Gang, I don’t usually ask the readership here for favors, but I could use some input for personal reasons. Looks as if the old guy here will soon be putting his eyes under the knife for some cataract surgery.
A tip: the docs tell me there’s sun damage from being on the outdoor range too much. Wear brimmed caps. Wear sunglasses. Just sayin’ …
Anyway, any of y’all who’ve gone through cataract surgery, I’d appreciate hearing your experiences and suggestions from a patient’s eye view. The docs have briefed me pretty well from their end of things.
And what’s the story on this “twilight sleep” business they use for the anesthesia? Yeah, I’ll leave the guns home that day…but I’m curious to know what the experience is like.
Thanks in advance! Your input should also become a useful artifact and archive here for others contemplating this type of surgery.
Mas I have not had the surgery…yet, but wanted to take this opportunity to wish you the very best and a speedy recovery. I’ve heard nothing but good reports about it.
Stay safe,
Mike
Had both eyes done. Anesthesia was Versed which leaves you conscious, but pretty much out of it. You remember some of it, but vaguley. I was wheeled into a room where some sort of instrument or machine was used and proceedure was very quick. I believe I was sitting. The preparation is what takes the most time. You’ll have drops to put in your eyes for a week or so, you’ll be able to see immediately. It was a snap. If the lens implant gets a little cloudy down the road, it’s easily fixed with a laser. I haven’t had that problem after a few years. Not to worry.
When your doctor tells you not to rub your eyes have a lily follow his direction. Make sure you do it very gently take care of your eyes cautiously. Order very special he made dark as possible lenses for your outdoor sunglasses. The day after the surgery if you even remotely get sick to your stomach and feel like you’re going to be critically nauseous return
From a Nurse:
My wife is a same day surgery nurse with 40 years experience, I asked her what the scoop was and she said it is a 20 minute surgery with no pain only discomfort, patients usually return is a week to have the other eye done, she has never seen an adverse reaction to the surgery yet. This is the most common of all surgeries. Total time in the hospital is usually less than 3 hours or less,,,mostly to make sure the anesthesia has worn off and your vital signs are stable….she says “Don’t sweat it”,,,
Good Luck and God Bless,,,
Ps: she didn’t buy the on the range too much theory,,,,it’s age,,,not that your old,,,,99% of her patients are ( as am I ) seniors.
Twilight sleep is “It’s just like you are sleeping, but you follow commands,,,,used commonly in the Dentist’s office,,,,YOU FEEL NO PAIN!!!
Good Luck!
I had my right eye done about a year ago. Easy peasy, an eyedrop regime for some time prior and then show up and get it done. Had markedly improved vision the next day and it healed up entirely very very quickly. The vision in that eye is so much better now.
Anesthesia – I didn’t bother. As long as you – how did they put it – “don’t mind the nurse sticking a needle in your face right next to your eye a couple of times” it’s no problem. About like having novocaine at the dentist, but next to your eye.
There were two hard parts. Holding perfectly still enough (it was cold in there) but I managed, and the HUGE adrenaline dump in the recovery room. I was shaking like I had hypothermia for about 10 minutes.
I’ll need to get the other one done at some point and have no concerns about doing it.
Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions.
Mas,I have had surgery done on my eardrum using the twilight anesthesia they gave me a shot in an iv woke up fresh as if from a nap.My better half has had the cataract surgery she says she could see that same day.She was given a sheild to wear mainly at night to keep pressure off of her eye.
Hey Buddy, it’s a big nothing, wait till the bandage comes off and you can see better than you have in years. That front sight will be crystal clear, trust me, get em both done at your first opportunity.
All the best,
Al
For most cataracts the anesthesiologist will give a small dose of Versed to help you relax prior to the Operating Room. In the OR you will be given a small dose usually Propofol that will put you to sleep for about 5-10 minutes during which time the surgeon will inject some local anesthetic behind your eye. You wii wake up while the are draping the eye for surgery. The surgery is done with you awake. You won’t see anything out of the operative nor feel pain. It’s very easy.
I have done hundreds of anesthetics for such cases and had my cataract done this way.
I would suggest you tell your surgeon you shoot and which is your dominant eye and that you will want to be able to focus on the front sight easily with correction. This will be useful because since you will eventually have both eyes fixed the will use an implant for far vision in one eye and near vision in the other it might be best to put the near vision correction in your shooting usually dominant eye.
