Posted on 05/16/2018 2:41:09 PM PDT by CaptainPhilFan
Hey FReoples! I'm too young for cataracts, but so is my sister so apparently it's a genetic condition.
Went to the Ophthalmologist earlier today on a referral from my Optometrist who discovered them a month ago.
Was expecting "Oh, yeah, but you can wait a few years" but got "Oh, the right eye is pretty bad, you should do this now".
Then I got the impression this was a production line deal, the Doc wanted me to file for insurance approval and make all appointments on the spot more or less, and THEN went into his sales pitch about lasers and upselling and various lenses and what did I think ..... He was talking out of pocket expenses between $2000-3000 - for one eye.
I thought to ask you guys about your experiences; anyone have Catalys Laser for astigmatism, Symfony "Better" Lenses, any troubles? Mono or multi vision?
I'm barely mid fifties, so whatever I decide now should last a few decades, God willing. So I have to make the right decision. Or least not a bad one.
Just doing the right eye now, left may come later as the cataract there is not as bad.
I can still see close up fairly well, all but the tiniest of print. Glasses are for driving and movies and to help the astigmatism.
Also, I have bottle of MSM sitting on my counter, ordered a month ago when I first found out. People claim it breaks up the protein clumps and gets rid of the cataract naturally. - Anyone here try that??
Thanks for sharing your experiences and wisdom with me. If we can't change the world maybe at least we can help each other's lives. :)
I had a traumatic cataract when I was ten. Major operation, took out the entire lens, could only be corrected with a thick contact lens that I could never wear.
Had the other eye done about 15 years ago. Outpatient surgery. Little slit by the cornea, take the lens out of the sack and replace it with the new lens. Perfect results.
I would dispense with the upselling stuff. You can alwasy do that later if you want. I think you’ll be totally satisfied with the basic surgery.
Get a second opinion.
From an eye doc who does not do surgery or shill for one who does...................
I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago. Bought the vision correcting lense implant for 800 per eye. No laser thud I have to use reading glasses. Before surgery..20/400 right eye, 20/200 left. After surgery 20/15 right eye, 20/20 left eye. I use readers. Would do it again
I had both eyes done around 10 years ago. The first one was a piece of cake, the second one done a week later was a little painful. I actually think they forgot to give me more than a general anesthesia.
Around 2 weeks later they tested me and both eyes were 20/15. The girl said I might even be better but that was the lowest the machine would go and I seemed to read it pretty easily.
I had forgotten how yellow everything had gotten. Afterwards everything was clean.
My ophthalmologist is old school. No lasers. No prescription lens implants. I had both eyes done at different times, both as an outpatient. It was very easy. The biggest hassle was the after care, because you have to apply a lot of drops to speed healing and ward off infection.
I recommend going to a relatively small practice, no more that 4-6 docs. Most important: get references from friends, relatives and especially your primary care physician.
Had mine done few months ago. Your Dr sounds a little steep. I had both eyes done with special astigmatism lenses and an extra glaucoma procedure for under 3K. Maybe that’s the market here in FL its the operation of the day. Seeing better now without glasses than I was without glasses before surgery.
First the procedure is a great thing easy recovery. Wife has Symfony lenses. Distance vision now perfect. Needs reading glasses, but apparently the non Symfony close vision would be worse. Starburst on lights at night and sunglasses needed on bright days. Still I envy her corrected vision.
My dad had laser to remove cataracts and says it’s the best move he ever made and he’s 88. No more glasses.
I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago. Bought the vision correcting lense implant for 800 per eye. No laser thus I have to use reading glasses. Before surgery..20/400 right eye, 20/200 left. After surgery 20/15 right eye, 20/20 left eye. I use readers. Would do it again
Get it done by the best you can find.
It will be one of the easiest procedures you could imagine.
I had it done at age 74 in one eye, and it was painless, and vision in that eye is now 20/20. My other eye, which I thought was flawless, I now realize it is nowhere as good as the eye with cataract surgery. I opted for the single focal length lens, to match my other eye. So now I can read and see the computer screen without glasses, and need them only for driving.
Trick is to find a good and experienced surgeon.
Get more opinions.
Mine were done by the VA after waiting for years.
Not ripe enough they said. Oh it helped, before I was
extremely near sighted, now I need glasses to see up close.
The surgery was not as bad as I thought, good drugs man.
Had a hard time at night, couldn’t read road signs, all
lights looked yellow, even with bright headlight bulbs
hard to see the road. Now better but much harder for me to
read which sucks since I’ve been a reader since about 10
years old.
Good luck.
Had an eye done 5 years ago. The new lens they used cost $1250.00 at the time. Luckily Obamacare didn’t kick in yet and Insurance covered it. Same insurance would not cover it today.
There were OR charges, Anesthesiologist, Ophthalmologist fee.
The total would have been around 2500-3000.
YAG (floaters) laser surgery a year later was 1200.00.
I’m with you on this. Sounds like unnecessary procedure and pressure at this point. Second opinion, for sure.
Not a hard procedure at all, no pain involved and when it’s over you will discover how bright and vivid colors are. I wish I had waited a yea because they now have lenses that are for seeing both near and far. When I had it done you got one eye for near and the other for far.
I’d get a second opinion before having any procedure done.
Well worth it. My husband has worn glasses since he was 8, and now he's glasses-free.
Very easy procedure, virtually pain-free.
He had to do a regimen of eyedrops before and after, but it was all very routine.
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