. If I recall, they also sedate you. Afterwards, your eye feels like there is a bit of grit on it for a short time, but there's no real pain. I didn't even take acetominophen. Unless your neighbor had something nonroutine, opiods would be nuts. I have had this done, and many people I know have had it done, and none complained about pain. Certainly none took opiods.

One additional issue for photographers: cataracts have a yellowish color cast, so when they are removed, colors are more intense and colder (that is, more natural) then you are used to. I have a bathroom that has both white and blue tile, and when I first walked into to it after the surgery, my reaction was, "oh, THAT's what white is."

You can also opt to have the two eyes set to different distances. My dominant eye is set to focus to infinity, but my other eye is set to focus at the distance of a computer monitor or dashboard. Your brain quickly gets used to this. I can make to most of the time without glasses if I choose to, but for really close reading, I need glasses.

 

[slpollett]

I had cataract surgery on both eyes 6 years ago. I opted for the lens implant that had both distance and near vision. For really fine print, I still have to use cheap readers, but 98% of the time don't need glasses at all anymore. I, too, found that my photos pre-surgery weren't as sharp as I thought and sometimes the color was a little off.

They numb your eye before they do any work, so you don't feel anything. The only think "off-putting" a little bit is that you know they are working on your eye and the idea of that is a little scary.

I can echo that I had no post-op pain at all--just the gritty/irritated feeling in my eyes for a couple of days that the eye drops resolved. I was never given opioids, nor did I even need tylenol.

My husband also had cataract surgery in 2022. He wasn't able to get the multi-focal implants because of an eye disease he has, so he got one eye at distance (monofocal) and the other eye has a Toric lens for astigmatism correction. He has to use the readers whenever he wants to read or do close work. He also had no post op pain.

Also, there were a number of advances in that procedure between the time I had mine done and when my husband had his done. In addition to the monofocal lenses that most people get, the multi-focal lens that I got, and the Toric lens my husband got, they have a trifocal lens and lens that adjust to the light (like Transitions lenses in your glasses would). Most insurances to include Medicare only cover the monofocal lenses, so you would have to pay something out of pocket to get the multi-focal lenses like I got or the newer trifocal lenses. I will tell you though that if you can swing it, opt to pay for the multi-focal lenses! I love having no glasses and my husband complains constantly about needing readers if he wants to read or do close work. In 2019 when I got mine, the price was about $1800. I was 60 when I had my surgery, so I decided it was well-worth the money to me since I "plan" to enjoy the no glasses experience for a long time.

 

[RDKirk]

One additional issue for photographers: cataracts have a yellowish color cast, so when they are removed, colors are more intense and colder (that is, more natural) then you are used to. I have a bathroom that has both white and blue tile, and when I first walked into to it after the surgery, my reaction was, "oh, THAT's what white is."

My ophthalmologist has been telling me for several years that I have growing cataracts, but she assures me it should not yet be causing any yellowing of my sight (I've confided that I'm a photographer, thus my perception of color is very important). We'll see what the years bring. At this point, it's not significant enough for Social Security to approve treatment.

 

[joayne]

I had surgery on both eyes, a month apart. I had some isolated issues, most will not experience. A year later I can say, science rocks.

I was not given any pain meds, as there was no pain.
There is no pain, nor discomfort. It’s all over in minutes.

Anyone who is hesitant will say, I wish I had done it sooner …
Your world will be a brighter place, those squint lines will disappear.
No more getting out of the car to look at street signs..

There is an option to choose both near and distance vision..

I still wear corrective bifocals yup, but life is so much more colorful and brighter.
And I can read the small print

 

[Dicky109]

Thanks to Grayswan for posting this PSA. There is so much misinformation on the internet, that its great to have someone's personal experience to refer to,

1. How did you deal with the horror of having an eye cut or punctured?
2. Were you prescribed opioids for postoperative pain? My neighbor was. They're addictive. She said that after a while she indeed felt a craving for the next dose.

My wife had cataract surgery 2 years ago with no pain, and as others have said, you don't feel a thing. While I do not look forward to having someone cut my eye, I will be having cataract surgery in the fall and am looking forward to it. It's gotten so bad that I have trouble reading street signs.
My wife was a Practice Manager for 2 Ophthalmologists for 20 years, and rarely, if ever, did anyone complain about pain. If they did, it was transient and treated with Tylenol or perhaps an extremely mild narcotic derivative, with almost no addictive potential. Also, I am a retired Pharmacist and If your neighbor needed opioids, and furthermore was hooked on just a few doses, either they have an extremely addictive personality or have other issues. Disclaimer, this is for information only, not professional opinion and no one should be guided by it.

