Cataract Surgery

[Ed Wilson]

Ed, have you had any luck finding a different doctor to do your cataracts?

My brother-in-law is having his second eye done in the morning. I'm going to find out who his doctor is and schedule an exam for a second opinion on my eyes. If I like his doctor I might switch because he is more local to us, like 8 miles away instead of across Houston in traffic. I like my doctor OK but it seems like we have to drive forever to get to his office, then the surgical facility he uses is south of town on the way to Galveston. Just a hassle.

I canceled my surgery today. I don't like the hospital they wanted to send me to and was afraid of getting put in a hospital gown and maybe an overnight stay for just cataracts, plus they keep moving the goalpost by rescheduling and changing location. I'm probably overreacting but that's my problem.

Frankly, I can see well enough overall so it's not a life or death situation. When I'm in the mood for some aggravation, I'll contact another ophthalmologist. Good luck with your "quest".

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I hate this topic and still hold out hope for magic eye drops. Yeah, call me chicken.

Guess I need to figure out that "Uber" thing huh? I imagine you can't drive yourself and I don't have anybody close I can rely on. Did I say I hate this?

I think that you mentioned that you have a Medicare advantage plan, @Jacob Petersheim . Many of the advantage plans include driving to and from a doctor appointment if you can’t drive, so you might check and see if your plan has that benefit. You just have to set it up ahead of time, so they know when to pick you up for the trip there and then back home again.

You can ask your local seniors center (if there is one in the town you live in), and see if they know how to get a driver. Another possibility is to check the Council on Aging for your state, and see if they might have recommendations for rides to the doctor and back home.

 

[Faye Fox]

I canceled my surgery today. I don't like the hospital they wanted to send me to and was afraid of getting put in a hospital gown and maybe an overnight stay for just cataracts, plus they keep moving the goalpost by rescheduling and changing location. I'm probably overreacting but that's my problem.

Frankly, I can see well enough overall so it's not a life or death situation. When I'm in the mood for some aggravation, I'll contact another ophthalmologist. Good luck with your "quest".

Look for a place that is all devoted to cataract and other laser surgery. You don't even have to take off ANY your clothes. Even many small towns have an eye surgeon that has their own little surgical suite. It is all day surgery and the surgery is less than 5 minutes. It is all the waiting that gets tiring. These specialty clinics are best because it is all they do. Usually, your regular eye doc has to give you a referral.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

I canceled my surgery today. I don't like the hospital they wanted to send me to and was afraid of getting put in a hospital gown and maybe an overnight stay for just cataracts, plus they keep moving the goalpost by rescheduling and changing location. I'm probably overreacting but that's my problem.

Frankly, I can see well enough overall so it's not a life or death situation. When I'm in the mood for some aggravation, I'll contact another ophthalmologist. Good luck with your "quest".

OK, so they got the issue with the anesthesiologist ironed out or was this a different ophthalmologist? I'm sure they wouldn't keep you overnight unless there was some complication.

I got my BIL's doctor info and looked for reviews on him. I decided to stay with my current ophthalmologist because his gets mediocre reviews. These are the only eyes I have and I don't want mediocre operating on them!!

 

[Ed Wilson]

OK, so they got the issue with the anesthesiologist ironed out or was this a different ophthalmologist? I'm sure they wouldn't keep you overnight unless there was some complication.

I got my BIL's doctor info and looked for reviews on him. I decided to stay with my current ophthalmologist because his gets mediocre reviews. These are the only eyes I have and I don't want mediocre operating on them!!

It would have been the same ophthalmologist as of this writing but.....too many buts. Overnight was my fear as a worst case scenario.
"These are the only eyes I have and I don't want mediocre operating on them!!" Amen on that!!!

 

[Mary Stetler]

It would have been the same ophthalmologist as of this writing but.....too many buts. Overnight was my fear as a worst case scenario.
"These are the only eyes I have and I don't want mediocre operating on them!!" Amen on that!!!

