Well, I finally had my cataract operation done yesterday. I was expecting awful things to happen during and afterwards, but the operation was painless and at the moment I can see distances nicely with my existing glasses, and I can see close-up clearly. The eye is not inflamed or red or painful, although it is still dilated so maybe the side-effects will start when it gets back to the normal size.
My main worry was the surgeon coming at my eye with a syringe and then the knife. However, pre-operation I was given many drops to dilate the eye. Then just before the op the surgeon injected something to numb it, but he didn't inject it into the eye as I had feared, he injected it into the skin next to the outside corner of the eye. As I lay back I seemed to be looking up into a fuzzy light, which had two little brighter rectancular lights in it. And that was all I saw during the op. The only slightly alarming bit was when the surgeon said to his assistant, "Can I have the chopper please!"
How wonderful! I'm still waiting to get on to a waiting list .... enjoy your new unblurry vision, I envy you!
Yes, I hope you (and everyone else waiting) get on the list and get it done asap. I didn't realise until I had this one done how bad my other eye is compared to the operated-on one. I guess I will eventually get an appointment to have the other one done as well. Still no side effects or problems...
I'm pleased your cataract surgery went well.
I thought you were supposed to wear a patch on the operated eye for 6 weeks?I've had cataracts in both eyes for about 15 years. Every time I go for the pre-op, my eyes are dilated with some solution that I am severely allergic to and my face swells up. The swelling inflames my nose and all my neck and eyes and lasts about a month. I was wondering if there's a solution to dilate the eyes that doesn't cause this kind of reaction and what the post-surgery medications are. 3 tiems this has happened to me and am due a pre-op again in November. My eyesight has seriously deteriorated and I can't see at all - even with glasses that I only just got.
Last pre-op was last year... I mentioned the allergic reaction as I have Birch Pollen and Latex allergies as well as some health problems... and the surgeon told me the solution he uses DOESN'T cause ANY side-effects... yet it did! Another hospital this time. Last pre-op was at a local clinic.
No, I just had to wear the patch for the rest of the day and the night, then take it off the following morning and throw it away. I expect different hospitals say different things. You have to put drops in your eye every four hours so a patch would get in the way of that.
I am very sorry to hear about your awful allergy to the pre-op. The eye drops the hospital gave me to use after the op are Chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), and Maxidex (a corticosteroid. The active substance in this is dexamethasone). I have to use the Chloramphenicol for two weeks and the Maxidex for four weeks.
I have no idea what the hospital used to dilate my eyes before the op.
Still no problems - it is nearly two weeks since I had the op.
Thank you for your reply and information. I hope my next pre-op is successful and can have the surgery as I'm losing my sight because I'm finding it stressful to do anything, least of all type, read.
I hope your other eye is done soon. All the best. x
May I ask what type of IOL's you had put in your eye? Monofocal? Multi focal? Distance? Near? Intermediate? Laser procedure or conventional. i am lost in this sea of choices.