Cataract surgery advice please.

[Quiet_Lin]

I've got glaucoma and I'm very short sighted. The left eye has got the glaucoma. The right eye isn't affected much with it yet, but does have the cataract. After they fit the new lens in my right eye, my shortsightedness apparently might be rectified. This will give me an enormous discrepancy between my eyes. So I know I'll need new specs. And I guess I'll have to stop driving for a while.

I'd be grateful to hear how you all manage after cataract surgery. Moorfields staff are wonderful, but your lived experience will be so much more relevant to me.

Thanks in advance, Lindy X

[Nala2509]

hello

I have recently been through a very similar situation as you describe. My right eye has glaucoma with some optic nerve damage and I had cataract surgery via NHS. Unfortunately this left me with a huge difference between my eyes, so I went private to have my left eye done.

My advice is to ask what prescription they are aiming for after surgery and do they intend to operate on your other eye, so that both eyes are very similar in prescription after the surgery

If you are currently shortsighted you want to remain a minus prescription and not become a plus as happened in my case!

Also by paying privately I have been able to have a multi focus lens instead of a flat single lens that was fitted via NHS, which in my case is a huge difference.

I wish you lots of luck.

[Quiet_Lin in reply to Nala2509]

Thanks Nala. This is exactly what I needed to know. Yes, private might be the way to go. Lindy x

[whitedog in reply to Quiet_Lin]

Hi

I mostly see just shapes and shadows in my right now and had a cataract op in my left this year. I think it really depends on your individual circumstances what lens to go for and where to have it done.

My consultant warned me about the risk of complications as I've some issues in the left with vitreous detachment and dry eye so, although he no longer does cataract ops himself, he preferred that I had a straightforward fixed focus lens done in an NHS hospital as he thought I'd be better off if anything went wrong. And, of course, all my notes are there etc.

I did have some problems after the op with uveitis and photophobia but that settled down eventually after some strong steroids and antibiotics.

Vision wise, my left is now about 1 diopter out. I can see reasonably clearly to drive but got a pair of varifocals which do sharpen the distance up a bit. Close up vision is more tricky. The bottom part of the varifocals helps me read messages on my phone and backs of food packets etc. But it's a very small area and I feel I have to concentrate when looking through them. And they're no use for my laptop so I got another pair for that. I do still find myself grabbing my old cheap charity shop ready readers for quick and instant clarity though so I might even treat myself to a third pair for close up at home and just use my varifocals when I'm out and about.

It's nice not having the bother of a contact lens anymore, though. Quite a novelty waking up and being able to see in the morning!

[CTinUS in reply to Quiet_Lin]

Hi Quiet_Lin - To quickly add to Nala's reply (my situation was very similar), I suggest asking about what the cataract replacement lens prescription will actually be like. If I had it to do over, I would make sure I'd be able to see very up close with the new lens.

It didn't occur to me to ask, and now my right eye with a new lens cannot see anything clearly within a few inches but my left eye (no cataract surgery yet, but coming soon) still can. Maybe it's a personal thing, but I miss being able to move in close, say, if I need to remove a tiny splinter. Have to use a magnifying glass now for things like that.

Apart from that, having cataract surgery done has been wonderful. I wish you the best!

[Pley]

I have closed angle glaucoma in both eyes. My right eye was operated on in 2018. I then needed new varifocal lenses in my glasses. In 2022 I needed the operation on my left eye and then more new glasses.Now both my eyes have the same fixed lenses as my operation was by the NHS. So my long distance is excellent. I can even meet the requirements to drive without glasses. But I still need varifocals to read.

Both operations were pretty straightforward and successful. The six weeks of recuperation afterwards was pretty boring as you can't get new glasses until the eyes are fully healed.

Hope this helps.

