I acquired some bragging rights this week.
I've had cataract surgery on both my eyes.
For the second eye it was done without an anesthetic!
The first thing they do is give you a series of eye drops...four or five, I don't know. They also give you a funny hat that covers all your hair. You also get a gown to go over your clothing.
Then they take you to the room where they prepare you for surgery. This consists of more drops. The eye has been numbed before they put in the freezing. They put something on your eye and you're told to look up, down and to both sides. You also get an oxygen tube attached. You get an IV attached and you're ready to go except that you wait for a long time.
Yesterday , I was wheeled into the operating room. They got organized with their equipment. Then they told me to look at a blinding light and they were ready to go. I couldn't see anything except for this bright ugly orange light. For the first eye they used an anesthetic. It was nice. No fuss . NO mess. Yesterday they started work on me. I was waiting to conk out. I soon realized that the conking out wasn't going to happen. So I had my cataract surgery with out anesthetic.
You've heard of blinding light. They ask you to look at a bright light and then you can't see anything. They start to work on you. Your head is rolled around. You feel pushing and pulling on the eyeball. Then you hear the laser and you know that they are making a slit in your eye. You can feel them take out the original lens. You can feel them slide in the new lens. A liberal amount of water is used in the process so there must be some mess that they wash away.
So I'm proud of my self for having the surgery without anesthetic even if I didn't know it was going to happen. They didn't tell me the surgery would be done without anesthetic. They didn't ask me. They just went ahead and did the surgery without anesthetic.
So there you are. All you need to know about cataract surgery. The surgery went very well and my vision is much improved. Now I just have to take three kinds if drops , four times a day for six weeks.
wow! that's amazing! did they forget or something?
ReplyDeleteanyways, well done!
Enjoy your new eyes!
I asked afterward and they said they considered me okay to go without anesthetic.
DeleteYou are very brave. Glad it is over and you can see better!
ReplyDeleteWell, you aren't brave if you don't know about what is going to happen.
Deletewell done and isnt it amazing to be able to see clearly again, here in uk it is standard to have local anaesthesia i had my first eye done in june my second in three weeks, its a case of hop on the table fully clothed no iv or oxygen its over and done with in ten minutes, cup of tea, get your drops to take away and i was on my way home, a four hour journey by bus, no problems at all and the clinic was so kind and caring
ReplyDeleteThey certainly have the process organized to a "T". Thanks for visiting Hiawatha House.
DeleteCongrats Mr. Red! I wasn't given any IV med for sedation, but be assured they gave your eye numbing stuff to be able to work on it! I just felt bits of pressure sometimes, but nothing hurt at all. Be sure and set your watch or alarms to stay on track of your eye meds. I've had VA patients who came to the hospital for something else, and had eye infections from recent cataract surgery cuz they didn't use their post-surgery drops. Hooray for being able to see better! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThe drops are a challenge. My wife is one of the best eyedropper people you will find. we have a schedule on the counter.
DeleteGood heavens! They didn't tell you? Some people would have been freaked out by the experience but you are a very cool guy Red! Getting your eyes fixed should improve your bird watching skills.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to birding and being back with my buddies.
DeleteSounds as if you had what's called twilight sleep anaesthetic. I just had this done, too. You need to be awake so that you can focus on the light as they work. My prep nurse explained that you feel very little if anything and you're kept sedated.
ReplyDeleteWith sleeping anaesthesia your eyes are either rolled back where the surgeon can't see them to operate or they have rem,constant movement, dangerous to try to operate.
It's good to be done with it, isn't it? I hope your vision is better. Mine improved to where I probably won't even need reading glasses, wheee!
The improvement in vision is amazing. Everything is so bright. I can read signs again.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad your eye surgery went so well. Bright lights really bother my eyes. I have been told I only have the beginning of cataracts, not ready for surgery yet. Take care, enjoy your day!
They seem to wait for a specific time to do the cataract. It seems that we have to suffer for a while.
DeleteI had cataract surgery years ago now, and it made all the difference in being able to see things once again! I was in and out in a jiffy and wasn't conked out but it wasn't painful at all. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're right that it wasn't painful. would be interested to know if there's any visual loss over the years.
DeleteDid you ask why they didn't give you an anesthetic for the second surgery? It is interesting to hear you describe it. You are a brave patient, Red! Glad your vision is improved!
ReplyDeleteI asked and they said that they felt it was the best way to do it because of my first surgery.
DeleteI am so surprised that they didn't tell you and that they did the surgery without an anesthetic. The good part is that you can see the world again more clearly. Yay!!
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised that I was told.
DeleteYou are a better man that I am Gunga Din. I think that I would freak out if I thought there was no anaesthetic being used. I'm pretty good with pain but I'm not good with anything to do with my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe eye is very touchy. It was much better than you think. You can't see anything.
DeleteBut for the first eye you DID have anasthetic? Wonder why it was different for the two eyes? In any case I'm glad it's over and you're seeing better!
ReplyDeleteYou're a brave soul. Congrats on a good outcome!
ReplyDeleteWell, if you don't know about something, you're not really brave.
DeleteWell, good for you for not yelling at them, "Where is my anesthetic!" They must have new methodology, but being told would have been nice.
ReplyDeleteI realized that they were using a different system so kept my mouth shut.
DeleteWell done! I didn't have anesthetic. It was rather weird.
ReplyDeleteWeird is a good term to use.
DeleteSo might your menu selection change next time the Eastview guys meet?
ReplyDeleteAt least I'll know what color the food is!
DeleteGood on you! You're good to go!
ReplyDeleteI'm good to go and it's really good.
DeleteJees. It just seems like someone would have mentioned this 'no anaesthesia' thing. Glad it's done, and glad for the positive results!
ReplyDeleteGood to read that it went so well.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful! Must be a relief that it's all over.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a better experience than your first surgery! I'm happy you're finished now and can enjoy the results. It does seem like different ophthalmologists prescribe different regimens with the drops, though. My mother's was different from mine, and yours is different from both of ours. As long as it works, it's all good.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad you accomplished that so nicely, Red. However, I got queasy thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteTo me this sounds incredibly brave of you to have eye surgery without being fainted. I hate bribing but for this I will surely bribe the doctor to be anesthetic
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Red, on getting the surgery done and without pain. I had mine done a few years ago, one at a time, It would have been more convenient to do both at one time. Hope all continues to go well.
ReplyDelete