My Experience with Cataract Surgery

I am a fairly young man in my 60's and have had cataracts for about two years. I had them in both eyes. My left eye got steadily worse. I was having trouble reading in dim light. I am a patient of a very competent eye surgeon who graduated from an Ivy League medical school in NYC 25 years ago. He said now was the time to have cataract surgery on my left eye.

Prior to surgery, I had to have a Covid 19 test six days before surgery and test negative. It is something having surgery during times of Covid. I was so afraid to have eye surgery and be awake during it. It took over a month to prep for surgery. I was to get an implant of a lens in my left eye and be able to read without glasses after the surgery. I was dreading the surgery. My surgeon had a nice woman named Lisa, as his surgical coordinator. I would have surgery as an out patient. It is a one day surgery.

I had to have all kinds of tests before surgery and get medical clearance from my primary care doctor. I went to him and, he gave me clearance. I reported to the surgical center on the morning of the surgery and had to wait over an hour past my scheduled time. They then called me in and had me put on a gown from the waist up and take off my glasses and sit in a chair and took my vital signs. They then put all kinds of drops in my eyes. They put numbing drops in my eyes. The anesthesiologist said they couldn't put me out, since I couldn't move during surgery.

They then called me into the operating room and had me lie back down on the table and put a big plastic mask over my face with a hole in it over my left eye where they were going to operate. The doctor gave me a big shot in the eye. He then told me to look at the light he moved around and cut around my eye with a scalpel. I felt fluid moving around my eye. I got scared and thought it was my blood coming out. I heard the surgeon mention something about irrigation, so I assumed it wasn't blood but water or some fluid. The operation was over in 20 minutes.

I went back to the chair and had to rest and then they took out my iv and said I had to see the surgeon the next two Fridays in a row. I had three sets of drops and had to put them in my left eye four times a day. I had a night guard to put over my eye when I slept. The nurse said she would take my blood pressure three times before I went home. She took and it was good. She then took it another two times. They then released me and let me go to my locker and get dressed and gave me instructions to follow after surgery.

I went back to the surgeon two days later for the first follow up visit. The surgeon said the operation was a success. I was glad that my first eye surgery was successful. I have to go back again this Friday for a second follow up visit after surgery. I have to put drops in my eye four times a day for a few weeks.

This has been my experience with cataract surgery at the age of 66. I think that is early to get this type of surgery. Most people who have cataract surgery are in their 70's or 80's. It isn't as bad as it seems. It takes a lot of preparation but is over before you know it. I have had a number of surgeries in my life and this is one of the easier ones.

Now I have to get my right eye operated on. I think I will wait until May to get that one done. I am waiting until after the winter. I don't want to rush into anything soon. I am still healing from the first operation. I am sure the next operation will be a breeze after the first one.

One doesn't plan on having surgery right away. You have to consult with your surgeon and their surgical coordinator. You also much make sure that your body is able to withstand surgery. Your family doctor can assess whether you are fit for surgery. My doctor gave me the approval right away. I am in pretty good shape. I am glad the surgery went so well. Putting drops in your eyes can be a pain in the neck. Sometimes it is hard to get them in your eye and you miss the eye. I had to refill them from using too many drops.

I waited until my school course was over to have my eye surgery. I have almost another week off to rest before my next course starts. You have to make sure you have a free schedule to have surgery. It takes time to recover from the surgery. I am doing better each day.

I am writing this article, in the hope that others will learn what it is like to have cataract surgery. I never had it and never read about others who had it. I learned a lot by going through the experience. I hope this article has helped others facing the same operation or thinking of having the same surgery.