ubuysa will be away

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
On Wednesday 22nd May I will be having cataract surgery on my right eye. When I had my left eye done a couple of years ago I was not allowed to use computers or phones for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I anticipate a similar 'ban' from Wednesday. I will be back online as soon as my ophthalmologist lets me!

ubuysa
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
On Wednesday 22nd May I will be having cataract surgery on my right eye. When I had my left eye done a couple of years ago I was not allowed to use computers or phones for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I anticipate a similar 'ban' from Wednesday. I will be back online as soon as my ophthalmologist lets me!

ubuysa
All the best with it, hope it goes smoothly.
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Embuggerance? You misunderstand, it's my eye they're going to be inserting thing in.....!

I know what I'm in for, my left eye was done a couple of years ago. It's a long recovery punctuated every microsecond by the need to apply one of a million different eye drops....
 

davhun

Enthusiast
On Wednesday 22nd May I will be having cataract surgery on my right eye. When I had my left eye done a couple of years ago I was not allowed to use computers or phones for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I anticipate a similar 'ban' from Wednesday. I will be back online as soon as my ophthalmologist lets me!

ubuysa
Been there, done that, but it was some time ago now.
The first eye was done under a general anasthetic and I knew nothing about it.
The second (in 2015) was done under a local anasthetic and I was a bit apprehensive about this. I had no need to worry however and could see what appeared to be a cloudy sky. I looked forward(?) to seeing what was going to happen but could neither see or feel anything of the actual operation.
For anyone else about to have cataract surgery, I can say from my experience that there is nothing to worry about.
 

HomerJ

Prolific Poster
Been there, done that, but it was some time ago now.
The first eye was done under a general anasthetic and I knew nothing about it.
The second (in 2015) was done under a local anasthetic and I was a bit apprehensive about this. I had no need to worry however and could see what appeared to be a cloudy sky. I looked forward(?) to seeing what was going to happen but could neither see or feel anything of the actual operation.
For anyone else about to have cataract surgery, I can say from my experience that there is nothing to worry about.

if i ever had that done id need a punch in the face to knock homer out
 

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I had laser surgery on both of my eyes on the same day, under local…and seeing the ‘cigar cutter’ coming ever closer was a little worrying, but I felt nothing after the device to keep my eyelids open was inserted.
 

davhun

Enthusiast
when you had it done do you see any sharp implements going towards your eye, if so that what scares homer
I would think that there is a light shining into your eye for the operation but I do not know what the patient is actually seeing. It is a fairly bright grey. Nothing is seen or felt of the actual operation and nothing to make you wary or flinch. After the operation just ask when they are going to start.
 

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
when you had it done do you see any sharp implements going towards your eye, if so that what scares homer
A few years back, I had an ulcer removed from the cornea of my right eye, that was done with a local anesthetic, having that injected was far less painful, than the pain I was in due to the ulcer
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I'm not actually banned from the PC but my ophthalmologist doesn't want me spending more than about 20 minutes a day on it. A few people have questions, which I'll happily answer since I've had cataract surgery on both eyes now.

Both were done with a local anaesthetic, via drops into the eye. There is no pain at all, although occasionally there is a slight pushing sensation in the side of the eye.

You don't see any of the surgery at all, no instruments and nothing comes looming at your eye. The surgery is done in the side of the eye so you can't see it at all.

What you can see is a bright white light, which they use to illuminate your eye so the surgeon can see what they're doing. It's a bright light, made even brighter because in pre-op they put drops in your eye to dilate the pupil to its maximum so the surgeon can see into your eye. Plus, there is a painless clamp holding your eye wide open. Thus you cannot get away from the light. That's probably the worst aspect of cataract surgery - staring at that darned light.

At first you can see the light itself, I could see the diffuser on the front of the light for example. Then the surgeon makes a painless cut in the side of your eye and in the pocket inside your eye that holds the lens in place. Next they break up the gell-like lens and flush it, and the cataract, out with a liquid. You can kind of see this, I was aware of things moving in my vision but you can't focus on anything of course.

Once the old lens is gone you can't focus on anything, so all you see in that eye is whiteness, nothing but whiteness. I could no longer see the diffuser on the light for example, nor the light itself, everything was just white.

Then they flush the lens pocket with a liquid to be certain that every bit of the old lens is gone. Again I could sense movement in the whiteness but I couldn't see the liquid of course.

Next they inject a clear gell to expand the pocket to make it easier to insert the new lens. I could see the gell moving. I thought it was the new lens and said so, but my surgeon told me it was just a gell.

