I am a surgical tech who assists with mainly cataract surgery. When I started at the surgery center I'm at now, I was taking a step down from doing really major, "life changing" surgeries and thought cataracts were so minor and not a big deal compared to what I'm used to. Until we did surgery on a patient with the whitest cataract ever. The results were immediate for her once we turned the OR lights back on, she started reading our whiteboard and was astonished that she could see it. She started to get emotional right there in the OR with us, and I felt myself tear up. It was the coolest moment ever, and it gave me a much deeper appreciation for what I do.
Yes I teared up after getting my left eye done on May 3rd. When I drove away from my eye doctor's office and saw everything so clear. It was a great moment for me.. ❤
@@florencevaneltsi8294I also had an appointment but I canceled after watching a few videos and the negative comments..heartbreaking. Do a little more research on the bad affects. God bless you
I had Cataract Surgery 2 years ago and my Opthmoligist never explained any of these before either of my Cataract Surgeries! My vision is 100% perfect now. Very few Floaters now, had quite a few before Surgery. No Flashes now, had constant Flashes before Surgery. No more Glasses EXCEPT for very small news print. I tend to have the opposite of DRY Eye's! Tears in the outside edge of both eyes, not excessive. My Opthomopoligist said this is not serious.
100% agree! My doctor is highly experienced and everything went great with the surgery--- but--- ahead of time he told me NONE of this.... only handed me a 4 page printed brochure (that looks like it was printed years ago). I "dared" to ask a couple of questions because I was very nervous and he simply looked at me and said "well, if you want to see better you'll do it- your choice". I was so intimidated that I just said "OK". I'm not sorry I had it, both eyes, but I do wish I had known more what to expect- the first few days (especially inbetween surgeries) were pure misery. I appreciate you Dr Lee for helping so many people!
My mother had cataract surgery in her mid-70s. After the surgery she said she'd wished she'd never had it done because it changed her color perception. I asked her for specific examples and she said, well, the color of the spread and curtains she put in the guest bedroom - they now looked like this pukey teal color instead of the hunter's green she had chosen. "Mom", I told her, "They ARE a pukey teal color. You are finally seeing colors as they actually are". She was HORRIFIED as she looked around her house. The upshot was having to correct her unintentional color mistakes through the entire house. 😄
😂I'm laughing because I was the same! Every color was different than what I had thought- for I guess all the years I had cataracts. As you said- the upside was getting to get some new things♥
Yes colour is incredible I didn't realise how dull everything was..it was hard to watch TV for a few days as it was so sharp..I'm 57 and had nt notice how bad it was getting till a year ago ..I still need reading glasses for small stuff but my long distance not thinking shadows were holes or vise versa..is amazing
I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago, when I was 71, and I was completely satisfied with the outcome. I have worn glasses since I was 9 years old, and was terribly nearsighted with astigmatism. It's like a miracle to see clearly without glasses for the first time in 60 years. I had no idea the cataracts were obscuring my vision so much. Colors are brighter now too. I had the YAG laser surgery about a month ago, which resolved the secondary effects I was experiencing. I did experience a lot of floaters, but they gradually diminished. It's a lot to go through, and you need to make sure you've considered all the possible side effects, but overall, I'm 100% satisfied.
I read some stories like yours, and also lots of comments from people saying "I wish I'd had it done years ago", so I did have it done "years ago", a few weeks ago! Both eyes at 62. Loving the brighter colors and the distance vision. I already had quite a few floaters; if anything, fewer after surgery.
Thank you, Dr Lee, for your honesty. I had surgery 14 years ago on 1 eye for a cataract. The Dr installed a B&L Crystal Lens HD Multifocal lens. I have had almost everything possible go wrong, including retinal detachment. My retina was restored repairing 18 tears in it. I also now have a band wrapped around my eye to reshape my eyeball. I tell anyone who asks me about my surgery, to never, under any circumstances, allow someone to talk you into a multifocal lens. They all have glare issues, and have more problems than they are worth. Keep all multifocal devices on the outside of your eyeball.
