Cateract Surgery

[jsburger]

The VA provides me with vision care and eye glasses. I have been going to the Salt Lake VA regional medical center for 28 years.Over the years they have monitored me for Glaucoma and provided me with glasses. I don't have Glaucoma but my cataracts have been getting worse over the last 2 or 3 years. As you can imagine I don't want anyone messing with my eyes. Especially since I have a partial vision loss in my right eye unrelated to the cataracts. So I kept putting the surgery off. Well it got bad enough that driving at night was going to have to stop and daytime was OK but not great. I love to drive.

So lets do it. They did both eyes 2 weeks apart. Same day surgery. Go in have it done and walk out. Local anesthetic. About 20 minutes in actual surgery. Prep and recovery about 90 minutes. They put new lenses in and in my case they put stints in to lower the eye pressure (a cause of Glaucoma).

WOW WOW WOW!!! I see better now than I have in over 30 years. I am 20/20 without glasses even with my bad right eye. I do need readers for up close but I wore contacts for about 10 years and needed readers then so that is not a problem. The VA will even give me glasses that are clear on top and readers below (like bifocals) if I want them.

If you are hesitating on cataract surgery, run don't walk and get it done, The difference is astounding.

[Matanuska]

Yes - that was my experience as well. Surgery was easy-peasy and results were amazing.

[edflorence]

Glad it went so well for you guys. The doctors are saying it is in the cards for me too, at some point. I have noticed that headlights at night are more of a problem than they used to be...partly the new blue lights and partly the old eyes. Hearing your stories about what an improvement the surgery makes is encouraging.

[JPG]

The blue headlight were bad enough, but the new LED ones are REALLY a problem(post cataract surgery).

[thunderbirdbat]

Glad the surgery went well and everything turned out great. I agree with that the bright headlights can be a problem. Light sensitivity can be a problem for me at times. I use night driver lenses and my husband has a pair of yellow tinted glasses for use at night. They help a lot with cutting down the glare but still allow you to see everything.

[dusty]

Rather than drive at night and suffer with the glare I just go to bed. With that compensation I can say my cataract surgery was miraculous.

[MikeG]

John,
Glad it went well for you. My situation is like yours. I have one eye that does all the work. They tell me in the next year or two I'll need cataract surgery. Thanks for the info.

[edma194]

I went to a clinic to get it done. They said I'd have to go the hospital and get it done under general anesthesia. Two different opthamologists say I don't need cataract surgery, just glasses. I got glasses that let me read pill bottles but don't help otherwise. My distance vision is still fine, nighttime glare isn't that bad yet, but there's a tough intermediate range to deal with that gives me headaches and I have to shut one eye to line things up. Still could be worse, and I'm sure it will be someday.

[HopefulSSer]

Rather than drive at night and suffer with the glare I just go to bed. With that compensation I can say my cataract surgery was miraculous.

I have problems with modern headlights and I haven't had cataract surgery. Current headlights are awful. I've been blinded by bright headlights at 2pm on a clear, sunny day! Like you I try to avoid driving at night any more.

[chapmanruss]

It is in my future too. When it's time I will have it done. Glad it has gone well for those of you who have already had it done.