Small deal, really. BUT, get a doc who has a regular “team”, good facilities ( clean, ship shape, not too far away). courteous but efficient staff for scheduling and explaining procedures.
Take the nap, it’s probably a Valium drip. Safe n no complications, side effects. You needs driver home. Most doctors will do only one eye at a time; smart move. You will be AMAZED at home blue the sky really is!! It’s like a miracle.
You will have to decide ahead of time on what type of lens you want unless there are restrictions due to your particular specific vision parameters I got the simplest available and it worked well for me.
Best wishes and get ready to be surprised at really, really green trees?
I only had one eye done. In that eye, went from near sighted to far sighted.
Now things I had to use glasses for are clear and sharp. But the downside, is it’s hard to see anything close without glasses.
So now, it means a new corrective lens to be made for your shooting glasses. You will need to use reading glasses for anything and everything up close.
Don’t just use a reading glass prescription for your shooting glasses. The focal length is all wrong. You don’t read books held at arms distance.
But you will be amazed at the colors and details that you have been missing.
As far as the twilight sleep? I was awake during my process, watching the procedure, but not really worrying about anything.
I can’t wait to get my other eye done! How’s that for an endorsement?
I havn’t gotten cataract surgery yet but my wife did. She got (at my insistence)the lenses that give a full range of vision. She did have some issues at night with traffic lights at intersections with many sets of lights but after a few months that has become minimal, as in she hasn’t mentioned it in a long time. She hasn’t used glasses at all since her surgery although a few times she has used a magnifying glass for really, really tiny print. She doesn’t shoot much so I can’t give you input on that. Gary
It’s not trivial and there are real risks requiring informed consent. My mother’s was botched. Be sure to discuss intraocular pressure risks and issues with your eye care professional. Shooters have issues beyond constipation and heavy lifting – no head down bent over rowing.
For sure no big bores for a while or off the bench and it’s up to your eye care people to define big bores or hard kickers and to tell you as restrictions ease off.
That said for most people most of the time it’s easy quick outpatient surgery with no food or drink beforehand being the biggest hardship. Twilight sleep or lucid dreaming or can’t wake up although without the feeling of strong paralysis that goes with some dreams. In the old days it’s said they waited for cataracts to be ripe; that is get so bad the surgery was likely to be an improvement. Modern measurements and lenses mean that most people find the immediate improvement impressive.
Nice to have your choice of a treat to break fast be it sweet rolls and coffee or steak and bourbon promptly for afterwards.
Like having a weak handed rig on hand just in case, it may take some time for the eyes to settle down afterward. Have good protective eyewear on hand if you’ve been relying as I do on prescription safety glasses.
Accept the fact that vision may not be quite right for a while and changing. Easier to work on screen than on paper or bench for a while. The choice may be to get a first corrective lens prescription that may not be good for very long or to wait without a current prescription. If necessary get new prescriptions until it’s right and not changing very fast. Be ready to ask for and accept help driving or demonstrating or teaching for a couple weeks or maybe months.
I’ve had cataract surgery x 2. Both went well and post-surgery trauma was non-existent. Important to follow directions on the post-surgery eye drops regime – infection is your worst enemy. Eye patch for a day so self-defense options may be limited. On my dominant eye surgery/lens replacement, I asked for a primary focal point at arm’s length to better see my sights. It didn’t help my trigger control, but really did improve my sight clarity. Good luck and God bless.
Please do publish the responses here, Mas. Horrid feeling something like that might be on my own horizon. Maybe years of sailing, cycling, other outdoor stuff, I HATE glasses…. about the ONLY time I wear any is when using equipment that might fling things, and on the range when others are about.
I had lasic, my eyes didn’t react optimally. Still worth it, but do not delay seeing the doctor if you get photosensitive, etc. spent a few weeks not going out during the day and a few months putting drops and a gel in my eyes every 4 hours. But it was still a great improvement once it was over.
For me they gave me a barbiturate prior, didn’t do an IV type drug.
My mother had cataract surgery from a different guy. No issues. She did one eye at at time. Greatly improved her night vision and significantly reduced her need for glasses.
