after a catract surgery

[timmie]

I had surgery on my left eye 3 days ago. I was -5.5 in both eyes and asked for -3 so I couod still read without glasses. However I find
1. I cannot read well at all with my naked operated eye however much I adjust the distance of the book etc.  Certainly not as good as my unoperated eye. will this always be the case or is it early days yet?
2. I can see fairly well with my operated eye for distance but not as well as my unoperated eye with glasses. I have a feeling that I did not get -3 but maybe  -1.5. I dont know as I have been told to wait for 4 weeks before seeing the doctor and then the optician. ( I have no pain etc.  so far so was told I dont need to see the doctor yet).
3.  I find that colours are now very intense with my operated eye so much so that I feel I am in a fake world! However if  wear my glasses (without a lens in the left side) then the colours return to normal
4. Because my 2 eyes are now so different, I find reading and close work difficult even if I close my operated eye.
5. I find it less confusing if I just dont wear glasses at home as I can see reasonably with my operated eye but for TV I have to wear my glasses (without a lens in my left side)
   I am rather upset that I can no longer read with my naked left eye except big print. Will this always be the case or is it early days yet? Also what  about the colour problem
    I am rather worried! I guess I will need surgery on my other eye soon even though the cataract is quite mild.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

First - I still don't know the refractive result from the first eye.  What is your refraction in the first eye?  Second, I don't have a lot of confidence that the second eye will end up where you want it either.  Doctor needs to really do review of first eye to discove exactly what was predicted, what was result and if different why and how to make it more accurate on second eye.  It sounds like you had a pretty bad cataract - so you can take some solace in the fact that you had a safe operation without complications.  You will be able to see but you might not have the convenience of having exactly the prescription you wanted.  WIth regard to the colors and brightness - those are not unusual observations and should get better with time and new glasses.  There must be some blessing in all of this since the cataract is now gone.  You will feel much better when both eyes are done and new glasses fitted.  Unfortunately - you may not get what you wanted - but will see better as long as you wear glasses.

MJK MD

[timmie]

Many thanks for your answer. I dont know what the refractive result of my operated, left eye is as I was told to wait till I have seen the doctor (4 weeks after surgery) before going to the optician. I am thinking of trying contact lens of various diopters in my unoperated eye to  get an idea of what target to go for. what do you think? Many thanks for all your helpful comments.

[timmie]

I went out 4 days after my surgery and found that the sunlight was too strong for my operated eye. Also I found that the headlights of approaching cars were too dazzling.
Colours are very, very  strong. If I close my operated eye and see with my non operated eye,  colours and lights return to normal. I am worried that colours and lights will get worse when I do my second eye (which has a cataract but I can still see well with it as the cataract is not bad).
1.   Will the colours and lights get worse?
Right now I struggle to read as I think my right eye did not attain  - 3 as planned as I seem to be able to see fairly well distance with it. It is OK to watch TV with old glasses I have which is -4.75 in my operated eye and - 5.5 in my non operated eye. I tried with glasses which were blank for the operated side and -5.5 for the non operated side but found it more difficult  to cope.
2.  What is the reason for above?
3.  Before surgery, I had my eyes measured but the machine could not measure my operated eye as the cataract was too bad so the nurse had to measure it with a hand held gadget but the measurements seem to comply with one I had done 2 months earlier in another hospital. (also it was with a hand held gadget there.) However she could measure my non operate eye with a machine and I think it was an IOL Master (but I will check).
4.   I got the operation done under the British National Health Service which is used by more than 99 percent of the British population. (everything is free under the Service but we do pay lots of taxes!) The surgery went well. I have not had any pain during or since the surgery and my eye seems to be healing but I am unhappy about the lights, colours and the reading bit as I am an avid reader.
5.   Will -3  in my next operation allow me to read well without glasses. I will still need distance glasses as I dont have perfect vision with my present operated eye. I dont really want to have to wear glasses for reading and for distance as I have never needed reading glasses and I am now 63 years old and too used to reading with my naked eye.
    I go back to see the doctor in 3 weeks time whcih is normal if I have no problems
    Your comments will be most welcome. Thank you very much.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Things are not likely to change much.  You may be about -100 or -125 just guessing.  You can have the right cataract surgery and shoot for -300 in that eye and that should make things much more balanced out.  I think -125 left and -300 right would not be too bad.  The surgeon should be able to be a little more accurate on second eye, after knowing how the first eye responded.  You really need to have a straight-up conversation with your surgeon to find out exactly where you are now, why it is different than expected, what options are, and where to go now regarding left and right eye.  Ask surgeon if he uses IOLMaster which should make predicted outcomes more accurate.

MJK MD

[ronali678]

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[mishel168]

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