I am the one who did not know whether to have treatment in France or in England

Eye care
1

I chose France and had my right eye done two days ago.  I am taking it very steady, it seems healthy enough.  As for vision, is it too early to say? 

I had SPH -16.00, CYL -100, axis 180.

The implant is ZCT225  13mm 6mm  

diopter +09.0D  SE2.25 CYL

Does this mean anything to anyone?

The foggyness as largely cleared

The focus - well I can about read this computer screen, which is obviously better than before, beyond that it is blurry (closer it is blurry too)

I tried on my daughter's glasses which are approx 2.5+ and all was a lot better

I am due to see my surgeon again in 5 days to check on this eye, and to have the other eye done - the same presumably

Do you think this is the best outcome for someone with such a big shortfall in natural vision - my French surgeon says I am at -18,  it is a lot to correct in one go it seems.

I started with glasses at age 6, and cataracts recently, which I was not aware of - but which my surgeon was keen to act upon in France.  In the UK they would have to be a lot worse before it was a free operation.

The French hospital I went to has a terrific reputation for eyes and it was very busy.  My doctor looks like a cross between Roger Federer and Colin Firth when he was Mr Darcy. (perish the thought).  Most of the other patients on Friday were French men a lot older than me (I am 52).  It was a good ambience.  Whilst waiting on the trolley and undergoing our dilation drops and getting anaethsetised (?) - we were several in the pre-theatre waiting room - by this stage I couldn't see much as they had taken away all glasses and false teeth and stuff, and all I could make out were several bright blue (paper pyjama'd) bodies on trollies - one of them set off singing, some old military song  with a rousing chorus of Napoleon! Napoleon!  The nurses were crying with laughter.  Then we peeled off into different operating theatres, there were several surgeons on the go I gather.  I didn't see mine but was aware of him behind my head.  They taped paper or something over most of my face leaving the right eye, which was presumably stuck open, but comfortable, they must have put some lubricant in - but I did find the bright light unpleasant.  I think the anaethstatist (?) wasn't very experienced because she tried to get the catheter into the back of my hand and failed, and by the time she got it into my inner elbow I was soon wheeled off for the job.  I think I was more dozy afterwards than during, which was not great. This information can probably be seen on youtube, apart from Napoleon, but I would rather not see that.

Anyhow, I am more concerned with what you think about the power and outcome of this treatment, now I know what he did, and should I carry on, or should I wait and see?

Thank you all

2

My opinion is wait to have 2nd eye done.  The first eye is still healing and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks.  At this point it would appear you are quite near sighted (although you didn’t mention how far away the computer screen is).  You should have been given a prescription for 2 types of drops - antibiotic and steriod.  The steriod drops continue for 4 weeks and the drops affect people differently.  Also cataract surgery induced dry eye which impacts vision too.   Most people purchase over the counter artificial tears that help.

Canada where I live is much like UK eyesight had to be 20/40 or worse before cataract surgert is free.  That’s the point where driving becomes dangerous to yourself and others.   So if France does this surgery free before that point I would say you have time to wait until you know where first eye has settled.  My own surgeries were 6 weeks apart at 53.  I can relate a bit to the hospital system as I too was in a waiting area with about 15 others for this surgery but we were called one by one into operating theatre.  We were giving numbing drops but no IV.  

3

That was an interesting read on an early Sunday morning here in Vancouver, Canada.

Agree with Sue.An that a pause before the 2nd-eye operation (perhaps 1 to 2 months) as the implanted lens adheres itself to the eye tissues. Some people take as long as 6 months for the blurriness to clear up. As for myself (monofocals) and my husband (Symphony), we had clear vision the minute we opened our eyes at the Op Rooom. We attribute this to the skills of our eye-surgeon, and our general health. But even then, we disciplined ourselves not to use the computer or watch TV for the first few weeks. However, being less disciplined, I listened to TV programs and YouTube with my eyes closed.

At -18, not many lasik surgeons will take up the challenge. Prior to surgery, my prescription was -9D to -10D and Low Vision. My postoperative target result is -2.5 / -2 for my only good eye. I am glasses free like 100% most days. I do not need glasses reading menu in dimly let restaurants, and shopping for examples.

The lady, who inserted the catheter into the dorsum of your hand at the hospital waiting bay, would be a nurse. The anesthetist would be in the same OT with your surgeon.

 

4

I can't provide any brilliant insights because I'm pre, not post-op, but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your description of your experience. The old man singing would have made my day. Please keep us updated on how you're doing.