My wife just had a cataract fixed. We recommend the laser scalpel and multifocal lens. Don’t skimp on your eyes. The twilight keeps you conscious and aware but “uncaring” about what’s going on, like you’re a bit disconnected from yourself. You’ll feel groggy for hours thereafter and likely nap a lot for the rest of the day. 24 yrs later you’ll have the patch removed and be able to see better in minutes. It’ll take days for things to settle, with focus getting a little better and worse throughout, and your eye will be sore to the touch–you may need to sleep with a patch for up to a week to avoid hurting yourself–but you’ll end up with nearly perfect vision. When looking into the distance, you may hear the Six Million Dollar Man sound effect with your new bionic eye. 😉
Best thing I ever did. Did not realize the lack of vision that I had gotten. I was 70 for the 1st surgery. My vision in my right eye was tea colored and the night vision was scattered. I was changing prescriptions annually because of the cataract scattering the light when it went through the lens. Once I had the surgery, (15 minutes from the time I got to the surgery center before I walked out), the change was dramatic. I drove the first night, had a checkup the next day, I was finished. The first surgery, the doctor knocked me out for maybe 10 – 15 seconds so he could hold the eye still. I waited 5 years for the 2nd surgery and the procedure was different in that I was in a device that held the eye fixed and no knockout or even the Valium which I rejected. I was awake the whole time. I used the standard distance lens both times, so I still wear glasses to read. You can get closeup lens in either eye or both. There was also multi-focal lens available, but I opted out because I had heard that at night there might be light scatter where the focal length changed. The main advice is to find a doctor who is doing lots of these surgeries – maybe 50 or so every week. I also could have had both surgeries at the same time(separated by a week for eye safety reasons) but I opted to wait the longer time because my vision in my left eye was still correctable to 20/30. Eventually five years later that lens became discolored so did the left eye, again opting for the distance lens. My vision in both eyes is at least 20/20 with about 2 diopters necessary for reading I opted to use bifocals with plano in the upper part of the lens. That as strictly my choice, as I could have used reading glasses only. I can’t over emphasize the doctor choice and would never do this outside a major medical center in order to have a well experienced doctor. Shooting is one problem that I haven’t addressed, but shotgun or rifle through a scope is way better, back to what it was 40 years ago.The pistol shooting is a little more of a trial because I do not shoot enough to get the eye to properly pick up the sights. In summary, do it using the latest surgery device so you do not even get a valium prior to surgery. And then enjoy the return of your youth.
Go for it! Had both done last year. Can now see better without glasses than I could before with glasses. After surgery follow docs directions for eye drops. Lots of them ! Recovery time is relatively short.
Not sure about “twilight sleep”.
ARE you getting intraocular lenses? You will destroy everyone shooting again when you get them. Six million dollar man eyes.
Best thing I ever did. Before surgery it was like looking through a fog or mist. It couldn’t be correct with glasses. I had the basic no frills surgery. After “I can see clearly now” to quote the song. I only use 1.5 cheaters for some reading. One of my old friends at my shooting club to me that he wondered why he waited so long to get it done. There are some trade offs on distance vision clarity. But driving and reading signs are not a problem.
best thing I ever did had extreme nearsighted vision could not move without glasses went to 20/20 vision after the operation some said they were awake whole time I wasn’t anyway very little pain. Recovery was uneventful did have to wear sunglasses daylight was very bright for serval months
I had cataract surgery over twenty years ago. At the time my eyesight was 20/200, uncorrected with an astygmatism to boot. The cataracts dimmed my vision substantually and night driving was becoming dangerous guesswork for myself and everyone else on the road….
Both eyes were going bad and I was very unhappy. Also leery of having anyone cut on my eyeballs for aany reason. Finally my right eye had gone so downhill I submitted to surgery and when I awaoke and the minor trauma from the surgery had cleared up the vision in my eye had gone from 20/200 to ~20/30-40. I could see better than I had for fifty+years. On top of which colors were infinitely brighter. That yellowish cloud was gone and I could see white again. I had my left eye to compare it with and the yellow tinge, heck, fog in that eye, that had thought it was seeing “white,” became clear.