 

[Archibald]

My cataracts were done two years ago, first one, then the other a few months later. It is a good thing I had the operations because my sight was deteriorating without me being sufficiently aware of it. My poor eyesight created driving problems and that was not good.

The procedures went smoothly and were done very professionally. There were several highly trained people involved, with numerous checks to make sure all went well. There was no pain. Having to take all those drops afterwards for a month was a minor annoyance, but I followed the instructions exactly. The results were excellent.

In my case they also did a procedure called GATT, which has nothing to do with Tariffs and Trade but relieves intraocular pressures. My pressures are way down now.

I know an eye operation sounds scary, and I hated the thought of them when I was younger, but consider that they are a miracle cure that gives back the gift of good vision.

 

[OhLook]

I am a retired Pharmacist and If your neighbor needed opioids, and furthermore was hooked on just a few doses, either they have an extremely addictive personality or have other issues.

She didn't get hooked, but she worried about the possibility, sensing that the drug was beckoning to her, as it were. I think some U.S. doctors tend to overprescribe.

 

[Greyswan]

My ophthalmologist has been telling me for several years that I have growing cataracts, but she assures me it should not yet be causing any yellowing of my sight (I've confided that I'm a photographer, thus my perception of color is very important). We'll see what the years bring. At this point, it's not significant enough for Social Security to approve treatment.

ditto. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes, and your eye is totally numb. If I recall, they also sedate you. Afterwards, your eye feels like there is a bit of grit on it for a short time, but there's no real pain. I didn't even take acetominophen. Unless your neighbor had something nonroutine, opiods would be nuts. I have had this done, and many people I know have had it done, and none complained about pain. Certainly none took opiods.

One additional issue for photographers: cataracts have a yellowish color cast, so when they are removed, colors are more intense and colder (that is, more natural) then you are used to. I have a bathroom that has both white and blue tile, and when I first walked into to it after the surgery, my reaction was, "oh, THAT's what white is."

You can also opt to have the two eyes set to different distances. My dominant eye is set to focus to infinity, but my other eye is set to focus at the distance of a computer monitor or dashboard. Your brain quickly gets used to this. I can make to most of the time without glasses if I choose to, but for really close reading, I need glasses.

My ops were one week apart, and I played the game of closing each eye to see the difference in colours. What I thought was a pale blue-green in my bedroom was actually a clear light blue, lol. Same with my photos.

I opted for the monofocals with both eyes set for the same distance as I didn't want to deal with glare in night driving, I wanted the clearest possible vision.

 

[Greyswan]

She didn't get hooked, but she worried about the possibility, sensing that the drug was beckoning to her, as it were. I think some U.S. doctors tend to overprescribe.

To be honest, I don't know why they would prescribe opioids at all. I have never heard of that for cataract surgery and would think that she might want to change doctors unless there is an entirely separate reason for the prescription.

 

[Cliff Hilbert]

I had surgery on both eyes, a month apart. I had some isolated issues, most will not experience. A year later I can say, science rocks.

I was not given any pain meds, as there was no pain.
There is no pain, nor discomfort. It’s all over in minutes.

Anyone who is hesitant will say, I wish I had done it sooner …
Your world will be a brighter place, those squint lines will disappear.
No more getting out of the car to look at street signs..

There is an option to choose both near and distance vision..

I still wear corrective bifocals yup, but life is so much more colorful and brighter.
And I can read the small print

I had almost the same experience, Joyane. Because I had severe astigmatisms in both eyes the doc put the premium lens in my dominant right eye and because the premium lens wouldn't sit properly in my left eye he used the regular lens - I was severely near-sighted in both eyes. Now I see 20/20 in my dominant right eye and about 20/60 in my left eye. I need readers for close up but see almost perfectly at a distance. I had been using glasses and then later contacts in both eyes since I was 8 years old, I had the surgery 4 years ago when I was 75 and wish I could have had it done years before. Like you, I had no pain whatsoever and no complications.

 

[DavidWatts]

This is all great info, as I just found out a few weeks ago that my right eye (only) has several deficiencies, cataract included. Right now it is in "let's watch it for now" mode. The macular D. is also present in some degree. Left eye - no problems.