[Islandhome]

I am short sighted in one eye with longer sight in the other. Glaucoma in both eyes with optic nerve damage but no sight loss. I had cataract surgery on both eyes earlier this year and was keen to keep my eyesight the same as it is perfect for close craft work. I told them this and they decided on a minus lense they said would be ok. It wasn’t the same even though I still have good near sight. I was keen they didn’t use the same lense in the other eye as close vision would have been affected so I made a fuss! Luckily the surgeon was lovely and listened. Remedy very simple, she ordered a test to get the exact prescription in that eye and used a lense of the same prescription! You can decide how you want your vision to be and they can use the right lense. My vision was not affected by cataracts, it was purely a pressure lowering procedure but people there for surgery for normal vision loss were asked if they wanted to be long or short sighted afterwards so it is not unusual.

[Lizzyanne567 in reply to Islandhome]

Hello Islandhome I will be having cataract surgery after Christmas to lower eye pressure,by how much did it lower yours?

[Islandhome in reply to Lizzyanne567]

Not really sure as it is complicated by the fact I am allergic to all eye drops now so when he booked the cataract ops I also started on acetazolomide. Before ops it was low to mid 20s, now about 15s. Still on meds with blood tests to monitor kidney function so I am happy with result. Even though cataracts were not affecting vision he said they take up space so raises pressure. Also if I need other surgery, trabs etc, it is better cataracts are done first so it doesn't disturb trabs. Hope that helps. Good luck!

[Safehaven23]

Get your new specs to suit your condition asap....new lenses will be coordinated then and you will be able to see so much better! I am surprised they did not do both your eyes - they did mine and the prescription was made to my latest specs - so I could immediately see better as both eyes worked together. The Consultant did it automatically.

[PeterRabbit62]

I have cataract surgery recently on my right eye also have one in my left but it is not ready for surgery. The surgery when great in my right eye because my sight in my right have almost gone before the surgery it was very cloudy I couldn't see to read properly now I can see clearly with both eyes, I don't know how it has effect my gluacoma which is in both eyes yet, so I am still using 3 different drops a day, 2 twice a day, I am back to my driving, because before the surgery I was not driving unless it was really necessary, and night driving was out, lucky family members pitch in and help, which I am grateful for as I have other health problems as well and I occasionally have to visit a hospital 2 hours away from me for appointments, lucky my cataract was done in my local hospital by my gluacoma Opthalmologist which was great because he knows my history. I say go for it, in away I have to because I would had lost my independence of driving and living where I do you need to be able to drive in the Welsh mountains although very beautiful it is a long way from A&E hospital and other hospitals with specialist equipment. Go for it, although it is your decision speak to your consultant, opticians their the best ones for advice, best of luck.

[Windflower]

I have glaucoma in both eyes caused by pseudoexfoliation that makes cataract surgery high risk. My vision was impaired through cataracts in both eyes. I had the surgery done in two separate operations in hospital about 18 months ago. All went well, and my vision in both eyes was much improved. I was able to drive my car again.

Have no worries and all will go well. ❤️

[Spanieldoglover]

Hi, I have glaucoma in both eyes which were only discovered as I was referred for cataracts in both eyes. I was lucky enough to have health insurance at the time so I had both cataracts done within a week of each other. My sight prior to the ops were -10 and -11 so extremely short sighted and it has been amazing to be able to see without glasses. I do have verifocals for driving and to read or use my reading glasses. But the operations themselves were painless and I was able to see out of each eye later in the afternoon. Apparently I now have to have a quick laser procedure in each eye as I have a cloudy build up over the lens (PCO) but only 20/30% of people get this and I’ve been told it’s quick to rectify and shouldn’t happen again.

Good luck with your ops.

[Eva70]

The lens in one eye dislocated immediately after cataract surgery, don't know if it was pressure related but none of the eye drs picked it up despite iritis. Was left 6 weeks with it dislocated, my pressure increased and had to have further surgery, increasing eye pressure to twice it had been. Three months of pain from it all so far, Still waiting for my routine glaucoma check up which they didn't bring forward despite my pressures been so high. I'm sure most cataract surgery goes fine but there are complications with glaucoma.

[Quiet_Lin]

Thank you all SO much for your most helpful replies. My optician is very good, so when the time comes I'll be asking his advice, especially about fixed / multi focus lenses. But at least I'm now aware of how disrupting it can all be. Thanks everybody.