A month or so ago I had a pre op appointment for my cataracts (been waiting a year 😢). I was very excited until I was told that yes, sight very poor, both eyes needed to be done but long wait. How long? 18 months 😱 I was so stunned I forgot to ask when the countdown started....anyway a few days ago I got a cheery call from admissions to say I should have a COVID test today and arrive at the hospital at 7.45 on Saturday for my op!
No prizes for guessing that this morning I went into AF - started dramatically as usual with heart doing bunny hops in between runs of beats but calmer now. I’ve been having a very stressful week as well as the anxiety about the op so was sort of expecting an episode.
I’ll go for the test because I don’t know how long this will last, but don’t know what to do next. I’ve been having some episodes lasting several days recently but it could go in a few hours.
Any thoughts?
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Buffafly
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I had cataract done last year, I got the appt very quickly but as soon as they found out I had AF they refused to go ahead unless my Cardio and GP wrote and said I was ok to have it done, they did and all went well.
My brother in law who was in permanent AF has recently had one eye done with no problem. I guess depends on the hospital and whether they have Cardio back up if problems arise.
Thank you, my AF was mentioned at the pre op and they would have had an up to date cardio report because I had been in A&E with AF recently and they didn’t even want to refer me to cardiology 😕 The hospital does have an ITU which seems to be the requirement - scary!
No tips but hugs and Good Luck! from me. Imagine how lovely it will be to see better! At this lovely time of year. Focus on that would be my thought. Katie xx
You will be amazed at the difference my wife tells me. She had a different kind of cataract and it all progressed within a year from having good sight and only a smudge of a cataract at her eye test in the December to having an emergency appointment with optician in the June and having her cataracts done in the October. When the specialist saw her in the August he gave her the dates and said by the time you get your worst eye done - right eye your left eye will be as bad as your right eye is now - he was right and she had both eyes done the left 3 weeks after the right. Its going to be great. Just remember to tell everyone about your AF and what medication you are on.
Unfortunately our Sky box chose this moment to die so it will be little wait. The caller was amused when I shrieked ‘I’ll be able to see Strictly!’.
Hope all goes well Buffafly and you get your eye op Im sure you are in good hands and all the necessary team will be at hand Just imagine how much clearer and colourful things will be
A brightness for you to look forward to in this gloomy time
I've just had a long-awaited eye consultant appointment to have a vitrectomy on December the 1st. I informed my dr about my afib which has now returned to NSR after a cardioversion in September. He did not question having a report from the cardiologist prior to surgery and I've declared it on all pre-op forms. Presumably that will be enough? My cardiologist knew I'd be having the op eventually, for a long-standing retinal bleed, as he vetoed my coming off Rivaroxaban a month ago. I'm now only on 10mgs of Bisoprolol daily. Do I need to do anything else?
I don't know about being in AFib during the op but I can tell you, hand on heart, that having the procedure is truly nothing to worry about. I had it done a few years ago for lens replacement and it changed my life. A few strange sensations, bit of pressure, bright lights, but no pain and all over so quickly (about fifteen minutes per eye). Odd sparkly lights the first day and then the new norm - the utter joy at being able to see without thick glasses! Cataracts were found in my eyes too (not that I was aware). Really hoping your heart calms down . I can't wait to hear how you get on!
Thank you, I’m not too worried about the actual procedure but I have a couple of complications because of other eye problems so it’s a bit more risky than usual. On the other hand once the cataracts are gone they’ll be able to check my retinas more easily.
Have permanent afib, had a cataract done this spring, blood pressure a bit high during the op. After a series of hospital events in the last 6 into years, open heart surgery, car crash, chopping off part of left thumb, etc, I think my body has gone into 'you are not going into there again, are you'.
Operation was very straight forward, very quick. All done and dusted.
I had a cataract op, in between incidents of AF. I feared that the fear of the op would induce AF!! Somehow an operation on an eye is more frightening than other ops. I kept telling doctors and nurses about possible AF, and the implication that they must avoid adrenaline in the drops they give you pre-op. I find it is important to keep reminding medical staff.