Hubby had one eye done at a time. It was like going through a car wash. Gurneys lined up for the day's surgeries. No one took off their clothes. Took 15 minutes for the actual surgery. I can't imagine why one would be scheduled for hospital ahead of time unless there are extenuating medical conditions.

 

[Ed Wilson]

Hubby had one eye done at a time. It was like going through a car wash. Gurneys lined up for the day's surgeries. No one took off their clothes. Took 15 minutes for the actual surgery. I can't imagine why one would be scheduled for hospital ahead of time unless there are extenuating medical conditions.

How many days / weeks / months after the initial consultation was the surgery performed?

 

[Beth Gallagher]

Hubby had one eye done at a time. It was like going through a car wash. Gurneys lined up for the day's surgeries. No one took off their clothes. Took 15 minutes for the actual surgery. I can't imagine why one would be scheduled for hospital ahead of time unless there are extenuating medical conditions.

Some areas of the country don't have the outpatient surgery facilities so they use the local hospital for eye procedures. I imagine they are still done on an "outpatient basis" (without being admitted to the hospital).

Which reminds me, my mastectomy was done at MD Anderson as an outpatient procedure. It was major surgery but still subject to the Medicare "23 hour" rule.

 

[Mary Stetler]

How many days / weeks / months after the initial consultation was the surgery performed?

It was years ago. I think it was set up the first time 3 months from initial visit. There was a snow storm and it was in Appleton where he did the surgical procedures. He had very great reviews but his general appointment office was also in Oshkosh which was closer. I just found the procession into the surgery room to be comical. Everyone was very nice. I guess some of the very nervous patients could get medication for that past what was needed for most of the procedures. Dave said it was easy. He had to go back a month later for the second eye with check ups in between.
Unfortunately, after all was said and done, he could see what a messy housekeeper I am.

 

[Connie Bennett]

Look for a place that is all devoted to cataract and other laser surgery. You don't even have to take off ANY your clothes. Even many small towns have an eye surgeon that has their own little surgical suite. It is all day surgery and the surgery is less than 5 minutes. It is all the waiting that gets tiring. These specialty clinics are best because it is all they do. Usually, your regular eye doc has to give you a referral.

This^^^ if possible.

The hospital in the next county over has a surgery center a few miles from the hospital. The ophthalmologist removed my cataracts at that center. He did my eyes two weeks apart. They were a Grade two, so needed removed. My understanding was a Grade four could possibly mean permanent reduced vision.

I was wide awake. The nurses numbed my eyes and I never felt a thing. One of the nurses was a farm gal, so that kept me occupied chatting it up with her.

Someone HAS to drive you home, even just doing one eye. I had bought dark, non prescription sunglasses, and they almost weren’t enough.

I had the standard IOLs that Medicare pays for. I didn’t trust the fancier IOLs, nor did I have the money for them. I have no regrets that I still need to wear glasses.

I still wear bifocals and still hate them, even after all these years.

I have two pair of glasses: one regular pair with gradient bifocals. My sunglasses are strictly for distance/driving/bushhogging/mowing. They are as dark as I can possibly pay for and are wrap around due to me outside a lot.

The instructions to apply the eye meds have to be followed to the absolute tee.

I was able to drive myself to the eye doctor for my after surgery appointment.

I went to my eye doctor last Friday for my six month checkup. Wearing my glasses the left eye is 20:20. The right eye is 20:25. The best news was my peripheral vision is still great which means driving is not in jeopardy.

I do have ocular hypertension so I have to have prescription eye drops for that - it is the main reason I see the ophthalmologist twice yearly.

My right eye bothers me off/on and has for years. I attribute it to some scar tissue from when I was trimming hooves on my horses and a small chunk of hoof flew under my glasses into my eye. That was a trip to the eye doctor.

As far as the actual laser surgery and implanting the IOLs, mine went as perfect as it could. I had also done a lot of research before settling on the ophthalmologist who would be zapping my eyeballs

 

[Mary Stetler]

This^^^ if possible.

