Question for those who have had cataract surgery

[ShazzieB]

How long did it take for your vision to clear up after each eye was operated on? I'm NOT asking for medical advice; I just want to compare notes.

I had my first surgery, on my left eye, a week ago tomorrow 1/10). My vision in that eye is still quite blurry. I can tell how much more light is coming through that eye compared to the other one, and I can tell my vision is gradually improving, but I still can't really focus on anything. Just wondering if that is unusual or not.

I also have a big honking floater that I didn't have before (which is a completely separate issue, of course). Doc said it's probably a fragment of my old lens that inadvertently got left behind, and that it may dissolve on its own or it might require more surgery. No way to tell which way that will go yet.

Surgery on the right eye is scheduled for 1/31, 2 weeks from tomorrow.

[LakeArenal]

1. Mine improved right away.

But I’m thinking everyone is different.

The colors were so much brighter.

[ShazzieB]

7. Yeah, I can definitely tell the colors are brighter.

Looking at things with my left eye closed and right eye open and switching to right closed/left open, I can see a big difference. I'm just impatient for more clarity on the left.

[LakeArenal]

13. 🤞🏼👁️👁️🤞🏼

[badhair77]

2. My lens slid so it had to be redone.

After that it took almost a month to be totally clear. Seemed like forever, although I could see small progress every couple days. The dr would not do the other eye till my left eye was ok.

Good luck with your recovery and your second surgery.

[Siwsan]

3. I don't remember any blurriness but then I had pricy corrective lenses implanted

Of course, I wore one of those 'fly eye' protectors for the first day, and at night. I was VERY nearsighted with an astigmatism in one eye. That was also treated.

The lenses have given me great vision. After wearing either glasses or contacts for many years, it is great to just SEE. I do wear 'cheaters' to read very fine print, especially if it is on a color background, but other than that, I'm good.

I did have to have a 'yag' laser treatment, after a few months, to clear the lenses. I didn't really notice any problem but there was some cloudiness forming. I was told it is a one time treatment.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. My vision was clear in about 24 hours. I did go back a year later to have floaters

cleaned up.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. After my second surgery, I got up the next morning and put on my glasses as usual.

And everything was extremely blurry. When I took the glasses off, I could see perfectly.

That was 11 years ago. What does your doctor say?

Best of luck with your second surgery.

[ShazzieB]

8. I see him tomorrow and will ask about this then.

When I saw him last week, I didnt ask, because I wasn't getting concerned yet.

My nearsightedness is supposed to be corrected in my left eye now, but I'll be darned if I can tell whether there's a difference yet!

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Best of luck tomorrow.

Did you get a lens implant? I did, and one was for distance and the other for close up.

[ShazzieB]

11. Yes, and the new lenses are supposed to correct my nearsightedness.

I'll probably still need glasses to read, but I don't mind that at all.

Years ago, I tried contact lenses that were like your implants (one for close up, one for distance), and I just. Could. Not. Adjust. I know that works for a lot of people, but not me. I went back to wearing glasses with progressive lenses. After that experience, I didn't even consider that option for my cataract surgery.

If I could have afforded it, I would have gotten the super fancy lenses that correct for everything. I had to stick to what my insurance would cover.

[greatauntoftriplets]

16. I've never had contacts either.

A doctor put some into my eyes years ago and it felt like someone was poking their finger into my eye.

I also have the regular lenses, but the eye surgeon said I didn't need them. My brother-in-law, who has really bad astigmatism, got one for his worst eye. He still wears glasses for lots of things.

Hopefully, your doctor will have a good explanation tomorrow.

[Tess49]

10. It took me a long time to not reach for my glasses when I woke up. I had worn glasses since infancy.

Hard habit to break!

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. Sometimes I still reach to push them back up my nose.

And they're not there! That's after 11 years. Old habits are hard to break.

[SharonAnn]

12. My right eye cleared up within 24 hours. The left eye took longer, issues like you described.

But all seems to be good now.

[elleng]

14. Essentially no time.

[PortTack]

15. Close up and mid distance was clear in a couple of days. Distance vision is still blurry after 2+

Months. It’s getting better, but slowly

[MOMFUDSKI]

18. I had the pricey correctives and

the first eye I had done (the left one) was blurry for about 4 days. I was so upset I was thinking I may not even go back for the other eye. Then it became dry eye for some time. It is now really great. The right eye was perfect from the get go. Perfect vision, no blurriness, no dry eye. So, each eye is different. The craziest part was the first time I poured Downy into my dispenser. I could NOT get over the BLUE color. Turns out the yellowing of your lenses causes loss of the blues the most. Best wishes for your right eye on the 31st!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

19. My vision cleared up within hours.

Possibly because I was relatively young, only 63.

I'd been nearsighted my entire life. In first grade I could not see the blackboard. Got glasses, and every year thereafter got new glasses.

When I was 17 I got contact lenses. OMG! What an improvement. These were hard lenses, about a decade before soft ones existed. The amazing thing was that I COULD SEE!!! I could look out of the side of my eye, and see. Unlike with glasses, where my vision was restricted.

The down side of hard contacts was that they needed to be taken out, and my eyes needed to rest. When I was a ticket agent at National Airport in Washington DC, and often worked turn around, meaning I worked closing and got off at 10pm or even later, depending on if the flights were late, and had to be at work the next morning at 6am, it was a bit rough. Eventually soft lenses made that better.

Around the time I was 50 my eye doctor told me I was beginning to have cataracts. Darn. But they didn't do much for over a decade. Then, at one yearly check-up, he said it's time to have cataract surgery. I'd had various changes in my vision in the recent months, but didn't realize they were cataract related. A quick Google search cleared that up.

I had one eye done, then two weeks later the second eye. Honestly, I could have had them done three days apart, as about 24 hours after the first surgery I could see out of that eye with perfect clarity.

I opted for lenses that would give me good distance vision, as I was used to using reading glasses by then. It feels as if I can read small signs on distant hills, which isn't exactly true, but you get the idea.

I've been known to say that cataracts are the best things that ever happened to my eyes. Certainly cataract surgery improved my vision enormously.

I know that different people have different responses to the surgery. I know mine was incredibly good and fast. I sincerely wish you good luck with everything.

[Hekate]

20. I am learning so much from this thread. My upcoming surgery is making me anxious...

I have to have cataracts done this year, but a good long while ago I had LASIK, and all my anxieties about my hereditary crap vision really kicked in.

All you experienced people are helping a lot.

[Owl]

21. Only one eye so far.

Correcting huge nearsightedness and worsened cataract from a previous operation. Better in no time. Nice to see bright color again. Focus is very slowly getting to the far vision I wanted.

[RobinA]

22. I'm Still Waiting

for my second eye to clear completely and it's been a month and a half. I am not totally happy with my surgery, but I'm no worse off than with the cataracts. Well, actually I am. I was nearsighted and needed readers as I aged but I could function without them. Now I am nonfunctional close up without glasses. I can drive more comfortably at night, so there's that.