The operation on my left eye was within the year as it nose dived. Sitting at a stop sign the sign itself, clear as daay (and now I knew it) to my right eye was literally a reddish, octagonish blur in my left. After the operation the left eye was 20/15 for about a week and then degenerated and needed a follow-up laser job which left it at ~20/40. I now see better without glasses than my young dream of a wife sees with her contacts.
For the past twenty years my eyesight has been far better than it had been for the previous fifty and I still can’t see “it” coming. Watcha gonna do?
Bottom line: (for me at least) the surgery was a miracle. I am sure the doctors have explained the little plastic lens they will insert, kind of locking your focus in. I chose 8-12 feet as my base.The technology of those may have changed since my surgery back in the 90s.
Initially I couldn’t read without glasses, having lost my close-in vision, but over the years that has improved significantly as my brain refigured things. My distance vision is, as noted, vastly improved and better than most. I haven’t bought prescription glasses in the twenty years although I am using those magnifying “reading” glasses a bit more now.
Best of luck with your surgery. Well worth it from my experience.
Mas:
I’m going under the knife myself next month, for the second time. My case is a little different than yours, I had
Retinal tear surgery surgery eight month prior. Next month is cornia removal and lens implant..
I recommend second and third options and ask questions. Question the type of lens, pros
And cons of each and how each will effect your vision .
“Twilight Sleep” you won’t know anything is going on ( like being out under
general anesthesia) you won’t realize the difference. Personally I got violently sick for
two days because of the medication used. Possible Three different type of eye drops prior to
surgery, for approximately three days, eye drops after surgery for a few weeks.
Ask questions about parttcals and gasses after shooting a gun and eye protection immediately
after surgery.
Good luck,
David Praisler
dp1443@gmail.com
hello Mas, I’ve had cataracts removed from both eyes (a year apart)and it was very simple. Like others have said, the prepping (drops at intervals) took most of the time. The twilight sleep left me conscious the first time but quite comfortable. Couldn’t even recall the procedure after the second one. Of course there are risks to any procedure. Great difference in my sight! Wish you the best with your surgery.
Mas, had both eyes done. I was awake during the operations. Drugs used relax you but you will be aware of what they are doing. Eye will be a little sore the day of the operation, like too long in a smoke filled room. Drops for months afterwards, and a few days of no lifting 10lbs or more. It is amazing the colors, and how bright everything looks, like waking up sober!
Totally painless. I can now shoot better than ever. Do the eyedrops like they tell you.
Cataract surgery is elective. You can (and should) put it off until deteriorating vision substantially interferes with your life.
As others have said, this is a chance to correct life long defects in vision. If you suffer from astigmatism, a toroid lens will correct that, too. Since astigmatism can be corrected cheaply by eyeglasses, neither Medicare nor insurance will pay the extra cost ($1,000) for a toroid lens.
Do one eye at a time, separated by at least a week, so that you always have one eye working. Take it easy for the first few days. There will be some discomfort but no actual pain.
If possible, schedule your surgery for the morning. You will not be able to eat or drink for several hours prior to the surgery. If your surgery is performed late in the afternoon and your last meal was the previous day’s supper, you will go 24 hours without food.
I’ve had twilight sleep anesthesia for colonoscopies as well as eye surgery. No ill effects and I don’t remember the procedures. You definitely want someone reliable to transport you to and from the hospital because you will be confused for a short time afterward. Don’t drive or touch a gun until that wears off.
The “twilight” they refer to may be propanol. Had it for hand surgery. No drug hangover what so ever. Wake up feeling great. Or it may be the new valium as it was described to me- don’t remember the name. Again, no side effects at all…
It will be good and you’ll be back at it in no time.
Blessings!
Don
After I had the caraact surgery I was shooting a shotgun with slugs and got belted real good, and later was seeing flashes of light and. I knew it was possibly a detached retina Well, it wasn’t, but a large floater had broken loose. I asked my cataract doctor if I had to give up shooting heavy recoiling long gun’s. His reply was “hell no!” Another ophthalmologist confirmed it, and said don’t worry about it. Apparently the recoil had broken loose a floater that was coming loose anyway, but hadn’t caused it. If you ever have flashes of light in your eye, head for the doc and to sure there’s no torn retina, which can happen when those floaters come loose.
Here’s wishing you the best of luck with the surgery, and with making a dent into your music collection as you recover. Best of luck! Ján
Will be praying for you my friend. Rev, out!
