I am due to have a cataract removed from my left eye in a couple of days. Has anyone else experience of this. My main concerns are:-
Hi Linda
I had both eyes done last summer, we all have the same worries as you have.
And I know it is easy for me to say now, but I can assure you that I feel a regular check at the dentist is far worse.
They don´t freeze the eye, but your eye is sedated with eye drops, so you really don´t feel any need for moving it. And if you move it, the surgeon will just tell you to stop moving it. When you are there, it is a lot easier than you imagine.
You have no pain at all! Your eye will be sedated with eye drops, lots of drops really, and after those drops you don´t feel anything.
You won´t see it in details, you will be looking into s sharp light, and your eye is sedated, so you don´t see what happens.
It is different from country to country, here in Denmark they offer you a relaxing pill before surgery, some places they use harder stuff than pills.
I did it without the relaxing pill, I don´t like that stuff, but I am sure you will be offered something to come your nerves.
Any questions, please ask!
And don´t cancel - you will be fine 
Hey Linda - I just had both of my eyes done within the past month. I, too, was very apprehensive about going through with it as i have a thing about my eyes. i can honestly say that Danish was spot on. A trip to the dentist is more difficult than the cataract procedure.
For my procedure, they first got my eye really dilated with drops just like when they are doing vision tests. I had the laser assisted procedure, but i think the overall process is the same regardless. They gave me Versed to provide relaxation, some may offer valium, but i react to that. I vaguely remember bits and pieces of the surgery, but it was over in 10-15 minutes. Again, as Danish outlined, your eye will be numbed and you wont feel anything. As a matter of fact, my eye and face/forehead was numb for another 6-8 hours, after i was able to take off the dressing they out on afterwards. So pain wise, I think you will have no issue.
So as I said, i am 5 weeks post for right eye and 4 weeks post for left eye. My last day of the post eye drop regimine is tomorrow and i see my eye surgeon Tuesday for final follow up. For me, I am so glad i didnt cancel like what you are comtemplating, as i was really stressing. I made it 1,000% worse with all of my fretting. The second eye was a piece of cake after the experience with the first one. So glad i got them done, and my vision is doing awesome. Still have some of the optical issues with concentric circles of light, but i am only a month out and have more brain adaptation to go. I am running 20/20 and 20/25, so really happy.
Good luck!! You will do great!
hi Linda
Ive got my first cataract operation tomorrow! And yes I am nervous too. However i know the procedure is painless and quick. I am being given Diazapam as mild sedation to relax me .
I am having a toric Symfony ZXT lens all done privately.
I will post my experience here later in the week (new thread).
Hi Linda,
I concur with Danish Viking and Joe M.
I was also apprehensive and so I told the ophthalmologist and also the anesthesiologist that I wanted to have zero awareness of what was going on. The anesthesiologist gave me a mix of Versed and Fentanyl, and I can say it was so delicious feeling that I almost crave another procedure just so I can have more of that juice!
The place had a waiting room like a doctor’s office. A nurse or assistant took me
to a small room, verified which side and put a piece of tape on that side of my forehead. Then lots of eye drops.
Also a disposable clean gown and shoe covers and hair cover.
Then walked to pre-op area where I met the anesthesiologist. They put in an IV and gave me the happy juice.
Next thing I remember was walking groggily to the operating chair. I had been told to say STOP if I needed to at any point, and the moment I became aware of anything and felt nervous, I said STOP and my surgeon asked me what I needed. I said, “More Versed.” And I don’t remember anything until the post-op chair, being happy it was over and eating cookies. Sort of like when you give blood, haha.
I did not see anything while they were working on me. I went home with an eye patch so didn’t get to see results until the next day. And that said, my vision is still improving, two months after my second eye.
It’s important to understand that what you see on day one is not what your final results will be. The eye continues to heal, our bodies are amazing, and the brain adapts to make it even better.
So it’s okay to be nervous… it’s normal to be nervous. Tell them you are, and ask for good sedatives. And then visualize the easiest experience and bestest outcome possible. You’ll have it.
It’s a simple procedure, and a sometimes a big visual change…the adjustment turned out to be the hardest part, not the operation. Enjoy it!
Someone once said that being nervous and being excited are two sides of the same coin: so we can flip it at will. That helps me switch from “I’m so anxious about this” to “I’m so excited about this!”
Let us know how it goes for you.
Thankyou so much for you reply, I feel less apprehensive about the procedure reading you story
Thankyou for easing my mind Joe
Good luck with your operation tomorrow, hope it all goes well
Thankyou for your story Tamarinda, hope mine goes as well as yours did. I will have my left eye done Tuesday then my right eye 2 weeks later. I like your idea of turning nervousness into excitement, I will keep reminding myself of that and thankyou again. I will let your know how it goes
I was very nervous about the procedure as well but it was completely painless and uneventful. I had to ask for more numbing drops because I could still feel stinging after the first batch and I wanted to make sure I didn’t feel anything. Sedative through the iv makes you relaxed ,I saw shapes and shadows but nothing unpleasant. I opted to keep the patch on until the next day and had it removed at the appointment.So far happy with the results
Your feelings are totally normal. I was blindsided by the diagnosis at 53. Had the surgeries 2 years ago - honestly it hurts more to have your teeth cleaned at the dentist.
What you should be reading up on is lens type and which distance(s) you’d like to see best at. Those decisions will have a much bigger impact on your life than the actual surgeries. Perhaps you have had several consults and had good doctors explain all the options but if you haven’t had those discussions my strongest advice would be to read dome threads here - ask questions and ensure you have those talks with your surgeon.
Best of luck to you.
Great way of looking at it!!!
Good lick James - looking forward to your updates.
I second what Sue An said: the lens choice is the most important component. If you are going simple, with two monofocal lenses set for distance,then don’t sweat it: they are all pretty good lenses and as long as they are aspheric (which I think they all are now), then your surgeon will use what she is most comfortable with and that should be fine.
If you are going with a premium lens, then read lots here, because there are a lot of options with different pros and cons.
It’s going to be great!
just a quick message as youre having surgery today. I had my IOL put in yesterday and I was amazed at how quick and totally painless the procedure was. Also after the put the surgical sheet in place over your face you do t see anything with either eye. I quickly relaxed when i realised i couldnt feel any pain or even unpleasant sensations. before i knew it it was over.
Have to say though that when at home after the local anaesthetic wore off i have found I need pain relief. my eyeball aches and is very uncomfortable, constantly watering . slept ok though,
so my advice is take the pain medication before your local anaesthetic wears off
Thankyou for the update James, so glad your surgery went ok yesterday. I will be off for mine shortly as my appointment is 1pm.
Hope all went well with your surgery linda.
Thanks for update. Procedure is not painful. I was given an Ativan so slept several hours after the surgery.
How is recovery going and is vision improving?
Hi Sue, surgery went OK, procedure was completely painless however I found the numbing of the eye quite painful - I was given numbing drops and immediately afterwards the iinjection which I felt as the drops hadnt kicked in. Apart from that it was OK. Just carrying on now with the different drops - I am still getting a bit of blurry vision but have read this is normal.
yes very normal - the drops are a pain and do blurr the vision but all necessary.
Out of curiosity why did they give you an injection? I had numbing drops but no injection for my surgeries. But I live in Canada so maybe they can’t spare the expense - ha ha