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Medical Forum / General / Vision / May 2004Cataract surgery lens implant problems...help!
I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a line below the big E was about it on eye chart. My vision in implant eye is getting better (about 20/40 today I think) however since my right eye is still very poor far vision it is very difficult to go without glasses. The difference in acuity causes right eye to water,hurt etc. My eye doctor instructed me to *not* wear my glasses even though I told him this. Also I had to remove (L)lens from eyeglasses since eyeball has it's own lens now which has resulted in (close) items in left eye looking about 25% bigger than items in right eye. I again told him this and his response was "don't wear the glasses". He told me to return in 3 weeks and said goodbye. From about 10" to 24" I can't see anything without the damn glasses! I was so stunned by his cavaleer attitude I forgot to remind him of this little fact (he's been my eye doctor for about 20 years duh!). I starting to wonder if he knows what he's doing. I've only had routine exams prescriptions until now so he's never been "tested". There are other issues like the floater/debris field that moves back and forth, the tiny specks that don't move, etc. Anyone have this done, or have any thoughts? PS. I'm 46 yrs old > I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my > left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > which has resulted in (close) items in left eye looking about 25% bigger > than items in right eye. I again told him this and his response was "don't Doesn't make sense to me. I keep hearing that glasses can't hurt you, so if wearing them is better, why not wear them? When I had my first cataract removed, I had them remove the lens in my glasses for that eye and wore them until it was time to get a new lens. I usually wore contacts then, so just didn't put a contact in that eye until I got new contacts for that eye. You will probably have difficulty with the different size of the images, assuming that they fixed the cataract eye refraction and you are still nearsighted in the other eye. This often causes people to see double. I was very glad when I got my second eye done because this was also the case for me.  SignatureDan Abel Sonoma State University AIS dabel@sonic.net After my first cataract operation two years ago I removed that lens from my glasses myself and wore them with little or no problem for over six weeks until I got a new refraction filled. Like the orignal poster, I too had a very strong correction in the remaining lens and about 20 - 40 in the operated eye. When they sent me to the optometrist for the new refraction, she added a "slab-off" correction so the two eyes would see the same. I understand the slab-off is a prism or sub-lens that handles this problem - in my case perfectly. I never could see the slab-off lens in the new glasses and in fact don't know if it went into the corrected eye lens or the old high correction lens. Two weeks ago I had the other eye operated on for a cataract and the opthalmologist ensured not only that the old high correction was removed the 2nd day, but that I had a "plain" plastic lens inserted as a temporary measure so I wouldn't poke myself in the eye. The optometrist made the plain lens in about 15 minutes for $30 dollars and put it in. It will stay there for a couple more weeks until I get a new refraction and have them sent off for filling. Regards > > I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my > > left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > was very glad when I got my second eye done because this was also the case > for me. >After my first cataract operation two years ago I removed that lens from my >glasses myself and wore them with little or no problem for over six weeks [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > >Regards Thanks for the reply. Nice to know there is a "fix". I mentioned that I had read somewhere about a slab or something to my ophthalmologist and his response was something like "no you don't want to get into that". Can't understand why he is so bent on no glasses. I can't stand having eyes being so different. Maybe I should ask for a monocle? BTW did you have any "floaters" (cloudy or black debris) after surgery? > Maybe I should ask for a monocle? Or a contact lens. Disposables are very comfortable. > BTW did you have any "floaters" (cloudy or black debris) after surgery? Yes. They are common, and your surgeon should have mentioned them as a possibility. It is difficuilt to wear a pair of glasses with one eye plano and the other eye wearing a strong minus lens. This is due to the difference in image size and the prismatic effects as you move your gaze from side to side and up and down. if your right va is 20/20 then without the spectacles you are depending on the left eye to see. This reduces your va to 20/40 from 20/20. Ask to be fitted with a contact lens in your right eye. That should solve the problem. Roland J. Izaac -- > > I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my > > left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > AIS > dabel@sonic.net "Rodent" <nomail@hotmail.com> wrote in > left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a > line below the big E was about it on eye chart. My vision in implant eye is [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > PS. I'm 46 yrs old > I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my > left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > stunned by his cavaleer attitude I forgot to remind him of this little fact > (he's been my eye doctor for about 20 years duh!). Is the size difference only apparent with the glasses on? Is the watering, discomfort etc worse with the glasses on? If so, then his advice on how to resolve the size difference was right: don't wear the glasses. Unfortunately, until your eye is healed it is not possible to get a reliable refraction and a lens that will improve the vision in the left eye. All post cataract patients who had significant refractive error pre surgery have this problem and nothing can be done about it until 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. If you have taken the left lens out of your glasses and you feel more comfortable with the glasses on, there is no harm in wearing them. Dr Judy > I starting to wonder if he knows what he's doing. I've only had routine > exams prescriptions until now so he's never been "tested". There are other > issues like the floater/debris field that moves back and forth, the tiny > specks that don't move, etc. Anyone have this done, or have any thoughts? Floaters, flecks, specs etc are not uncommon after surgery. Your doctor is checking you and will be looking for serious post surgery effects. > PS. I'm 46 yrs old 1. Consult another ophthalmologist. 