Cataracts, post surgey vision, and binoculars? (1 Viewer)

[Canuck Bob]

I recently joined the decent bino club. It has been frustrating because the day before my EII 8X30s showed up I was diagnosed with cataracts and heading for surgery. I'm wondering what to expect, assuming all goes well, for post-surgery vision and binocular use?

My vision was good prior to the cataracts, but not perfect. I could not spot a bird in a tree at 30 M now, limited contrast. I can drive without glasses but do use them to sharpen vision and supply progressive reading features. I had lasik over a decade ago to correct severe astigmatism and correct to 20-20. Time has marched on and I've been battling chemo for awhile which probably caused the early cataracts. I'm 63 years old.

I hope this isn't too personal.

 

[Troubador]

I recently joined the decent bino club. It has been frustrating because the day before my EII 8X30s showed up I was diagnosed with cataracts and heading for surgery. I'm wondering what to expect, assuming all goes well, for post-surgery vision and binocular use?

My vision was good prior to the cataracts, but not perfect. I could not spot a bird in a tree at 30 M now, limited contrast. I can drive without glasses but do use them to sharpen vision and supply progressive reading features. I had lasik over a decade ago to correct severe astigmatism and correct to 20-20. Time has marched on and I've been battling chemo for awhile which probably caused the early cataracts. I'm 63 years old.

I hope this isn't too personal.

Hey Bob

Just wanted to chip in and wish you all the best.

Lee

 

[Hgalbraith1]

cataracts

I recently had cataracts removed from both eyes. My vision before surgery was OK, but I used contact lenses and glasses. The surgery was no biggie! After surgery I have approaching 20:20 in both eyes. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Hgalbraith1]

cataracts

I should add that after getting fitted up with "artificial eyes" I notice that my unaided vision is extremely sharp in bright light, but is a little bit softer when conditions are duller. I have no idea why this should be so, but it does not bother me much.

 

[Themoog]

I recently joined the decent bino club. It has been frustrating because the day before my EII 8X30s showed up I was diagnosed with cataracts and heading for surgery. I'm wondering what to expect, assuming all goes well, for post-surgery vision and binocular use?

My vision was good prior to the cataracts, but not perfect. I could not spot a bird in a tree at 30 M now, limited contrast. I can drive without glasses but do use them to sharpen vision and supply progressive reading features. I had lasik over a decade ago to correct severe astigmatism and correct to 20-20. Time has marched on and I've been battling chemo for awhile which probably caused the early cataracts. I'm 63 years old.

I hope this isn't too personal.

I'm a fair bit younger than 63 and had my left eye done last winter. As it was explained to me it's not that unusual to get them younger. Could be blunt force trauma, use of steroid medication or something else entirely. There was a lad of 18 having both his eyes done the day I was there.

I'll skip over the details of the operation for now but happy to give you the step by step if you would like. I will say that they are unlikely to do both at once. Maybe a few weeks between the two?

I can't say how either chemo or laser eye surgery affects things either pre or during operation or post.That will be a question for your consultant perhaps.

You will be offered the choice of balancing your new lenses for distance or reading. Your choice based on your lifestyle. Only one though per eye. The ability to focus at different distances is not possible as things stand. They'll figure it out one day I'm sure. That's where progressives or several pairs of glasses come in.

As it was explained to me , you're looking to balance your prescription, post op, to within 2 or 3 diopters of each other as beyond this the brain has difficulty melding the images together properly. For example, post op Im -1.5 in the left and -2.5 in my right (no cataract).

If you're getting both done this should give you the chance to set them to almost 20/20 again (with the caveat that I don't know how your earlier laser treatment will affect this- if at all).

It could therefore be that you require no glasses for driving, birding etc but would have a set for reading, computer work (mid-distance). It'll partly depend on the balance of lenses you choose.

If all goes as expected you can look forward to 'wow' vision and contrast again.
I was terrified but give it time and do what they tell you to and you'll look back and wonder how you put up with it.

There are risks. The consultant will explain that to you. Think of it as russian roulette with ten thousand chambers or more. I pondered this deeply but google some other risks in life and act as suits you.