Yeah they tore the lens capsule and dropped the old lens in the back of my eye. I spent 5 days in hospital before they could get it out. I could not have even sedation as my heart rate dropped to 30 during my prior surgery. So all done local anaesthetic, they took out the vitreous humour and replaced with I don’t know what. After I got out of hospital things went badly and I got an infection. It’s all settled now and I love that I can read and write and oh the colours. So vibrant. It was worth all the suffering. My other eye cataract surgery done first, was uncomplicated in my opinion but I then found out I had macula degeneration. I have regular shots into the vitreous humour (back of eye) for that. I am so grateful for my surgeons for what they did and I’ve even forgiven the one who dropped the lens into the back of my eye. I know it was an accident. It is truly a miracle to be able to see again, the colours… It just blows my mind. No one can understand unless you’ve had your eyes fixed. I was legally blind before my surgeries. I would go through it all again in a heartbeat. So if you are thinking about having cataract surgery go ahead, what happened to me was rare. They are not likely to drop your lens in the back of your eye. I just want to say I didn’t move. It wasn’t my fault. Regards from Australia
@@klanderkal yes near sight. I was legal blind. It was mind blowing to see colour you will go Look! Everyone takes leaves for granted and other stuff like clouds and the sky, even tree trunks…it’s wonderful when you see how truly magnificent the world is
@ksanurse thank you. I'm glad for your happiness. I'm afraid because I have near sighted and Astigmatism. And im too old for Lazic. But... I can get laser cataract surgery..
I was so fortunate to have Dr. Lee do my cataract surgeries when she was at University of Washington. She is a brilliant surgeon! So knowledgeable and kind!
I wish I had her as my doctor. I had my left eye done yesterday. My doctor did a good job, as far as I can tell at this point, but as far as being personable or explaining anything, he sucks. Also, I had an IV sedative. Had I known this was not necessary, with respectful, open communication from the clinic, I wouldn't have had it done. I don't do drugs unless absolutely necessary. Normally only an occasional aspirin. So I won't be having any sedation with the right eye next month. Doctors and other health care givers need to give their patients the courtesy of full, open, simple -language honest communication.
@@philomath67 I had teeth drop out at 80 and chose implants, 3. It was expensive, but I saved a little by NOT have IV sedative. But, I wasn't told I had the option, I asked. There was no pain, so why IV sedatives at all? More money for the dentist.
thank you for being honest, rare these days. They use eye drops to dissolve cataracts away in dogs with little side effects at all. It can't be too much of a stretch to do this for people. BUT like always cures are wanted or looked for from big pharma or the medical profession. $$$$$$$$$$$$ not your health or quality of life.
@@lindacrawley7255I think in eye drops for dogs the active ingredient is "N-Acetyl L-carnosine". Both the "Can-C" and "OcluMed" brands of eye drops for humans have this ingredient. Some people find these "NAC/L-Carnosine" drops irritating, because the N-Acetyl component is a "carrier" designed to penetrate the eye, so the L-carnosine can get into the eye and break up the cataract. Humans can tolerate the N-acetyl component at about 3% in solution. Idk much about the NAC/L-carnosine drops for dogs, but my guess is that dogs can tolerate higher concentrations of the N-acetyl component. Maybe that's why these NAC/L-carnosine drops are used more effectively on dogs? Note the difference between NAC/L-carnosine, as opposed to another dietary supplement for humans called by a similar name- "N-acetyl Cystine". That supplement also begins with "N-acetyl" but it's followed by "Cystine", rather than "L-carnosine". Two different things! The drops for cataract therapy are the ones with "L-carnosine" in them. There's also a NAC/L-carnosine dietary supplement for humans, available in pill form. Don't know if it works.
I just had cataract surgery about a month ago. I did notice that the eye with the new lens doesn't open as wide as before. Now I know what this is. Thank you!
How is your eye now? Does it open as wide as the other eye? I had retina surgery and my eye didn’t open as wide either. I’d say it’s about 90% there and this is 3 years later now. So not sure I’ll ever get to 100% the same. What about you?