The hospital in the next county over has a surgery center a few miles from the hospital. The ophthalmologist removed my cataracts at that center. He did my eyes two weeks apart. They were a Grade two, so needed removed. My understanding was a Grade four could possibly mean permanent reduced vision.

I was wide awake. The nurses numbed my eyes and I never felt a thing. One of the nurses was a farm gal, so that kept me occupied chatting it up with her.

Someone HAS to drive you home, even just doing one eye. I had bought dark, non prescription sunglasses, and they almost weren’t enough.

I had the standard IOLs that Medicare pays for. I didn’t trust the fancier IOLs, nor did I have the money for them. I have no regrets that I still need to wear glasses.

I still wear bifocals and still hate them, even after all these years.

I have two pair of glasses: one regular pair with gradient bifocals. My sunglasses are strictly for distance/driving/bushhogging/mowing. They are as dark as I can possibly pay for and are wrap around due to me outside a lot.

The instructions to apply the eye meds have to be followed to the absolute tee.

I was able to drive myself to the eye doctor for my after surgery appointment.

I went to my eye doctor last Friday for my six month checkup. Wearing my glasses the left eye is 20:20. The right eye is 20:25. The best news was my peripheral vision is still great which means driving is not in jeopardy.

I do have ocular hypertension so I have to have prescription eye drops for that - it is the main reason I see the ophthalmologist twice yearly.

My right eye bothers me off/on and has for years. I attribute it to some scar tissue from when I was trimming hooves on my horses and a small chunk of hoof flew under my glasses into my eye. That was a trip to the eye doctor.

As far as the actual laser surgery and implanting the IOLs, mine went as perfect as it could. I had also done a lot of research before settling on the ophthalmologist who would be zapping my eyeballs

That is something they did not tell my hubby. Remember to keep hoof flakes out of your eye after the surgery. But it was OK. He doesn't do anything with the horses.
Hey Connie! Welcome to the board!

 

[Connie Bennett]

That is something they did not tell my hubby. Remember to keep hoof flakes out of your eye after the surgery. But it was OK. He doesn't do anything with the horses.
Hey Connie! Welcome to the board!

Thank you for the warm welcome!

You just reminded me that I stayed out of the barn for a month, after the surgeries. I was so paranoid about ruining my eyes, I found someone to clean stalls. I stood outside the door pointing and grunting at my husband when it was time to feed. He was really relieved when he didn’t have to feed anymore

I wore goggles in the barn for a long time because it was summer and I had the barrel fans running.

 

[Hedi Mitchell]

As much as I dislike some things in Ks.. I will say this ...excellent eye care in Garden City 2.5 hours from here. They have contract with the eye Dr in Dodge City ,,,only hour away. Today was his last visit. No need yet at least for glasses other than OTC reading ones. But the last three days of extreme wind and dust has his eyes irritated, so another type of drops.
I even have had a sinus headache today.. I never get headaches is unusual. Plus I am indoors way to much, but the dust indoors is a lot.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I didn't care for the attitude of the eye doctor I saw. He seemed to get sour when I suggested I'd probably go for the "cheap" lenses covered by insurance. Not to mention his tirade about "quick fixes" when I asked about magic eye drops.

I still have months on the result of that consultation, but I might want to try elsewhere unless insurance won't cover it.

In the meantime I'm loading up on antioxidants, from freeze-dried black raspberry power to spinach and doubled-up vitamin C to 2000mg/day. No tolerance issues after weeks.

But after much study I decided to buy OcluMed NAC drops. These just arrived and I put the first drops in.

Places like Amazon were pressured to stop selling them. The FDA claim is a vague "no evidence, and bad bypassing the body's normal infection prevention by going into the eye directly." However, look at contact lenses and any number of other "approved" eye drop products. So much for their "infection risk" claims. Then there are the years of experience with the same thing in veterinary applications.

So yeah, there might be some risk and they might not help. I'll just be cautious and watch how things go.

 

[Beth Gallagher]