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Count me among those who who have decided NOT to have cataract surgery and among those who feel it's a racket. A huge new industry revenue source having little to do with patient need or benefit.
A few years ago I was making yearly ophthalmologist visits after treatment for my second retina tears. Central to those visits were measurements for cataracts and their degree of progression. Their spiel was that everyone is gonna need cataract surgery at some point and their push was for sooner, not later. Of course.
I think back 50-60 years ago and cataract surgery was never a thing. Very few ever had it and most older folks did just fine without it. Like I'm doing today.
They threw out these meaningless numbers like right now I'm a 3, will have to have surgery at 4, and at 5 it's all over. Those numbers are just for example - I don't remember or care what my "real" numbers were.
It was clear to me that these annual visits were purely a revenue stream. Present and future revenue stream. So I ended them.
well, it improved my vision so if it's a racket, I'm fine with it.
cataract surgery was a thing, a major thing. remember cataract glasses? how do you know people 'did fine without it'? anyway, procedures have improved dramatically over the years and that's a good thing.
well, it improved my vision so if it's a racket, I'm fine with it.
cataract surgery was a thing, a major thing. remember cataract glasses? how do you know people 'did fine without it'? anyway, procedures have improved dramatically over the years and that's a good thing.
Would those have been the thick glasses they gave people who had cataract surgery in its early days, before they replaced the cataracts with the intraocular lenses? Or did they have glasses that were supposed to mitigate the poor vision from advanced cataracts. I don't think they could have done much of a job improving that vision, but maybe better than nothing.
I recall my great aunt, who was nearly blind from cataracts, had glasses with thick lenses, though I know she still didn't see well. My great grandmother, also blind or nearly so from cataracts, didn't have glasses as I recall.
I'm also one of those millions of people whose vision was greatly improved with cataract surgery. I had severe myopia, worse in my right eye, and the vision in that eye was so diminished with the cataract in it that I was seeing only shapes, light and dark, no detail even close up. My left eye, which also had a sizeable cataract, was better, but the vision was still lousy. Now my vision is 20/20 in both eyes. I still use Dollar Store cheapies reading glasses for close and computer work, but it's not a problem to me.
My husband, who needed cataract surgery for about two years before he had it done, had gotten to where his cataracts were so big and hard, I guess you could say, that the doc said it was a challenge getting them out, is very happy with his results too. His vision was seriously compromised with those cataracts, though he wouldn't admit it, it was obvious. Made for some interesting discussions at times.
DH just had his first eye done last week, and his vision is markedly improved. He had it done in order to see better.
I fail to understand how you would trust your doctor about treating retinal tears and think he does not know what he is talking about with regard to cataracts.
I take it you never saw someone 60 - 60 years ago wearing heavy, thick glasses that made them look like owls.
We both know that retinal tears must be treated - immediately - or incur a major risk of complete vision loss in that eye. When I experienced my first tear, I very quickly learned that I must either accept laser spot-welding of my retina to my eyeball or expect to lose that eye, and soon. The threat of losing my vision was the sole enabler of my being dragged kicking and screaming to the laser room.
The two scenarios (retina tears and cataracts) are not comparable at all.
And I never said that she didn't know what she was talking about. She did excellent work on my right eye....much better than the guy who did my left eye with a primitive old machine mounted on a table.
She did excellent work, but her perspective is young and narrow. Her agenda was not my agenda. Her staff person told me everybody will eventually need cataract surgery and I know better.
Fortunately, I've had no more retina problems for at least 7 years, I'd say, and I'm hoping it stays that way. If I do someday incur more need for ophthalmic treatment, I'll find another provider with a broader perspective and less arrogance.
Would those have been the thick glasses they gave people who had cataract surgery in its early days, before they replaced the cataracts with the intraocular lenses?
yes, those. after a quick search I learn they are apparently called aphakic glasses
People live so much longer these days than in the past that many more get to the stage of needing cataract surgery. Also, I cannot recall my grandmother, in the last couple of years of her life, being upset because of difficulties with driving, as I had. She had a quiet life at home, unlike me.
I wanted to see clearly when driving as I was driving my grandkids around. I had my left eye done and corrected for distance before we went to visit the national parks in Utah. I really wanted to be able to see the beautiful scenery clearly. The doctor was pleased that I was then getting my second eye done as he had discovered that I have pseudo-exfoliation syndrome, which can cause problems with surgery if it is too advanced. It was done with lens which focus on mid distance, and I can read in decent light without glasses.
People live so much longer these days than in the past that many more get to the stage of needing cataract surgery. Also, I cannot recall my grandmother, in the last couple of years of her life, being upset because of difficulties with driving, as I had. She had a quiet life at home, unlike me.
I wanted to see clearly when driving as I was driving my grandkids around. I had my left eye done and corrected for distance before we went to visit the national parks in Utah. I really wanted to be able to see the beautiful scenery clearly. The doctor was pleased that I was then getting my second eye done as he had discovered that I have pseudo-exfoliation syndrome, which can cause problems with surgery if it is too advanced. It was done with lens which focus on mid distance, and I can read in decent light without glasses.
Nothing better than being able to see clearly!
What does lense focusing on mid distance mean objectively? If 20/20 is perfect vision what would your vision be? Can you see familiar birds and identify them? I need glasses to do that. I dont mind that or to wear glasses to drive because I already do that. It is losing my near vision that I am worried about.
It is great you can read without glasses.
well, it improved my vision so if it's a racket, I'm fine with it.
cataract surgery was a thing, a major thing. remember cataract glasses? how do you know people 'did fine without it'? anyway, procedures have improved dramatically over the years and that's a good thing.
I feel the same way about vision improvement. Before the cataract surgery, I needed glasses to read my cell phone, any printed matter, or the computer screen. Now I need nothing at all. I do wear them for driving but I meet the legal requirements at 20/60 for driving without them. The main reason I wear them is that I have Transition lenses, as my eyes are even more sensitive to sunlight than before and the lenses do sharpen my distance vision somewha, especially at dusk. The surgery was well worth it IMHO.
I am in the medical field and have been reading interesting reports of research into eye drops that potentially dissolve cataracts. You've got to love medical science.
It's been 6 years since I got my Toric lenses. Best decision I every made.
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