Cataract Surgery

Today was the day! I had my left eye cataract surgery today. Scary as it is, I’d take this over going to the dentist.

After the paperwork was done, I sat down in a comfortable chair and a nurse administered something like nine different eye drops while she asked me some questions. This nurse also set up an IV type insert on my left hand, and gave me a shot to relax me. Then, I was put on a gurney, where I was hooked up to three of those heart monitor leads, a blood-oxygen clip-on monitor, and a blood pressure cuff. And I got some more drops in my eye. And another shot into the IV insert.

The doctor was supervising, and he did some sort of marks around my eye which he explained was due to the effect astigmatism has on the insertion point. Normally they would make the incision in the eye, directly to the side. In my case, that point was about 45 degrees toward the top of my head.

Then they wheeled me into another room, which was the operating room. I never saw any of this room except the ceiling and a complex piece of equipment hanging therefrom. They got everything situated the way they wanted it, the machine was brought into place over my eye, and the work began.

Something was placed over my eye-socket that pretty much fit all around it. I saw random colors, mostly blue I think, and once I saw something that looked like a bit of oil floating in water. This whole process probably didn’t take ten minutes, but of course I don’t really know the exact time. The stuff they shot into me had me fairly groggy, but I was awake throughout.

When it was over, they unhooked me from everything, sat me in a chair, invited my wife in, and explained what we needed to know about follow-up care. I get to take three different eye-drops for a few days, and go see the doctor tomorrow morning for the follow-up visit. And we went home.

At first, vision in that eye was cloudy and blurry. As the day has proceeded, it gradually has improved, but it still isn’t clear. Also, ten hours after surgery, my eye is still dilated. The doctor tells me that these things are normal.

The lens which was inserted is a ReZoom lens. The published statements about this lens is that about 92% of patients never need to use glasses again. However, vision with these can take a couple of months to get to it’s best. Besides loosing the cataracts, that’s what I’m after. So far, I’m pleased.

They’ll do the other eye on April 23.

I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

-Pop