I had cataract surgery on my left eye on May 1st and my right eye on May 31st. Both eyes are doing fine and I'm so happy right now. I struggled for a year not being able to see. I follow my doctors instructions on my eye drops.. 👍 I'm 54 years old and are having no problems. I consider my eye doctor my hero. She brought back my eye sight.. ❤
Wow, happy for you. I'm considering 🤔 I have small cataracts in both Also... I now have near sighted -2.75 and was told astigmatism 😮 Did you have this eyesight Also?... Thanks
Thank you for this. I had cataract surgery 10 months ago and still experience almost all of these symptoms. I would have appreciated knowing this before my surgery.
It took almost 2 years for the Ptosis in my eye to return to 90% normal as far as opening as much as my other eye. Still not 100% 3 years after my retina surgery. What about your eye now?
I’m 65 and had cataract surgery on both eyes last year. I’ve been sorry ever since. After being very nearsighted all my life I’m now extremely farsighted and have virtually no close vision. I can’t do anything without readers, not even cook. Plus I have separate glasses for my computer at work that take care of my mid distance, readers don’t work for that. Had a partial detachment in my right eye which caused severe floaters. Still have fluttering lights on the edge of that eye. My left eye got extreme dryness and discomfort and my surgeon did the YAG laser on that eye which caused me to now have poor night vision with halos around all lights, so I can barely drive at night as any light blinds me. Overall it’s been a very depressing experience and I wish I had never had the surgeries. 😢 Wish I had found this honest doctor beforehand. Thank you for letting me vent my frustration.
😮wow,.. im bumming for you.!! I have recently become near sighted. - 2.75. And Astigmatism 😢 told Also i have small cataracts in both. everything is blurry. I'm 62. I'm wondering
@Aichdreamer im not doing so well. I keep having terrible things happen to me. I can't handle all that I lost. Besides my eyesight that went terribly bad on me..... I lost 4 family members 🙏 and 1 close friend. Un my bad state of mind,.. I messed up badly at my job, because of the anxiety and sleepless stress I made a HUGE foolish mistake.... and I lost my career job of 20yrs. Im so devastated.... I have the worst crippling anxiety, full of fear. I fell into severe depression... and that is the worst illness I've ever had. It's like I lost my soul. My brain shut off. And I can't feel any desires or pleasure in anything. I just stay in the apt... unable to socialize, unable to just live. The Dr. said I had anhedonia., also agoraphobia. I'm so messed up mentally now. I don't know what to do... I had to cancel all appointments because I can't do anything. It's like being mentally paralyzed.... Thank you for caring. It's like my whole life was destroyed.
@@Ayalasand1 .... I know, . It's horrifying to be in this horrible debilitating state.., I been thinking very bad thoughts... and I'm trying to fight them off with fake positivity. I'm told, I need to try harder to stop the ruminating on every that Happened........ how? 😫
OK..i was prepared to have cataract surgery..but now after listening to her..i dont know if i want to...i pray that none of that will happen to me.. im very anxious about the surgery..
You have to do the op. It helps alot rather than the negative impact. Success with the surgery! It takes only 5-15 minutes max! The laser cataract surgery is most by far the hitech non pain one.
@@klanderkal I went ahead and had the cataract surgery on my left eye.. it went pretty smoothly..no pain.. u are awake..they can give u something to calm u down if u want..but I know now that if i didnt have it done.. i would have lost sight in my eye.. im having the right eye done in january of 2025..
@luvlylady55 wow, congratulations 🎊. I'm happy for you. I have small cataracts, Near sighted-2.75 And Astigmatism.. ... I haven't made appointment. I don't know if the cataracts surgery would correct all these blurry issues. I'm very afraid to even get glasses. I never wore b4. My life has been down hill after loosing my career job I loved. Depression has destroyed my mental health,.. and now physical health. Sleep deprivation, stress has made my eyesight go bad. .... it's not a good place to be for me. Thank you for replying,.. 🫶👍
Thank you! My elderly dad had his cataracts removed a few months ago. He is very happy. Before the surgery he was buying the brightest lightest lightulbs he could find and would carry a small flashlight with him everywhere. After the surgery he kept commenting on how much brighter everything was, and that colors looked brighter too. I'm so happy for him :)
@@vallee3140 I'm so sorry to hear about your dry eye. You should let your provider know about the high cost of drops - there may be other options that are less expensive. Best of luck!
