Would you consider a simple and effective eye surgery if it meant reclaiming lost sight? This is a question I finally answered in the affirmative last month after my wife begged me for years to get cataract surgery. She could see how year after year my vision was worsening, ultimately not even being able to read the TV schedule from our HDTV set because the letters were too blurred. But this is what cataracts do, they refract incoming light in the wrong way, scattering it and making clearly resolved vision impossible. Worse, if not treated, i.e. by surgery, they can lead to blindness.
My decision meant first going in (early last month) for a thorough vision exam, including testing for glaucoma, macular degeneration and any other anomalies. Also included were measurements of each eye to get the proper focusing power for the IOL or intraocular lens. The verdict after nearly an hour was that I was 'good to go' - had none of these issues, but did have "significant cataracts." The illustration below shows the nature of cataracts and exactly how visions problems arise,
The basic physics means that because the original eye lens is cloudy it has defects which refract the light in too many different directions (scattering) and results in blurring images, words. The corrective surgery entails using micro instruments to first break apart and remove the cloudy natural lens, e.g.
Once this removal is complete, the new artificial intraocular lens is introduced to replace the defective, cloudy natural eye lens - as shown below:
The next decision was when to have the surgery, performed as an outpatient procedure at a surgery center. The first option was my birthday in July - which was quickly nixed. So the next date came up a week later for the left eye first, then a week after that for the right. Prior to the first, eye drops - containing anti-inflammatory meds and antibiotics - had to be ordered and taken: 4 drops as pre-operative the day before, then 4 drops per day for each day for a week. To tell the truth, the drops have been the biggest nuisance and have to go on for weeks. (After the 1st week the drop frequency is reduced to twice a day for the first eye, whereupon the 2nd eye comes in at 4x a day, followed also by 4 weeks at twice per day.) It's a nuisance but alarms have to be set and the drops performed.
On the day of the procedure you arrive at the center and fill out the usual medical forms, and indicate your health insurance. You then go into the prep-pre-surgery area where a nurse takes vitals, and dilates the eye to be operated on, after which an IV drip is inserted (near your wrist) for the sedation. The latter is called "conscious sedation" and much like that given for colonoscopy. You are basically awake during the surgery - see light and movements during the procedure, and are able to respond to the surgeon's directions. The entire process lasts barely 10-12 minutes after which you are wheeled back into the pre-op room to rest and recover. Also, you are given some light snacks and drinks - given you've been fasting for the last 8 hours and drinking nothing for the last 4.
My biggest mistake after the first eye was done was thinking I could handle a big, regular breakfast - hash browns, pork sausages, eggs, coffee and toast - to fill the hunger. Bad idea. All I could do was mostly look at the mountain of food before me and take each bite slowly, fighting off nausea each step of the way. Clearly, the sedation med had not worn off and I suspect this is another side effect they need to warn patients about.
But I have another side effect to deal with this a.m. - fogged over vision in the eye (right) just finished. (Left eye done last week is great!) Will report more after follow up appt. this a.m. with surgeon.
Update: (10:00 a.m. MDT)
Upon examination of the just operated on (right) eye, the surge0n referred to swelling of the eye and the cornea. This causes a change in the refractive index of the medium and blurs resulting vision. He said it should be resolved in 1-2 weeks at most and in any case there will be another follow up exam on Aug. 2nd.
See Also:
Cataract Surgery: Risks, Recovery, Costs - American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)
And:
Cataract surgery - Mayo Clinic
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