Hi there,
I am in Britain and am about to go for cataract surgery, on 2 July, one eye only.
Can anyone give me an idea - assuming its straight forward of course - of the timeline I can expect before I can ....1) drive my car again and resume my employment as a bus driver and 2) when I can return to work on light duties.
My employer is looking at providing me with clerical work for a limited period of time, basically, paper shuffling, computer work and active work such as meeting and greeting passengers and showing them bus departures.
I have researched DVLA requirements and am in the loop there but its very difficult to get a timeline on it.
Probably due to the fact that we all heal differently.
Many thanks in advance.
John
Hi John,
I had my right eye done 2 1/2 months ago but I was driving right away I waited a few days just to make sure I was okay to drive. Everyone has a different healing time. I just made sure everything was clear and not blurry. When I had my other eye done I drove immediately it was clear right away.
What lens are you getting implanted?
Hello John5006.. I am in the USA and barring any unusual problems you should be able to drive the next day. I had both eyes done this year. The right on Mar 19 and the left on April 10. I drove myself to the next day post surgery follow up appointments with no difficulty.
Hi John, EVERYONE is different when it comes to Cataract Surgery, firstly, I think your employers are wonderful to offer you alternative job till you up and running. I maybe wrong but after cataract surgery you have to get the OK to drive, you cant make this decision yourself, I am also sure that you have to have an eye check at the opticians after the op, the hospital will give you a form to take to him/her so many weeks after surgery, please check this out, you will have plenty of advice and help before and after surgery. Hope all goes well, please let us know, its a fairly straightforward op so dont worry.
Regards and best wishes, Agnes
It also depends on how simple or complicated will be your operation. Both my husband and I were up and ready to go the minute we got out of the Operating Room, but we drove each other home after each operation. One patient operated on the same day originally planned to take a lift from us, but as it turned out his cataract surgery was technically more complicated, requiring a few stitches.
Before each cataract surgery, we had to submit a clean bill of our health from our family doctor to the eye-surgeon. So we kept fit and watched our diet. After each surgery a 4 to 6 weeks recovering period was sufficient for us.
for driving you have to be able to see 20metres, I was capable of paper shuffling the next day by day 3 I could see perfectly, this is my second surgery though, my first was harder as I couldnt deal with the strength changes in my eyes and it took a lot to be able to manage, seriously though it depends what strength you are having done and also I would imagine on whether you have cataracts in both eyes and to what extent it bothers the eye not being operated on.
I should say I am in the North of endland and just had my 2nd eye surgery sunday last week.
Hi John5006
From the replies it is hard to pinpoint as everyone is different. Myself I took a week’s sick leave after each eye’s surgery. I have a good employer and paid in full both those weeks.
I could see clearly next day. Takes several hours for drops that dilate your pupils to wear off and eye is blurry. You won’t be able to drive yourself after surgery. That is if all goes well and no complications.
However with the post surgery drops / each for me 4 times a day I would have found it difficult to work. Each person reacts differently to those drops and for some the steriod drops make eyesight blurry.
Also from pamphlet I got - you’ll want to avoid dusty places as your eye has had an incision and you don’t want anything to get in it. With removal of cataract I found everything so bright - had to wear sunglasses even inside for a couple of weeks. You’ll also be wearing an eye shield at night and naps to protect the eye and so you don’t inadvertently rub it. Takes eye till end of drop regime (6 weeks) to completely heal. My advice is to take a bit of time off - myself wish I had scheduled 2 eeeks versus one. Although people say simple procedure- i think surgeons deal with retired seniors so ‘resume normal activities ‘ for retired senior is different than someone who works.
Just my 2 cents. Wish you all the best.
Hello there,
You follow up next day after surgery . You can return to work after 2 days. Continue your eye drops and follow all you eye meds instructions and wear your eye guard every time you go to sleep so you won’t seat h your surgical eye. No heavy lifting like 15 to 29 lbs . No bending head below your waist for a week. You can take a shower next in 1- w days be sure no water go to your affected eye. You can take a half bathe the next day mainly don’t wet your eye. You can clean your eye lid with a clean wet cotton ball. You can take Tylenol for pain . You 3 eyedrops should take care. One drop for inflammation and pain 2nd drop is a steroid and 3rd antibiotic. So follow you doctor post op order . Wear Your sunglasses all the time if you go out under the sun. It should be fine . You can see the next day after dilation wears off. What kind of IOL you going to have.
Good luck to you.
Thank you for your thoughts - the short answer is, I just do not know what my lens will be. I have to say though, that I am so grateful for everyone's responses, a much wider range of responses than I was expecting.
As far as driving on a personal level, I did it the following day but it was very limited. I would say I was not entirely comfortable driving for about one week. If the driving is night time driving, depends on the lens type... multifocal lenses may be an issue with your job , but I think your doctor would have taken your job into account. I returned to work 2 days after procedure. I was only restricted to lighter duties for 48 hours, but my work does not require much heavy lifting and no driving. I definitely think you would have to give yourself a little more time since your job sounds like it is primarily a driving job. I am thinking 2 weeks to give you a number, but it varies person to person. Hope that helps. I am trying to go back and think in terms of heavy driving.
Thank you all for your replies to my post. I had expected a wide range of comments but all your views have really given me a bit of a wake up.