@@vallee3140 There’s huge upsides in Nationalised Health and downsides and vice versa as in United States Insurance Health system. My wife’s sister is American and I can assure you it’s not exactly a bed of roses there. I learnt a lot from watching this video. Extremely interesting. And by and large most people seem extremely happy after cataract surgery. Of course there’s always some exceptions. Cheers NZ.
You are a honest and at the same time good eye doctor ! If I ever don't see you talking I would say you are an American or Ang English woman doctor . Your words are very clear ! Thank you !
When I had cataract surgery I could literally See Clearly immediately after the surgery it was life-changing I'm very thankful I didn't have any side effects
@@mollypitcher9380 I promise you it's true ! right after surgery still laying on the gurney in recovery ....I started to cry because I could see clearly after the surgery. My family and I went out to breakfast it was amazing. I had to have the cataract surgery because I had a detached retina they had to operate laser the tear and put a gas bubble in that's a long process I know the doctor knows what that's all about that gas bubble clouded the lens which caused me to have a cataract so this was an extensive situation but I can see perfectly and it's a blessing I Thank God 🙏
You are so right. Im two days post op cataract surgery. Wow i can see again. I feel like my surgeon is a hero. I had zero side effects and no inflammation. The Dr was blown away how good my eye looked in his post op visit. Prayers definitely work 🙏
I am so happy it went well for you I need it done but I just been hesitant about the whole procedure well congratulations to you and your doctor God bless have a great day 🙏❤️😊
@@maryperea4077me too. Am just so freaking scared. One eye is way worse and just want the best dang surgeon and want it perfect and anything short of that well I don’t want….they are my eyes
Very informative video. I put off cataract surgery for years until I was 72 because I was afraid of all the potential complications. I had both eyes done about 2 weeks apart. The surgery corrected most of my astigmatism and I now need glasses just for reading. I was lucky. No complications other than a secondary cataract in one eye that required the YAG laser treatment. It’s now been six months and no further problems.
Thanks for being honest, I am left with lasting dysphotopsia and thick lines in my vision after having surgery six years ago. The cataract is removed, but the jagged lenses do not suit everyone - my sight is worse now. Be aware of any risks involved. ⭐️
The descriptions you see online of dysphotopsia don't do it justice! Mine feels like someone went at my cornea with a black marker pen, and the worst part is it moves around based on where I am trying to focus! Not enjoying the result at all!
I had both eyes done about 18 months ago and haven't seen any changes yet. I had some irritation on the day of surgery but it cleared up. I had droopy eyelids before surgery (from contacts) and they haven't gotten worse. In the right light I can see the outline of the lens as a whiteish circle. I no longer have to wear glasses except for close up work. I'm very pleased.
I didn't mean to scar you! Cataract surgery can be very positive and life-changing. While some people have some issues like dry eye, etc. most do not regret their decision. Best of luck!
Having worn glasses from age 5 i now see the world clearer than ever. Dance into surgery its wonderful. I never knew the world had such sharp edges and that the color white so beautiful 😍 20/20 + 20/30
@@tammielarrison3455 My eye doctor told me that the test she did showed my cataract were bigger than what she saw, so I went to a Cataract Specialist and he said my cataracts were to small for surgery and Medicare wouldn't cover it unless they were bigger, he gave me a new prescription for glasses... I'm really glad I didn't need the surgery, because my left eye is partially blind {been like that since I was little} and if something ever happens to my right eye, I would be screwed.
Absolutely life changing, astigmatism reached the point where corrective lenses couldn't improve, left eye at age 80, instant change with Toric implant, right eye at 81, passed DMV test, zero restriction. Use 2.5 readers/prescription for books/e-reader or computer. zero correct for 36" or beyond, color saturation is so much better.
My surgeon didn't spend any time with this info before I had my surgery. If they did it was not done verbally but buried in paperwork. I had significant floaters afterwards which scared the heck out of me. I wish they had spoken to me the way you just did in this video. Thanks for the way you presented this.
