Brain picking time

[cormorin]

Dont often post but visit daily. Have had injections in both eyes over the years for wet amd which seems to have hopefully settled. In a few days I am having cataract in left eye removed. No one I know has had cataracts removed after having amd so wondering if anyone on here has had this experience?

I have always had panicky moments when having the injections & the thought of more poking about in my eyes is a bit scary. Hoping some of you lovely people can reassure me pretty please??

Thanks if you can.

[dinahdough]

Don't be scared about someone poking about in your eyes. I had surgery for a macular hole and a cataract at the same time and once I'd had the anaesthetic injection I didn't feel anything at all. And I was very surprised that I couldn't see anything either apart from a kind of grey haze. I was vaguely aware of shadows moving about above my eye but that was it. The only way I knew something was being done to my eye was because I was in a hospital and that's what I was there for. I honestly felt and saw nothing. Afterwards my eye was achy for a few days but that was mostly due to the macular hole surgery. My mum has had dry AMD for many years and is due cataract surgery and the only thing she is worried about is having to get a taxi there (she is a very bad back seat driver)!

[cormorin in reply to dinahdough]

Hi thanks for your reply. It makes me feel better about it knowing someone else went through it & was ok! Will still worry but not so much. Thanks!

[Hidden]

I have brvo with oedema and had cataract op due to side effect of ozurdex.

Like previous poster, I saw just a grey haze. The whole procedure was better than many of the antivegf inj I had ( I was nervous as had some bad ones!). Never felt a thing.

I too get panicky at the last second of inj but honestly, this was so much easier ( apparently the nurse had warned my doc I was super nervous & my bp was sky high and he was worried he told me after !). It was so easy though that i was calm once it started.. I asked him to tell me what was happening as he worked which helped me although cant recall any of it.

My doctor was lovely and kept asking was I ok, when I said I felt slight pressure at one point he immediately topped up anaesthetic.

It's a bit weird when they flush eye and there was just one bit where he said to keep very still ( not sure of technical terms!) But not worrying. Best of all all my floaters vanished!

The bright colours after were incredible.

Of course there are risks with any procedure, esp. if other things have been done to eye, but I am very happy I had mine done ( also for me made it clearer if vision problems due to oedema or not).

I think I posted about mine if you check back.

I'd say don't worry, if you can get through antivegf inj then cataract op is a walk in the park.

[cormorin in reply to Hidden]

Hi thanks do much. You have made me feel easier about the cataract op now. Will still be nervous but at least i know i am not alone. Thanks again 😊

[jwitts]

I'm in agreement with the other replies. Had cataract surgery--both eyes, a week apart-- after perhaps two years of injections for BRVO. The surgery was painless, though you do have to apply drops for some time afterwards. I think it was about two weeks. One thing to be aware of: While many people simply see a miraculous result immediately, it took me a little time to get used to my new vision. I had been wearing glasses for distance while not needing them for reading, etc. Now I use dime store reading glasses and do most of my reading on a iPad or Kindle (I can read on the page, but it takes more effort), and don't need glasses for distance. What I can't emphasize enough is how much I love the result of the surgery. I'm still amazed and delighted looking at tree branches against the sky; when I walk past the crystal bowl I inherited from my mother and keep on the table, it flashes beautiful colors at me. It's been a couple of years now, and this new vision still feels like a miracle.

[cormorin]

Thank you for making me feel much more positive. If the blurred vision clears a bit I will be happy but can hope for the better results you have all told me about. Thanks to you all for cheering me up 😊

[kevinaki]

Is your blurred vision from the cataract or the wetAMD?

[cormorin]

My Consultant seems to think it is half & half. He would not waste time removing the cataract if it was 110% down to the amd according to the doctor at my last appointment.

[Catseyes235]

My brother is due to have cataracts done soon and has been told there will be no effect of this treatment on his AMD injections . Hope all goes well.

Another friend had cataract ops with other eye treatment so seems like these things are possible to separate out while to us the eye is such a small part of the body to operate on its difficult to imagine !

[StokeySue]

I had cataracts removed from both eyes, after having injections in my left eye over 10 years and having no central vision in my right eye. I have MMD, so for me the implanted lenses that correct my extreme short sight are a big bonus But removing the cataracts has made a big difference, improving reading (still poor but better) and general sight, for example reading signs

[cormorin]

Thanks for that it is very reassuring to hear when someone has had cataracts removed successfully. Not looking forward to next Tuesday but feeling a lot better hearing from everyone who had been so helpful. Thank you all!