Disclaimer - I'm just an unknown random guy on a birdwatching forum. All anecdotal information is all Im offering and I'm not a doctor or ophthalmologist.

Just trying to offer another perspective in your path to surgery. I hope this helps you and best of luck.

P.s. If you haven't already got one, find a really good optician you trust and pay them handsomely if you need to. They will guide you in the weeks after surgery as the lenses settle down.

All the best

Tm

 

[Canuck Bob]

Thank you all, I'm in excellent hands and have the services of one of the local premier eye surgery clinics who also did my lasik. For others, it does matter if one has had lasik and prior corrective surgery. It involves access to the eye dimensions prior to lasik to assist in designing the cataract lens. My cataracts are the result of dexamethasone, a nasty steroid, that acts with many chemo protocols. All this is being handled well here.

I will heed the advice for a proper post surgery support. As well I will request the best achievable distance vision in both eyes.

 

[Hgalbraith1]

surgery

Don't worry too much about the procedure. It may sound horrific but it is all over in about 20 minutes (at least in my case) and it was pretty much a breeze. Completely painless and easy.

 

[Julian61]

Thank you all, I'm in excellent hands and have the services of one of the local premier eye surgery clinics who also did my lasik. For others, it does matter if one has had lasik and prior corrective surgery. It involves access to the eye dimensions prior to lasik to assist in designing the cataract lens. My cataracts are the result of dexamethasone, a nasty steroid, that acts with many chemo protocols. All this is being handled well here.

I will heed the advice for a proper post surgery support. As well I will request the best achievable distance vision in both eyes.

Good luck, Bob. I had my left eye done before Christmas and have really noticed a big improvement - I can now appreciate the V. nice bins I bought last year. I'm sure you won't regret it. I was managing generally pre-op but knew my birding was suffering. I'm in my fifties and saw no point in losing good years to a less than good eye.
Julian

 

[Canuck Bob]

Good luck, Bob. I had my left eye done before Christmas and have really noticed a big improvement - I can now appreciate the V. nice bins I bought last year. I'm sure you won't regret it. I was managing generally pre-op but knew my birding was suffering. I'm in my fifties and saw no point in losing good years to a less than good eye.
Julian

You and everyone else are sure cheering me up! Thanks. Oncologist cleared me this week for the surgery and assured me of the same everyone here has. Minor surgery with rapid recovery.

 

[Bwana1]

Bob,
The biggest difference I noticed was, it was much clearer and brighter...almost like someone washed the brown dirt off the window. I had 1 eye done at a time, and could tell a huge difference in the color/tone of the view....instead of yellowish it was blueish, 4k kelvin went to 6k Kelvin. The doctor said it was from pollution, smoke. etc...

Good luck, it will be a breeze.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I too have early cataracts - only real symptom so far is a drop in contrast sensitivity. Mine are probably due to my early working life as a fabrication welder.
The surgical procedure is way better now than 30+ years ago when I started out as an optician, back then implant lenses to replace your own lens were not around and the spectacles needed were obscene as the lenses were very thick and at the time glass.
Nowadays the implant lenses used have been refined over time and usually you are left with vision approaching 6/6 (UK works in metres not feet). The minute they remove your own lens your ability to alter your point of focus disappears and so some means of correcting for near vision will be required.
Three options are open to you...
1. Both eyes set for distance and a pair of spectacles used for near. Great as distance correction handled totally by the implant so will be as good as possible.
2. One eye corrected for distance and the other for near - known as monovision. This relies on you being able to suppress the blurry image produced by one eye. Some people can and they will get along fine with this arrangement but some cannot maintain comfortable vision and this is the worst way to leave them. Best investigate this by using contact lenses if that is possible.
3. Some form of multifocal lenses implant, very much a work in progress. The lens designs are improving all the time but are still not absolutely guaranteed to give you 6/6 distance along with N5 near vision. I am hoping that by the time mine are bad enough to require surgery the designs will be that good.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I lost most of the sight of an eye years ago in an accident which lead to the formation of a cataract and the removal of the lens. If I don't wear an aid in the affected eye, my perception of UV is much greater, presumably due to the loss of filters in the natural lens. It's very pronounced when we go out looking for Scorpions with a UV light

I have no idea about modern implants, if they have UV filtering of any kind but in my experience, pronounced sensitivity to bright light can be expected following the loss of a natural lens.