I had bilateral cataract surgery in my 50’s. No problems at all during the procedure and post-op recovery. So did my older sister and younger brother. Fortunately, none of us had any I’ll effects. I carry the cards I was issued stating the implants date, type and kind of implant in my wallet. In my late 60’s now and still no issues.
I had my second cataract surgery a few days ago. My surgeon explained the risks to me before my first cataract surgery a couple months ago. The results of the surgery were amazing! I have not seen this well in over twenty years. I am currently 62 years old.
I had the same experience. The change was... Biblical. I do believe my cataract surgeon is one of the happiest people I have ever met. He does cataract surgery exclusively, has done thousands of them (did a few years in the VA) and he said it never gets old seeing how being able to see again effects people.
@@johnswoodgadgets9819 I was nearly blind in one eye so the surgery was life changing for me but I do have very dry eyes now. Also, as a once avid reader I can no longer read for long because my eyes have a hard time focusing together now, especially if I am looking side to side or up and down. I find myself closing one eye after a while, which gets old fast!
@@CharGC123 I only have one eye so I won't have to close one to be comfortable reading. But I do need cataract surgery. If something goes really wrong, I'd need to learn braille. I have to admit, I'm scared.
I got a cataract at 50, It started in the middle of my eye. It looked like I had a cotton ball in my eye. They fixed & I was amazed at just how blind I had been. Then I got the secondary, which they fixed immediately. Although, many people thought I was crazy when I told them.This video was very educational & easy to understand.
I'm a 68 year old female and I've had cataracts for a decade. At my last eye exam a month ago, I was told I was still a long ways off from being considered a candidate for the surgery. After seeing this I'm very grateful I'm not eligible. Thanks so much for the information.
Thanks for your feedback! Hopefully you will be OK without cataract surgery for a while, and when the time comes, I hope your cataract surgery goes smoothly.
candid and comprehensive information regarding possible side effects. This Opthalmologist seems to genuinely have the well being of her patients at heart, providing the info they need to make a truly informed decision regarding this procedure and putting it out there on the internet for all to see.
I am in the UK age 73. Under the NHS i have recently had cataract surgery with monovision. This has cost me nothing and am very pleased with the results. Thanks for your informative video.
@@paulblatchfordplymouthI'm also in the UK. Had cataract operation, on the NHS, in both eyes earlier this year. I'm 64. It's been brilliant - I can now see colours correctly, don't need glasses except for close work (reading, etc). It's life changing. Go for it!
This is a fantastic video, Dr. Lee! I am an ophthalmic technician and agree that when risks and benefits are discussed with patients prior to surgery, these 5 very common side effects are often not mentioned, or mentioned very briefly. I particularly appreciated your explanations of why these side effects might occur, and think patients would, too. We sometimes spend a lot of time on the back end of surgery (post op visits) explaining these things after the patient has noticed or been bothered by them. An extra 5 minutes to provide this information during the consult would decrease that time on the back end and, more importantly, decrease some of the worry and anxiety patients might feel if they experience any of these side effects. Thanks for posting this! I'll be using this for technician training, in the future!
I really appreciate your feedback, as well as the hard work you do as an ophthalmic technician! I agree that we - the team of surgeons, co-managing eye doctors, and ophthalmic techs - end up doing a lot of explaining on the back end. In my practice, I've learned the hard way that setting expectations at the beginning is beneficial for everyone, including the patients and the team. Thanks again ❤
I’m having worry and anxiety already and just postponed cataract surgery because my doctor failed to answer my questions regarding color perception after surgery. I’m a professional artist with an MFA, having studied color for fifty years and I’m not prepared to see red as magenta. And no, I don’t see the world through a yellow haze as I do a lot of color matching in my work. Just passed my DMV vision test (without glasses)- distance is fine, but my reading glasses need stronger prescriptions! I read a lot and do a lot of color work, both things which are vital to my existence. Am getting a second opinion with an eye doctor who is one of my collectors. Any info on the blue/purple/magenta cast after cataract surgery? This is really not acceptable in my line of work.