Wishing you a very safe and swift recovery.

5

Your IOL is Tecnis Toric IOL ZCT225

Your eyeglass prescription was SPH -16,

I have not come across "CYL -100", are sure it is not a typing error, more like CYL -1.00 (1 dot 00)

I am going to take a wild guess here, "SE2.25" could be your surgeon's preoperative target of -2.25

6

Thank you for that.

Today I can't see the computer with my new eye (yesterday I could

My husband took the right glass out of my spectacles, but wearing them then was totally disorientating - double vision and very bad; so I have just stuck gaffa tape over the hole and now it is great, although I look a right wazzock but who cares

So my operated eye is open but 'resting'

Is it good to use it or to rest it?

Yesterday I wore my left contact lens at -12.5 and got along OK with my new eye, but if I do have the left eye done on Friday (in four days time) I should not really be wearing a contact lens any more I believe

Overcast today which is good - bright sunshine is quite unpleasant

So - have you heard of the lens they inserted, and if so, well, is it a good one?

7

Glad you did and thank you

8

All I can think of saying right now. Please rest your eye. Be sure to wear the eye-shield to sleep. I wore ski-goggles or sunglasses to sleep for more than 4 weeks. Don't want to accidentally rub the eye or poke a hole in it.

Did your surgeon also tell you not to bend over, squad nor carry heavy stuff around for a few weeks? Now that you can see better, just ignore the dusty corners.

Read from this forum, quite a number of members have good reviews of Tecnis.

9

Hi mamangoodfellow

Contact lenses should be removed at least 2 weeks prior to pre-op measurements.   Longer for hard contacts than soft ones.  Contact lenses alter the shape of the corneal surface, a surface that is extremely important for measuring the type of lens to be placed with cataract surgery.   Inaccurate measurements lead to wrong power being implanted.   

10

Hello everybody

I am now on day 5

I am writing this with my old glasses on, the right eye taped over as I cannot see the computer screen well enough

I have had no dry eye or discomfort re: scratchiness at all, I have never even felt the need to rub or touch my eye at all

I have followed instructions by the book, eye-drops, no water in it, resting, etc

My right eye does have a dull ache if I think about it

I don't think it is foggy, however very little is in focus

I can see my husband's face in focus at 35cm (14&quot approx

it goes out of focus closer at 25cm and further away at 40 cm approx

I tried on my mum's varifocals, which were all over the place, however I could about focus on the picture on the wall, the fireplace, the trees outside and the barn wall, and their faces

I could not read newsprint at any distance

My mum has no idea what strength they are

So, I am thinking that my right eye is healthy enough, it could go on to be corrected with glasses / contact lenses

It must have been too big a leap to bring my 'forte myope' down from -18 (including 2 astigmatism) in one go

My doctor said he was aiming at -3, this seems to be what it is

I am due to have the post op check for this right eye in two days time, and to have, I think, the same thing done in my left eye.

So, I am thinking that if this is the best that can be done in one go, I should carry on, and then get corrected by other means afterwards.

Do you think that it would be possible to get lasered afterwards to correct the distance /intermediate vison?  I accept the need to wear reading glasses, like nearly everyone, in the future.

I very much appreciate your comments.

I think my new eye gets tired.  Will it alter much with exercise do you think?

 

11

Wrt your 'forte myope',  you are not alone it seems there are quite a few members here on this site. I've just come across this valuable feedback from a member on another discussion, which may be of interest to you.

from: acc925 to > laurel1969, 2 years ago

"I had cataract surgery on my left eye February 26 and then on my right eye March 2.  Although my cataracts were in the very early stages, I had the surgery to decrease my risk of narrow angle glaucoma (I was extremely farsighted which put me an an elevated risk for this).  Anyway, I was told that I would probably need glasses for close up work but my distance vision would be improved.  As it turned out, my 3 week post surgery exam revealed that I didn't need corrective lenses of any kind, for anything.  Needless to say, I was overjoyed. "

"However, I'm noticing lately my vision is fuzzy from time to time and becoming that way more often than not and I can't read tiny print like I did the weeks following surgery.  I also always feel as if I'm wearing contacts.  I'm stll better off than I was before surgery (coke bottle glasses) but I was so thrilled during the weeks immediately following my surgery that I am just a little disappointed that my perfect vision isn't lasting."

Please just rest your eye.  I am listening to Alain Souchon's "Foule sentimentale" right now.