Andy

 

[Binastro]

Hi Andy.
Persons with cataract removal were used to see UV messages across the Channel in the 1940s.
These messages were invisible to most people.

Maybe special care has to be taken with bright sunshine?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Hi Andy.
Persons with cataract removal were used to see UV messages across the Channel in the 1940s.
These messages were invisible to most people.

Maybe special care has to be taken with bright sunshine?

Very interesting!
I have to wear sunglasses most of the time even in normal daylight due to the sensitivity.


Andy

 

[Alexis Powell]

You may want to read discussions of cataract surgery among astronomy enthusiasts for tips on preserving quality vision when pupils are dilated. Sky and Telescope had an article in 2014 by Kathy and Jerry Oltion that got a lot of attention. Here is a link to a draft of that article which I think you will find a compelling read.

https://www.sff.net/people/j.oltion/Cataracts_and_Astronomers.pdf

--AP

 

[Andy Adcock]

You may want to read discussions of cataract surgery among astronomy enthusiasts for tips on preserving quality vision when pupils are dilated. Sky and Telescope had an article in 2014 by Kathy and Jerry Oltion that got a lot of attention. Here is a link to a draft of that article which I think you will find a compelling read.

https://www.sff.net/people/j.oltion/Cataracts_and_Astronomers.pdf

--AP

Many thanks,
the youngsters I meet when travelling, I'm sure get bored of my sermon regarding cheap sunglasses and why they must always buy polarised lenses.


Andy

 

[Theo98]

Good Luck!

Bob,
The biggest difference I noticed was, it was much clearer and brighter...almost like someone washed the brown dirt off the window. I had 1 eye done at a time, and could tell a huge difference in the color/tone of the view....instead of yellowish it was blueish, 4k kelvin went to 6k Kelvin...

Good luck, it will be a breeze.

Agree...White became Really WHITE and the yellow haze (cataract lenses) was gone! All colors became more vibrant and alive, like I was seeing the world for the first time!

You and everyone else are sure cheering me up! Thanks. Oncologist cleared me this week for the surgery and assured me of the same everyone here has. Minor surgery with rapid recovery.

Bob,

Improvements with specialist in procedures, newest product designs and post care have made new lens replacements very common place, safe and with highly successful vision corrections.

Post successful surgery, I asked my Eye Doctor was their any expected time frame where my new artificial lenses would need to be replaced? He responded, "I'll put it this way...in 200 years when they exhume your grave to determine cause-of death, all there will be is your bones along with your artificial lenses"...End of Story!! :eek!: :king: o

Wishing you Great Success with yours,

Ted

 

[Canuck Bob]

To wrap this up more contact with Doctors has ensued. The Oncologist sees zero complication for Cataract Surgery under my Trial Study protocol. The Ophthalmologist has cleared the chemo as well. It turns out the wait could be 1-2 years. This was a surprise. Our system does not allow me to pay to accelerate the process it seems.

There is no doubt at this point that the contrast in my EII view is much improved with bare eye setup and a first finger thumb shielding hold. The stray light seems to excite the slight cloudiness I usually see with normal cataract viewing. It is most noticeable during night city driving. I have a new found understanding of light pollution from the Cloudy Evenings forum!

I hope this is really an expression of my newness and worry my direct observations are subject to error for other newbies. Still it seems necessary to report what I see.

 

[Theo98]

To wrap this up more contact with Doctors has ensued. The Oncologist sees zero complication for Cataract Surgery under my Trial Study protocol. The Ophthalmologist has cleared the chemo as well. It turns out the wait could be 1-2 years. This was a surprise. Our system does not allow me to pay to accelerate the process it seems.

Bummer Bob, hope you move up in the Query Quickly! :t:

Ted