Then they insert the new lens - it's sized in a series of tests they do a few days before the surgery. That's like magic, because suddenly you can see the light itself again instead of just whiteness. I could see the diffuser on the light again for example. The surgeon spent a few minutes making sure that the new lens was in exactly the right place.

And that's pretty much it. They was some minor procedures after the lens went in, I guess sealing the hole in your eye. They took me back upstairs in a wheelchair and I rested for 30 minutes and then walked home.

I had a check up at the hospital the next day to make sure all was well, and it was. I'm now on a decreasing regime of drops, mostly to ease any swelling and prevent any infection. I have reasonable vision in that eye already but things are still a bit blurry, that's because the eye is swollen slightly. In 5 weeks I go back for a check-up, my ophthalmic surgeon is pretty sure I'll have normal vision from that eye then, though sometimes it can take longer. It took 6 weeks for me left eye to fully settle.

Then I should have normal distance vision but I will need reading glasses, the new lens is solid and cannot change focal length like the natural one can. Until the pocket fully heals around the lens and holds it firmly in place (which takes about 10 days) I can't lift anything or strain myself and, most importantly, I must not rub that eye.

Cataract surgery is nothing to be concerned about, if you need it then get it done. It makes a huge difference to your vision. The surgery itself isn't exactly pleasant (that damned light) but it's not scary and not painful. The recovery is long but not difficult, although you quickly get fed up of putting one or other drops in your eye every few hours.

I hope that answers everyone's questions. And that's used up my 20 minutes for today!
 

HomerJ

Prolific Poster
I'm not actually banned from the PC but my ophthalmologist doesn't want me spending more than about 20 minutes a day on it. A few people have questions, which I'll happily answer since I've had cataract surgery on both eyes now.

Both were done with a local anaesthetic, via drops into the eye. There is no pain at all, although occasionally there is a slight pushing sensation in the side of the eye.

You don't see any of the surgery at all, no instruments and nothing comes looming at your eye. The surgery is done in the side of the eye so you can't see it at all.

What you can see is a bright white light, which they use to illuminate your eye so the surgeon can see what they're doing. It's a bright light, made even brighter because in pre-op they put drops in your eye to dilate the pupil to its maximum so the surgeon can see into your eye. Plus, there is a painless clamp holding your eye wide open. Thus you cannot get away from the light. That's probably the worst aspect of cataract surgery - staring at that darned light.

At first you can see the light itself, I could see the diffuser on the front of the light for example. Then the surgeon makes a painless cut in the side of your eye and in the pocket inside your eye that holds the lens in place. Next they break up the gell-like lens and flush it, and the cataract, out with a liquid. You can kind of see this, I was aware of things moving in my vision but you can't focus on anything of course.

Once the old lens is gone you can't focus on anything, so all you see in that eye is whiteness, nothing but whiteness. I could no longer see the diffuser on the light for example, nor the light itself, everything was just white.

Then they flush the lens pocket with a liquid to be certain that every bit of the old lens is gone. Again I could sense movement in the whiteness but I couldn't see the liquid of course.

Next they inject a clear gell to expand the pocket to make it easier to insert the new lens. I could see the gell moving. I thought it was the new lens and said so, but my surgeon told me it was just a gell.

Then they insert the new lens - it's sized in a series of tests they do a few days before the surgery. That's like magic, because suddenly you can see the light itself again instead of just whiteness. I could see the diffuser on the light again for example. The surgeon spent a few minutes making sure that the new lens was in exactly the right place.

And that's pretty much it. They was some minor procedures after the lens went in, I guess sealing the hole in your eye. They took me back upstairs in a wheelchair and I rested for 30 minutes and then walked home.

I had a check up at the hospital the next day to make sure all was well, and it was. I'm now on a decreasing regime of drops, mostly to ease any swelling and prevent any infection. I have reasonable vision in that eye already but things are still a bit blurry, that's because the eye is swollen slightly. In 5 weeks I go back for a check-up, my ophthalmic surgeon is pretty sure I'll have normal vision from that eye then, though sometimes it can take longer. It took 6 weeks for me left eye to fully settle.

Then I should have normal distance vision but I will need reading glasses, the new lens is solid and cannot change focal length like the natural one can. Until the pocket fully heals around the lens and holds it firmly in place (which takes about 10 days) I can't lift anything or strain myself and, most importantly, I must not rub that eye.

Cataract surgery is nothing to be concerned about, if you need it then get it done. It makes a huge difference to your vision. The surgery itself isn't exactly pleasant (that damned light) but it's not scary and not painful. The recovery is long but not difficult, although you quickly get fed up of putting one or other drops in your eye every few hours.

I hope that answers everyone's questions. And that's used up my 20 minutes for today!

good to know homer doesnt need to be punched in the face, (y)
 
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