 

[davidedric]

Another ringing endorsement from me. Had mine done around 15 years ago, no pain, no problems.

One slightly odd phenomenon, when I had mine done, the "natural focus" was at about 3m / 10ft Over the years, that has shrunk to around .5m / 18in That means I need glasses for everything except screens and reading.

However, that's a bit of a help for photography. I can see the lcd clearly, and use diopter adjustment in the viewfinder when composing, so I don't have to keep putting glasses on and off.

 

[Greyswan]

This is all great info, as I just found out a few weeks ago that my right eye (only) has several deficiencies, cataract included. Right now it is in "let's watch it for now" mode. The macular D. is also present in some degree. Left eye - no problems.

Please don't be afraid of the operation, it sounds horrifying but truly is one of the easiest ops out there - trust me, I've had lots! It's actually less uncomfortable than getting your teeth cleaned.

I'm one of those that has to find out how they do it so I youtubed. If you're squeamish, don't do that! It doesn't particularly bother me.

In the old days I believe you had to stay in bed for a couple of weeks flat on your back or something like that. No longer true, now they lay you down for ten minutes for the op and you walk out a couple of hours later able to do everything you normally do. I was booked in at 7.15 am and walked out at around 9.30. Lovely.

 

[Greyswan]

Another ringing endorsement from me. Had mine done around 15 years ago, no pain, no problems.

One slightly odd phenomenon, when I had mine done, the "natural focus" was at about 3m / 10ft Over the years, that has shrunk to around .5m / 18in That means I need glasses for everything except screens and reading.

However, that's a bit of a help for photography. I can see the lcd clearly, and use diopter adjustment in the viewfinder when composing, so I don't have to keep putting glasses on and off.

One of the things that happens as we get older is the loss of 'accommodation' - meaning your eyes lose the strength in the muscles that work at changing the focus of your natural lens. Just like the rest of the body, and happens to everyone.

 

[OhLook]

One of the things that happens as we get older is the loss of 'accommodation' - meaning your eyes lose the strength in the muscles that work at changing the focus of your natural lens.

As I learned it, the reason for presbyopia is different. The lens continues to grow and gradually gets too big for its "house" until it hasn't room to assume the shape that near vision requires.

 

[electronpusher]

My surgery went flawlessly and painlessly as most relate above. I was unable to get bifocal implants due to a macular retinal pucker in my right eye that had to be corrected later (the bifocal implant lens distorts the surgeon's view when the retina surgery is performed). The pucker is caused when the vitreous (gel-like filling in the eye) gradually shrinks and pulls away from the retina as one ages. The scar tissue forms an "epiretinal membrane" that causes the retina to wrinkle or pucker. I was completely sedated for a few minutes while the surgeon injected a paralyzing agent into the eye muscles to prevent movement. I was awakened, but kept under light sedation while the surgeon inserted instruments inside the eye to light the interior, suction out the vitreous gell, grasp the membrane, and gently peel it from the posterior retina. The eye was then refilled with saline until the eye could replace it with the natural gel. The procedure was relatively painless (a few brief jolts as the membrane was detached and peeled away), and required bandaging for a while and a series of drops for two weeks afterward.

This sounds more horrific than it actually was, but It had to be done to correct the linear distortion caused by the pucker. I'm very lucky to have an excellent retina facility nearby, and a fantastic surgeon. So, I can now see 20/20 for distance, but need readers for close work. The toric implants have corrected my severe astigmatism, but do cause a bit of "staring" at night by approaching headlights. I can see to drive at night now, and the colors on my monitor are bright and correct! It's an acceptable trade for correcting the distortion. I've always had severe anxiety about anything close to my eye, and could never use contacts because of that. Yes, I was quite a bit more than just frightened by surgery, but I was in great hands and would easily have it done again if needed. Micro-surgery and very steady hands - a modern miracle.

 

[RDKirk]

My ops were one week apart, and I played the game of closing each eye to see the difference in colours. What I thought was a pale blue-green in my bedroom was actually a clear light blue, lol. Same with my photos.

I opted for the monofocals with both eyes set for the same distance as I didn't want to deal with glare in night driving, I wanted the clearest possible vision.

I was going to ask about the night driving glare. Is that how to avoid it?

What's everyone else's experience with night driving glare?