Cataract Surgery...HIGHLY recommended!

It's like replacing a 20 year-old plastic Maglite lens with a UCL!

I've spent the past few weeks having it done to both eyes, and it's simply amazing.

I went from 75/20 and 85/20 to 20/20 in each eye. After a couple more weeks of eye drops in the second eye, I'll get a new close and computer prescription, but beyond ~3' I see better than I did over 40 years ago.

Discomfort is minimal. Each eye took about 25 minutes as an out-patient procedure. Results were immediate, as in just an hour after the surgery.

Insurance covered almost everything, with about $300 in incidental expenses.

Any of you old farts suffering with cataracts should hop on this ASAP. It's truly life-changing.

Hey Donn! Glad to hear the procedures went smoothly! Now you can appreciate those throwers even more!

Good to hear Donn!

Thats gotta be awesome to have good vision back!

Now you will be able to enjoy looking at the details of all those sweet lights you have!:twothumbs

My dad had his done a couple of months ago. Very little discomfort etc. He has worn glasses for 60 yrs, not any more... well except for close-up stuff. Pretty amazing really.

Congrats!

Mom had hers done a handful of years back. She loved the new clear and corrected vision. She had halos for a spell and since she had not driven at night, she had become more comfortable not driving anyway. Dad at 89, his cataracts are pretty mild considering. The doc said it was 50-50 if he wanted it or not. He opted not since he still can pass his eye chart exams.

Now our woofer...his are pretty bad.

I had cataract surgery done on my right eye on 12/02. The other eye was done on 12/08. My right eye was really bad at the time I had it done. I had actually waited too long. The left one was progressing at the time but I could wait until it got bad enough to do that one. It ended up being more 6 yrs.

I still remember my joy after having the first one done. I could not believe the difference either. Not only could I see so much better, but the colors of everything were so much more vivid. I remember opening the refrigerator door for the first time and went, Wow! Look at all the colors! The light was so bright everything seemed to glow. I also remembered the first time I drove at night afterwards. In comparison to before, it looked like daylight to me! Like you said, pretty amazing what they can do in a matter of a few hours.

I only need glasses now for reading.. mostly finer print stuff. One eye is focused for near, the other for distance. Monovision. Works well for me and I love not having to wear glasses.

Glad it worked out ok for you too. :thumbsup:

My Mom needs it done but won't go out of fear. Too bad from what I"m hearing here.

MarNav1 said:

My Mom needs it done but won't go out of fear. Too bad from what I"m hearing here.

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Encourage her. I'm not kidding when I say the discomfort is minimal. I'm a big coward when it comes to doctors and their black arts, but this is really a cake-walk. You feel no pain at all..just a little pressure on the eyeball, but the drugs are so good you don't care. The drugs wear off almost instantly, you put on your Ray Charles sunglasses and go home.

Awesome to hear!

Now, make sure you protect your eyes-- make sure when outdoors you wear lenses that offer 100% UV protection (even make sure your 'close' and 'computer' prescriptions have UV coatings on them).

Anyone have to pay for it themselves? My neighbour is talking about getting it done and said that it was going to cost him $12,000 to have it done it town.
I suggested that he call around for some pricing and that he might be able to go to Anchorage or even Seattle and still have it cost less.

My surgeon billed the insurance company $6500 for each surgery, but settled for $2400 each.

Good to hear that went well for you. Everyone I know who has had it done says that it's a life-changing experience.

donn_ said:

My surgeon billed the insurance company $6500 for each surgery, but settled for $2400 each.

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So it sounds like my friend is being given the insurance company price and no break. They did offer him a discount for cash in full.

donn_ said:

My surgeon billed the insurance company $6500 for each surgery, but settled for $2400 each.

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You guys need to move to Oz had both my eyes done (cataracts due to side effects of medication) paid $0.
Norm

Norm said:

You guys need to move to Oz had both my eyes done (cataracts due to side effects of medication) paid $0.
Norm

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Not a lot of us would feel comfortable to being on bottom though, especially with all my lights falling out of my pockets and such!

kaichu dento said:

Not a lot of us would feel comfortable to being on bottom though, especially with all my lights falling out of my pockets and such!

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ɯɹou
˙sןןıq ןɐɔıpǝɯ ʎɐd oʇ ʇno pǝʞɔns ʇ,usı ɥsɐɔ ǝɥʇ ʇsɐǝן ʇɐ ʇnq sʇǝʞɔod ɹnoʎ ɟo ʇno ןןɐɟ ʇɥbıɯ sʇɥbıן ǝɥʇ 'ʇı oʇ pǝsn ʇǝb op noʎ

LOL!

It sure is a wonderful thing that what once sentenced someone to a life of blurry darkness is now becoming a thing of the past.

kaichu dento said:

Anyone have to pay for it themselves? My neighbour is talking about getting it done and said that it was going to cost him $12,000 to have it done it town.
I suggested that he call around for some pricing and that he might be able to go to Anchorage or even Seattle and still have it cost less.

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My health insurance covered mine. Don't remember the cost tho. But I think Medicare will cover it if you are eligible. I'm not that old yet.

Lite_me said:

My health insurance covered mine. Don't remember the cost tho. But I think Medicare will cover it if you are eligible. I'm not that old yet.

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I'm going to give him a call today and tell him to see if he can get it covered that way.