I am not a normal 73 year old in that I am still working part time – 30 hours a week – I am a licenced bus driver holding a PCV licence. I drive a shuttle bus between a rural airport (set on the coast but also in the midst of farmland) and a major town some 9 miles away. I move passengers and their luggage between the airport and the town, so its very much a tourist industry occupation. Passengers baggage is mostly around 15 kgs (33 lbs) and I lift that weight from road level to a maximum height of around 5 feet ( don't worry, I put the heavy stuff at the lower level and the lighter baggage at the highest point).
Plenty of dust blowing off the farmland, and when the grass around the airport perimeter is cut plenty of grass dust too.
So that's two significant aspects which will tend to work against an early return to work.
My understanding is that I can drive my car again when I can read a standard size car numberplate at 20 metres. Driving the bus will require to me pass a new eyesight test which from what some of you guys are saying will be about the 6 week mark. However, recovery advice from the Royal College of Surgeons website is suggesting closer to 4 weeks with the first review at around 2 weeks.
My employer is looking at having me in the office doing meaningful paper shuffling and computer work and organising support buses and taxis to cover peak times when the other bus driver is working on his own and will be inundated with work. ( we have 3 drivers, one retires on 3 July, I have surgery on 2 July leaving one left).
I must confess, many of you have thrown a bit of a curved ball as I had never considered the impact of eye drops. Yes, I knew I'd have to have them but had never thought that I may have an issue with them. My existing glasses which I have to wear all the time anyway are 'Reactions' lenses so when I'm out and about post op they will automatically go into sunglasses mode. When I have my final eyesight test and assumedly new glasses I don't think I'll have these again.
Anyway everyone. Thank you so much for the trouble you have taken to comment and I'll post on here my progress after surgery next Monday – hopefully my comments may help someone else.
John
Hi Sue_An,
Thanks for your comments.
I agree most definitely with your last sentence. I have had so many problems with the NHS making the assumption that I am a non working retiree and that I'm just bumming around at home. Their mindset just can't grasp that many retirees have elected to continue working.
Basically, todays 70's (if in good health, which I am thankfully) is yesteryears 50's.
John
Good luck John5006 - keep us posted. We have all been through this and are here to support you any way we can. I came to realize through these forums (came on for advice just like you before my surgery). This is not a casual day surgery - many implications. Given it is your vision (and so vital for everything) take your time with recovery. Better a few weeks of inconvenience to test of your life with vision issues and more time off work. I work in a bank - lots of paperwork and computers. Was able to function after a week off (each surgery as mine were 6 weeks apart). Hoping your surgeries are not back to back for many reasons.
Although able to work due to drops and dry eye I had to take regular breaks from paperwork and screen. Your eye and brain will be adjusting to a new way of seeing. This is not an overnight recovery. More like a journey / a process. But you’ll never regret taking time (even if you or your doc says you’re fine in 24 hours). What you will regret is if you have issues not taking the time.
Best wishes for your surgery!
John you mention living in England. I have loads of family there. Good start for England in opening games World Cup. Fingers crossed we do better in this one!!!
If surgery is covered through NHS you will be getting monofocal lenses. Nothing wrong with those and many prefer them to multifocal or EDOF - extended depth of focus lenses which I have. You should think about which distance you want to see best at - as you will need glasses afterwards. I assume distance but others prefer intermediate so they can read and see computer distance. Some do a mini monovision approach where one eye is set for distance and the other for intermediate to have better all round range of focus. Hoping you have time to discuss these with your surgeon.
Hi Sue_An,
Thanks for your comments. I'm not sure what sort of lenses I am getting. The surgeon should have the current prescription of my existing glasses. I am now wondering about lenses as my glasses at the moment have a Varifocal lens, that is they are graduated - the lower bit is for close work, eating, reading and computer work and TV, then there is middle distance graduation, then finally long distance graduation. So long as the graduation is done right then my preference is for close work to be the priority. Middle and long distance is less of an issue for me.
I shall be putting a call through to the Hospital Assessment Team in the morning and have a chat to them about the lens. Certainly, at this stage nobody has discussed lenses with me.
This is looking to be a bit of a minefield !
Whereabouts are you in this wide, wide world? Where are your 'loads of family' based in England? I am in Cornwall.
Yep, England World Cup hopes are looking good. Mustn't get too confident though.
Thanks again.
John
Thanks very much for that. At this stage I have no idea what IOL I am going to have. I'll follow this up with the hospital team in the morning. Thanks for the tip.
Oh for sure John - we definitely have a different quality and expectations of life today than in any previous generation. I am 54 and have a high school student. Will be working many years till child is through university.
They make a lot of assumptions and if you don’t ask the questions they will likely do the monofocal lenses targeted for distance. Do lots of reading as many people might prefer a different set-up. Myself don’t drive a lot for work but do live in Canada so even travelling home half the year from work is after sundown.
My family is spread out - some in Essex and some in Portsmouth and some near London. All my dad’s side of the family is there. Spent many a summers there and holidays. Fond times and thanks to Facebook keep in touch.
Thinking you should read up as the IOLs you will be getting are not like your glasses. You lose all accommodation and you’ll have to decide which distance you want to see best at. If distance you don’t be able to read without readers. There are premium lenses but NHs won’t provide that option and you’ll have to have them done privately. If all goes well you are much more glasses independent. I actually never need glasses but they come st a trade off of night vision. I have more halos that are concentric circles around certain light sources. If you drive at night a lot these mightn’t be something you want. I know pilots due to thatbteason are only permitted to get monofocal lenses.
Will you have a consult before your surgery? It would be beneficial to discuss the options and your preferences etc before hand.