The cataract is a growth that has a color. I experienced it as a slight brownish stain. I had one eye done at a time so I was able to see the difference before and after surgery on one eye. One eye was different than the other Whites were clearer and brighter after surgery..I was good at color matching before my surgery and am still good at it.
I assume that you have no color blindness, war-painter, so consider your cataract as a yellowish filter that has grown more dense -- more yellow and "dirty" -- over time, making your eye and visual cortex adjust color perception to yield what you had learned to call a "neutral" or normal color balance, thus matching the color perception in your "good" eye. (That's why you don't believe you see through a yellow haze, only a neutral haze. Your visual system has, in effect, interposed a complementary blue-green filter to compensate for the yellow-ish cataract.) When the cataract is suddenly removed, the "cooler" acquired color temperature perception, sans "yellow" filter, temporarily makes for not only a brighter image, but one with a persistent, cooler, blue-green (cyan) hue. Over time, this compensation should normalize itself, and you should see, not "red" or magenta, but with what you consider a normal, or neutral, color balance, and the image will be, once again, so clear that you will wonder how you ever tolerated that cataract for as long as you did. Best wishes!
Thank you for this. I've had cataract surgery in both eyes. And also retina detached in both eyes requiring vitrectomy surgery. As a result I have terrible dry eye syndrome. I also got scared tissue behind one of my new lenses requiring the YAG laser. I wish that more patients considering cataract surgery were made more aware of these possible side effects. Thank you for your honesty and transparency. I'm super happy now with my vision but wow, I had a lot to go through.
@@maddscientist3170 yes. Me too on both eyes. I think that's standard practice. Unfortunately it took away my good long distance vision and made me short sighted!
After a lifetime of near-sightedness with astigmatism I had several eye operations. After the first cataract job, I was really freaked out -- I was very, very aware of being awake during the procedure and decided I would not even have the second one. Doc did not appreciate my criticism at the day-after followup visit. I did get the second surgery because he promised to take me more "out of it." Recovery went ok and colors were very vibrant. I had Lasik from the same doctor and did not need glasses for about 5 years, but the whole time I needed a magnifying glass to read a newspaper, magazine or a book. Had 2 YAG procedures in there somewhere, too. Then I had both vitreous sacs collapse about 6 months apart. I was warned to be aware that retinas may detach after the vitreous collapses. Within a few years I did have both retinas detach. First surgeon was really, really good at explaining what was going to happen before, and then very helpful after the surgery. Second time I wanted the same surgeon but it wasn't his turn in the rotation. This second surgeon was not as good. He explained things in somewhat broken English, even ignoring some of my questions. I asked him about seeing stuff in my periferal vision afterward and he told me to pay no attention to it. After 5 weeks I was still having pain in the outboard corner of the eye and he put off telling me to come in. I finally insisted that I be seen, and guess what? He needed to remove a stitch from my eye -- the source of the extreme irritation. So glad that Costco sells 5-packs of artificial tears that help with extreme dry eye, I have those little green bottles all over the house. If I read a book it takes about a year to finish it due to dry eye. I stopped driving at night about 6 years ago, and actually stopped all highway driving about 2 years ago. (I'm 71 now.) Now I wear no-line bifocals again, and they need to be updated almost every year, just like before all the surgeries, but it's a much lighter prescription than before Lasik surgery. That's it; I got a little verbose there.
Questions you see I have problem in my eyes. I start seeing clusters of eggs frogs in my right eyes 👀 but tiny tiny…when I look up down side fallows. Need help. Thanks…I did not surgery just need your advice
It's hard to say without examining your eyes. I highly recommend you see an eye doctor at your earliest convenience to make sure there is nothing concerning. Best of luck!
Life changing is exactly the word I would use. I remember my mum saying that her results were instant and I couldn't imagine that they wouldn't be blurry for a few days at least. When they wheeled me to recovery...I could see all around me! I could read posters on the walls and see clear faces - it was like I got new eyes. Because this was late 2020 and the situation the world was in, they wanted to do both eyes at the same time. Risky, yes but they just wanted people in and out as quickly and as few times as possible. I'm just so glad it worked well for me. I do still wear glasses because I feel funny without them but they're mostly glass, just a reading lens in the bottom.