Outpatient surgery, prep took about 45 minutes, actual surgery took 10 minutes. Recovery was sitting in a chair for about 30 minutes. In my case a local anesthetic was used so no eat or drink restrictions. With the first eye, I was actually able to see the procedure, fuzzy with the second. I did not go the extra $1000 so no astigmatism / bifocal correction so dark environments and reading require corrective glasses, sunny days or good light no problem. It was amazing how colors brightened! I had very bad vision so the surgery was a great benefit to me! I have had several surgeries over the years so was apprehensive but this was the proverbial Piece Of Cake!
I developed cataracts in my mid 40’s (I’m 70 now). The first one in my dominant (left) eye came on very rapidly. I was almost blind in that eye. The second one developed a few years later. You can see immediately after surgery. Your natural lenses have built in UV protection. You lose that with the new plastic lens so you need to protect your eyes. I have great distant vision but rely on trifocals for nearby stuff. As a result, I have my mid-range lens ground for a crisp pistol front sight. For rifles I’m looking through my distance lens and see a clear target but the sights are very blurry. Scopes or red dot type sights are needed. Be prepared to have your eye glass prescription changed a lot for awhile after the operation. Pre and post operation I found XS pistol sights are superior to traditional pistol sights for me. Eventually you will develop a secondary cataract in the remaining part of the lens capsule, a membrane that now supports your plastic lens. It’s a result of the trauma of the surgery. It can happen right away or many years later. It can be dealt with via a laser from outside your eye to blow holes in the membrane.
Hey Mas,
My wife and I both had it. Dr is in Palos Park if you need a good one. I went from “couldn’t see a 48 inch bullseye at 600 to can see 2 inch pipe stand at 600. You are awake ( he needs you to help). No discomfort. Wife had one far one for reading. DO NOT do that get both far and use readers from Jewel/Osco.I always got good info from you and Bob and Andy so I’m returning the favor. You can get my number from Rose and call me. We had a good experience with ours
Piece o’cake! Both of eyes done. One at a time. Don’t sweat the anesthesia. It is called “conscious sedation”. You are awake but drowsy. Post op is a cinch. I only have to wear reading glasses. One of the best things is that, over the years, the lens in your eye “yellows”. That is a yellowish tinge occurs gradually. You really notice this effect after the first eye is done and covering one eye then the other. In the repaired eye, the vision is so clear and the undone eye shows a significant yellowing.
As for shooting, non-prescription eye wear is the ticket for me. Bright, clear vision!!!
JUST DO IT.
I have had one cataract removed and a partial corneal transplant in one eye, will likely be doing the other eye in the coming year, same procedures.
I was awake enough during the surgery to have awareness– but didn’t feel pain nor concern. The wonder of it did register with me– for example, the doc said, “Now I am removing the lens” and it all went fuzzy, I thought how amazing it was to be seeing the procedure from the inside out.
Lots of drops before and after, but they didn’t give me any problems. Slept with a shield taped over my eye for awhile so I wouldn’t rub it during sleep. It has been great seeing colors renewed!
I am more careful about using sunglasses and safety glasses– I mean to do a better job of protecting my eyes than I did in the past.
My wife has had this procedure. She was scared about it, but it was painless and she recommends having it.
And I will echo Mike Palermo’s comments: all the best, and a speedy recovery.
I just had my second eye (left) done last week. As others have said, it’s pretty much painless. You do feel a dull poking around in the eye but with the drug they use, you really don’t notice it much. I even talked with the doctor during surgery on my right eye. I went with lens for distance knowing the trade off was having to use reading glasses for shooting as well as reading. Some of my open rifle sights require glasses, others don’t seem to. I had to refocus a few scopes after my first eye was done. last week, the day after surgery, my left eye was 20/10 which was my vision before the cataract. After surgery no sudden, jerky head movements, heavy recoil, golf, riding ATV’s, avoid dusty conditions for several days. I think I’ll have to get new readers now that both eyes are fixed. You’ll be fine but good luck just the same.
Mas, my wife has had both eyes done and wondered why she waited for so long to get it done. She can see so much better now and doesn’t need glasses to drive or see distance anymore. The surgery was so easy and recovery was extremely fast. Good luck on getting it done. See you soon in Nebraska.
