Cataracts and other visual concerns!

[Gale Hawkins]

It was suggested to start a visual related thread. I have my left eye cataract surgery finished and currently scheduling for the right eye.

From another thread:

I am 50% through that proces with one of my SCO classmates that I was in school with in Memphis 1982-1986. He serve as the AOA President a few years back. I like the optomolgy group he refers to in Paducah. I am 8 days post surgery and can read the 20/25 line again at near unaided.

 

[ultrarunner]

We welcome your business… 60 to 80 eye procedures a week…

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We welcome your business… 60 to 80 eye procedures a week…

You are in CA?

Here in KY the Baby-boomers eyes are becoming gold mines for a few.

They have the actual surgery involving the doctor down to a 7 or 8 minute process per eye often doing the second eye 2 weeks later.

You lay down fully dressed including shoes then come to getting into your vehicle.

 

[ultrarunner]

SF Bay Area… about 40% of our weekly cases are eyes.

The high volume surgeons work 2 rooms with a full support staff and one surgeon can do 20 procedures before noon… part of the reason I clock in at 4am.

We stock thousands of lenses and still have occasion to overnight lens orders…

 

[Gale Hawkins]

SF Bay Area… about 40% of our weekly cases are eyes.

The high volume surgeons work 2 rooms with a full support staff and one surgeon can do 20 procedures before noon… part of the reason I clock in at 4am.

We stock thousands of lenses and still have occasion to overnight lens orders…

That's a lot of lens. There was a card taped to the bed that said +19.5 since they were making me nearsighted per my request. So I guess the next one I get will be more like +17.5 diopters shooting for 20/20 for driving etc.

 

[ponytug]

So it is a baby boomer boom?

@Gale Hawkins What made you decide to have your eyes different, or are they different, and the corrected vision target is 20/20?

@ultrarunner What triggers an overnight order?

Personally, I suspect this is in my future and I don't look forward to it. I have had a heck of a time with glasses not being ground to the specified prescription (robotic grinding made my life so much better) and the aberrations drive my brain nuts. I've tried plastic lenses more than a few times and my brain doesn't adjust to the chromatic aberration, ever. Changing an ocular lens is not quite the same as a new pair of glasses...

All the best,

Peter

 

[deserteagle71]

I was very near-sighted, ever since I was a little kid. Started wearing glasses way back then. The near-sightedness only got worse as I aged; my optometrist told me my eyeballs were no longer round, they were oblong and my retinas were stretched tight and gave me a card to carry for Nevada Retina Associates. Told me to call them immediately if I started seeing flashes of light or, worse, if I began seeing a dark curtain over part of my vision (which indicated retina detachment). About 20 years ago I suffered a "Posterior Vitreous Detachment", first in one eye, then a few years later, in the other eye. Those left huge dark masses inside my eyeballs...kind of like looking through glasses that had gobs of dark grease smeared on them. Those masses caused me all kinds of problems, trying to see through them, worst of which was double vision when I was driving at night. By now my glasses were a full 9/16" of an inch thick - and still couldn't correct my vision to 20/20. Not long after I retired a few years ago I noticed some kind of anomaly in the vision of my left eye - kind of a small hazy area - so I contacted my optometrist. I was told to come in immediately; when they examined the eye they told me I needed to go to Nevada Retina ASAP. Nevada Retina told me I had "rogue" blood vessels that had invaded behind my retina in my left eye and they would have to give me shots in that eyeball that would destroy those blood vessels. Otherwise those rogue blood vessels would eventually destroy the vision in that eye. I had to get a shot in that eyeball once a month for several months...and let me tell you, it is not easy to lay there quietly while the doctor walks over and jams a needle into your eyeball! But the shots worked and destroyed the invasive blood vessels. In talking with the ophthalmologist I told her about my problems with the masses in my eyes causing problems and she said she could cure that by doing a vitrectomy, and explained the procedure. First I would have to have cataract surgery, because doing the vitrectomy without cataract surgery first would cause severe cataracts. So the arrangements were made; I had cataract surgery on one eye and then the other. Quick and easy, no problems. Then I had the vitrectomy surgeries on both eyes.

That was a couple years ago. I am EXTREMELY happy with the results. My vision is at least 20/20 in each eye, and no more double vision. Used to be when I looked at my alarm clock from my bed I had to put on my glasses to see the time - even with 3" high numbers! Now I wake up and look out the window and I can see the snow-capped Jackson Mountains 50 miles away and they are sharp and clear, as though they were etched. Never imagined that as I am about to turn 80 years old my eyesight would be better than it was when I was a kid!

I do have to wear readers, though. That was a choice I made before the cataract surgery.

 

[ultrarunner]

So it is a baby boomer boom?

@Gale Hawkins What made you decide to have your eyes different, or are they different, and the corrected vision target is 20/20?

@ultrarunner What triggers an overnight order?

Personally, I suspect this is in my future and I don't look forward to it. I have had a heck of a time with glasses not being ground to the specified prescription (robotic grinding made my life so much better) and the aberrations drive my brain nuts. I've tried plastic lenses more than a few times and my brain doesn't adjust to the chromatic aberration, ever. Changing an ocular lens is not quite the same as a new pair of glasses...

All the best,

Peter

If 20 patients are on the schedule and several need the same lens it’s important to have enough on hand plus extras.

Also last minute add on cases.

In general for each patient we have 2 of the requested lens plus several diopters up and down.

Many patients opt for the $50 fee not covered by insurance for use of the ORA which takes about 40 measurements in seconds at time of procedure.

Don’t be annoyed if on procedure day you are asked 4 or 5 times what are we doing for you today and for which eye.

It’s all about safety which with the high volume of patients in a morning is critical.

What has also happened and caught is 2 patients with the same name and same age on the same day… repetitive questioning is the check in place.

Language can also be a barrier… some will seek out docs that speak the patients native language.

 

[5030]

Both mine were replaced about 3 years ago and I now have 20-18 and 20-20 and it didn't cost me a penny. We have excellent hospitalization. My new lenses were made in Texas of all places. Had it done at the hospital by the ophthalmologist in residence. Totally painless and quick though I did have to wait a couple weeks for the second peeper. Getting time to have my drooping eyelids addressed. he will do that as well and it won't cost me a cent for that either. Only thing we do have to pay for out of pocket is our prescriptions and those are 5 bucks each no matter what the actual cost is and some of my cancer related ones are super expensive like 10 grand a bottle. I'm always amazed at what they actually cost versus what we pay. I don't see how people with marginal health care or no healthcare insurance can afford to pay for any of it.

We really need socialized medicine in this country today, not that it will ever happen because it most likely won't. it's a political football and the medicine companies are getting wealthy while the population suffers.

Where I stand on all of it, not that it really impacts us at all because it don't, but it could in the future if the 'rules of engagement' change and you know how much I trust not only the government but the for profit medicine companies as well....

Like one of the 4 greatest lies... 'I'm from the Federal Government and I'm here to help you' No problem, help me out of my money is all.

 

[ultrarunner]

A comment about socialized medicine and Canadians that have traveled to California for eye surgery where I am.

Canada has it so why would someone travel and pay out of pocket?

Patient said he did not want to wait 14 months as he has a business to run and the premium lens he wanted was not available even if he paid for it.


Several friends are docs in Austria which is socialized medicine but they told me things that happen in the States for seniors would not be an option in Austria…

My 98 year old neighbor injured his back roto-tilling and had back surgery and fully recovered living to 104

An 85 year old had hip replacement and can walk again.

Medicine there is focused on the young and productive years saying Austria is a small country and does not have unlimited resources to replace hips of every 85 year old needing it.