2. Suggest to both of them that you try wearing a contact lens in *one* eye (probably the non-operated eye) to make the two eyes match. See how they respond. > 1. Consult another ophthalmologist. > 2. Suggest to both of them that you try wearing a contact lens in *one* eye > (probably the non-operated eye) to make the two eyes match. See how they > respond. My OMD was very good about this. He warned me about possible problems some years before the surgery, when cataract was first found. He strongly suggested that I try wearing contacts, so I would know what my options were well before I needed to make decisions about how I wanted my vision to be after the surgery. He suggested wearing them for a year, at which time I would know how they worked, and I could decide at that time to stop wearing them until I needed to. He also said that many people with my eyesight (high myopia) decided to continue wearing contacts after the year. I in fact did. SignatureDan Abel Sonoma State University AIS dabel@sonic.net >I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my >left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >PS. I'm 46 yrs old I hope that you have a cataract in the other eye that will require surgery in the relatively near future. If not, I would question the wisdom of using an IOL power that would leave you with (considerably?) different Rxs in each eye. Was this discussed before the surgery? The surgeon is almost always performing this surgery on much older folks, who are probably retired, and not as active visually. Waiting three or four weeks for the eye to stabilize before prescribing corrective lenses is usually not too much of a burden. Your situation is quite a bit different, working full time, driving a car every day, etc. I would expect the doc to Rx no more than one week after the surgery, even if it's just a temporary lens. When you have the new Rx (for both eyes) post it here so we can give you a better idea on what to expect. Hope this helps Robert Martellaro ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Optician/Owner Roberts Optical robopt@execpc.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself." - Richard Feynman >>I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my >>left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > >Hope this helps I do actually have a (very early) cataract in other eye. None of the problems I'm having were revieved with me prior to surgery. I'm really begining to wonder if my eye doc. is incompetent. He is really pushing for no glasses! Even if I do get other eye done I don't know if I knowingly would have agreed to giving up my close vision. > >The surgeon is almost always performing this surgery on much older folks, who > >are probably retired, and not as active visually. Waiting three or four weeks [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > week > >after the surgery, even if it's just a temporary lens. I'm pretty sure that my insurance would not have paid for all of this. Since I could see pretty well, waiting for 4-6 weeks wasn't a problem. > I do actually have a (very early) cataract in other eye. None of the > problems I'm having were revieved with me prior to surgery. I'm really > begining to wonder if my eye doc. is incompetent. He is really pushing > for no glasses! Even if I do get other eye done I don't know if I > knowingly would have agreed to giving up my close vision. When you have cataract, the choice is to give up part of your vision (either close or far, it's your choice) or to give up *all* of your vision by not having the surgery. It's gradual, but cataract generally progesses over time until you are totally blind. You have many choices, and somebody needs to help you explore them. I personally wear OTC reading glasses over my contact for close, and the contact corrects my astigmatism. I asked the doctor to implant lenses that would give me sharp vision at distance, and was lucky enough that this happened just great. SignatureDan Abel Sonoma State University AIS dabel@sonic.net > > I do actually have a (very early) cataract in other eye. None of the > > problems I'm having were revieved with me prior to surgery. I'm really > > begining to wonder if my eye doc. is incompetent. He is really pushing > > for no glasses! Even if I do get other eye done I don't know if I > > knowingly would have agreed to giving up my close vision. I don't know about 'incompetent,' but he seems to be pretty paternalistic. My mom's (and mine too, at least until I actually need surgery) ophthalmologist just decided for her that she should have near vision. She didn't know that a choice was even possible until I found out about it here at least 10 years later. > When you have cataract, the choice is to give up part of your vision > (either close or far, it's your choice) or to give up *all* of your vision [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > that would give me sharp vision at distance, and was lucky enough that > this happened just great. I suspect that one of the reasons that doctors get sued so frequently is that they just don't talk to their patients. It never occurs to some people to ask questions, they just feel that 'doctor knows best' and do what he says unthinkingly. If something turns out badly it's not just an error or an accident, it's a betrayal of trust for which vengeance is appropriate. I blame the insurance companies -- the docs just can't spend that much time talking when they have to book a dozen patients per hour. SignatureCheers, Bev $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ "One's chances of winning the lottery are not appreciably improved by actually buying a ticket." Rodent My surgery was for 2 cataracts in Feb and March this year. I know what you mean about the problem with using glasses afterward. My Dr recommended no glasses. I had to work, and made it through the 2 weeks with a contact lens which I had given up wearing about a year earlier.. Glasses gave me such a visual size difference I would have gone nuts! I opted for the array multifocal lenses and have been a bit disappointed in the results. I still have fairly significant halos around lights and double images or ghost images of almost everything. I have been using reading glasses too since I have a hard time reading small print. I have to say my vision has overall gotten worse in the past 60 days since my closeup vision has worsened significantly and the distance vision (while still fairly good) has not improved by lessening of the double Ghost images. The astigmatism glasses help some, but I hoped to not need glasses after the surgery and am now anticipating a lasik procedure to help my close up vision. Still very early, but I might even consider going to mono lenses if I could get these array lenses removed. I will give it a year or so before I decide on that! I think I am developing post capsulary (secondary?) cataracts. I am starting to have problems seeing things and people when they are backlit. That was one of the reasons I had the cataracts removed. I was told the younger you are when you have cataracts, the more common it is for the secondary cats to develop. I am 43 yrs old. YAG laser should take care of the problems. I hope to get answers in a week during my follow-up appointment. Anyway good luck with your procedures. > >>I recently (2 weeks ago) had a cataract removed and a lens implanted in my > >>left eye. I was very nearsighted prior to surgery (don't have numbers), a [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > for no glasses! Even if I do get other eye done I don't know if I > knowingly would have agreed to giving up my close vision. |
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