Always talk to the nurses…They will steer you to the best doctor to perform the surgery. That is what I did… I worked as a mailman for 34 years and lost a lot of my night vision from clouded lenses.. I wish I had gotten it done years earlier…
Had 4 bypasses and a colon resection that didn’t bother me but was scared fa**less of the cataract procedure. It was the piece of cake everyone said it would be. Painless. Astigmatism and the Toric implant lens took me from about 20/800 to 20/20. Do the eyedrops faithfully! The only “downside” is likely need a glasses for up close and everyone I’ve talked to has that. Been 4-5 years back now and maybe that’s changed since.
Mas,
I had both eyes done. It not only doesn’t hurt, but you don’t feel anything. Of course, then I needed glasses to clean things up. The only downside was the day after I got my glasses. I saw colors and details again like I was a kid and I was saddened to realize how much I had lost, especially the colors.
A buddy who was a championship shooter tried to get the doctor to set the focal distance at 600 meters. The doctor said “ isn’t that cheating?” My friend allowed that it was and went with the standard operation. ?
My wife wore glasses from age 4 on. At 64 she had her eyes done by Manrique here in San Antonio. They replaced both lenses. She can see for the first time in her life. She is now 68 and still going strong. I highly recommend it and there have been no serious after effects or side effects, just good vision. She still wants to take her contacts out at night!!!!
I had both retina’s need repair, about six months apart. They had to fill my eyeballs with a gas, which slowly dissipated over time. A side-effect of the gas is a “chemically induced cataract”.
The retina surgeries required careful following of instructions for weeks, and the gas meant I couldn’t change altitude until it dissipated (expanding gasses).
In contrast, the cataract surgery was very much ho-hum. You might end up with 20/20, and just need stick-on bifocals from Walgreens for your fancy wrap around shooting glasses.
Back in the 1980s, my grandmother, who was in her 80s, got two implants. She could see well until the end, in 2004, when she was 102-years-old. We are in the Golden Age of Technology.
I had both eyes done a bit more than a year ago at age 65. I had been wanting my lenses replaced for several years because night driving was difficult, especially in construction zones with bright yellow informational signs that create extra glare in cataracts. I have seen my wife and both her parents have lens implants done and I was totally comfortable with it and wanted it as soon as the Dr said my eyes were ripe. I had the option of having the incisions done by robotic laser, and I went with that because of the quicker recovery time. It required an extra trip to the office to have my eyes mapped in advance. I went with distance lenses and use readers for work up close. They allow me to use iron sights easily, something that I have not been able to do for twenty years. One eye now tests better than 20/20 and the other tests a solid 20/15. Before I had the implants I had to use bifocals and they caused some bad pratfalls in my work in timber.
One of the neatest parts of being relaxed and comfortable with the process of getting implants is that I could really pay attention. You won’t know when the incision is done if you go with the laser. You are then wheeled to the surgeon doing the implants. He will tell you to look up into the light, as if you could do anything else. When he shatters your old lens with his vibratory tool you will see the lens turn into a jigsaw puzzle of dozens of pieces, which is then all removed with the tool. He pops your new lens in, removes the retractor around your eye and you will be sent to recovery. Given your technical and analytical background, I think you will be fascinated and pleased with the entire process. Best of luck to you! David N Johnson
I’ve read the surgical reports on hundreds of these over the past 20 years. This is probably the least likely surgery to result in complications or patient complaints. The usual result is at follow-up, the patient’s first question is “How soon can we do the other eye?” Further, both of my parents and a close friend have undergone lens replacements without any adverse issues.
My mother had cataract surgery with her double wet macular degeneration and honestly the doctor waited too long to perform the procedure and she lost both her eye and all vision. She is now completely blind and only sometimes can see shades of darkness. I suggest you get two opinions on your procedure and to make sure you understand the timing impact of waiting to do the procedure so you don’t incur additional damage to eye. My husband had a repair to his eye and it went very well and was completely successful. His vision went from -8 to -2. As to the aftermath it sounds like a nice little opportunity to get some extreme pampering from the EP and take a break. Be Thinking of you and your successful outcome!
Best of luck.
I have some foggy memories about “twilight sleep” and interrogation. You might want to keep the Evil Princess out of the room until you fully recover. Just sayin’.
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