My habit when in their hands is to put myself into an alert doze -- the sort of thing I will do in committee meetings while waiting for my turn.
In the end (I found out later), due to all the cold water that bathes the eye, my heart rate went too low and they had to give me a bit of adrenaline. I had the op done in Switzerland ... considerably cheaper. But it did mean I could not understand the talk in German "over my head" so to speak! If I had known I might have become irritated and angry when they discussed using adrenaline and in this way increased the heart rate!
😀 Can’t win! I told the nurse at the pre op about the adrenaline and she was rather doubtful, said the injection (injection? 😳) wouldn’t be as effective. As I have had a growth removed from my tongue, a molar extraction and a root canal with no problem I certainly will remind them, thanks for the tip 💜
Yes, I find you have to continually ask and remind, and do so in a non-threatening way. At least the effort to be polite takes my mind off my fear. I also state a few more preferences.
With teeth, I gag easily so please inject in a way that avoids freezing up the back of my mouth.
With oxygen, please do not put it up my nose because I do not breathe through my nose and all the oxygen will do is to give me two very sore nostrils and a runny nose for two weeks. For the cataract they just put the oxygen under the drapes and I was fine. For the broken arm they could not find a mask so they put it in my mouth.
For pain I say in advance I will take it if I need to and if it is expected: pain is information, and the information could be that there is something unexpected to act upon. This usually results in some kind of signalling being arranged. I have learned the hard way to shout a bit with pain because one time I ignored it and ended up with a bad burn which could have been avoided. I negotiated to have the root canals done without anaesthetic so that the dentist would make less mistakes.
A brave guy! I have been unpopular with a doctor because I would not take regular paracetamol for my back pain, like 8 a day forever 🙄 Apart from the fact that paracetamol upsets my stomach (though docs don’t believe that) I also consider pain as info - if you kill the pain and carry on doing whatever is exacerbating it you will get worse. I was very pleased when it was reported that paracetamol is not much use for back pain anyway.
So what is much use for back pain? We anticoagulated folks are rather limited for options. I like Ketoprofene gel. Much better than the cream version. For some obscure reason you now need a prescription for it. I used to use di-antalvic = co-proxamol in Britain. It was taken off the market in 2007 despite there being no real alternative.
Good answer. In the last few weeks I have been trying DMSO, diluted with Aloe Vera. Not much experience yet. Works a treat against a very stiff arm which is the beginnings of more trouble. I like to have several items in my toolbox and hope that one of them helps.
I am waiting for a cataract operation, been told 12 to 14 weeks. Mine is due to having a macular hole repaired at the beginning of the first lockdown. I have AF episodes about once a week especially when stressed so like you I have to accept I might be in AF when I have the cataract done, I would still go ahead. My heart rate was 140 when I had the pre assessment for the macular hole surgery which was under GA and they didn't want to do it but I got my heart consultant to contact them to tell them it would be okay. Luckily I wasn't in AF on the day of the op but I could be for the cataract. Please let me know how you go on. Sorry you are having to wait so long. I haven't been able to see out of my left eye since last November.
I had both cataracts done while in permanent AF without any problem. One eye had floppy iris syndrome caused by previously having been on Flomax. I also had corneal deposits after taking Amiodarone .The surgeon who did that eye commented why do they always give me the difficult ones.
Having been short sighted from a young age I was amazed at my vision when I took the pad off the next morning.
Had one cataract surgery and they had to build a way to attach the lens while in AFib. Did get scar tissue build up in a few months had the lazer surgery to cut a hold in the scar tissue. Now I see great out of that eye. The other eye returned to sinus surgery before the cataract surgery. It also developed scar tissue but all is well.
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Update on cataract op and Flecainide
Has anyone out there had my problem. 
Has anyone had flecainide dose reduced after an AF free period?
Has anyone had digestive problems with Rivaroxaban?
Has anyone had medication changed from bisoprolol? 