Hi, did you have near sight? Also,.. did you have astigmatism? ... I have both, also small cataracts... I wonder if cataract laser surgery would correct my eyes. Everything is so blurry now
I developed a cataract after vitrectomy and laser treatment for a detached retina. This detachment was due to walking into a low hanging tree branch while distracted walking the dog. The cataract developed over a period of a couple of years after the initial treatment. The cataract surgery resulted in immediate clear vision and after rigorously following the eye drop routine for a fortnight, no problems were experienced. A couple of years later I needed some further laser treatment to clear away some cell regrowth over the replacement lens. Since then, no problems at all. All operations carry the risk of some side effects, but cataract surgery is one of the most common operations carried out and the benefits certainly outweigh the risks provided you follow the follow up care guidelines.
I was totally blown away with the clarity after the surgery! I was living in a fog, and I mean fog every day for two years. After the surgery the next day, I looked in the mirror, and I began to cry. I could see myself again, I could see color again, I could see the grass blades on my lawn again, no more seeing blobs, I could now see details. I threw my glasses away and will never take my site for granted again. It’s been one year and I am still amazed at the results! The only side effects I experienced was my eyes always seem to be tired even till this day. My eyelids are not droopy, but they seem tired 80% of the time. But I don’t mind, if I did not get the surgery, I would be legally blind by now. I now have 2020 vision without glasses! I was once blind but now I see!!!
@@MicheleLeeMD I had one eye done five years ago and it was amazing. I could not afford the other eye until now (when I raised the money, Covid hit and cataract surgery was deemed "elective" so it was forbidden for a while, and my money shank in that era. I met a girl who worked for an ophthalmologist. I pretended not to know about cataracts, and she told me horror stories of complications and even blindness, which discouraged me. I thought your video was going to be like that, but I am ready for the second eye.
@@BillZebubproductions There are always risks of complications in any surgery, even cataract surgery and risks of side effects. That being said, most of the time the surgery goes well and the side effects are manageable. It is all about weighing pros and cons! Best of luck with your 2nd eye :)
I needed you last summer. You know how many complications I was warned about?? Zero. I was told I would have no pain. Flat lie, both surgeries. I was told that I needed surgery but was not presented with any options at all for type of surgery. The results were good, surgeon had terrific technical skills but the eye surgery experience was so painful and dreadful, nobody is EVER touching my eyes again without a general anesthesia. You're already better than my surgeon because you admit the possibility of complications. I'm glad for your patients.
As a now retired Ophthalmic Sonographer for over 40 years, I have performed hundreds and hundreds of pre-cataract surgery B-scans to look for lesions, vitreoretinal adhesions, and any underlying hidden issues. One thing I noticed too, is postop complaints of floaters. In my personal experience I knew that many of these were there prior to surgery and I assumed the cataract minimized the patient's perception of the shadows they see. So, with the various doctors' approval, I would be permitted to tell the patients that they have lots of them and likely will see them after their surgery when their vision improves. Also I remind them, and any myopic folks how to recognize a flash of light "when no lights are on" and to seek advice from an MD ophthalmologist for inspection of that in case a retinal tear is developing. I appreciate your clear descriptions of the entire process, pre and post surgery. Thank you. If you have access to a high quality B-scan in your clinic, you should be able to detect the floaters with high gain and direct the eye movements of the patient to see the quantity and how they are dispersed within the liquifying vitreous. With training and proper exam technique, B-scan ultrasonography can detect very peripheral retinal tears or traction in advance which of course helps you to know before surgery the possible problems that may appear later. I have found a mm (code to not scare others) preop, along with macular edema and of course, lots of disk drusen. I showed patients movie clips of their floaters dancing around inside their eye. Hope that helped them to not blame the surgeon for the appearance of floaters if they were already prevalent before. Even with scleral depression, it can be hard to detect peripheral tears. My theory on that (since I have found many when even a retina doctor couldn't find them) is that the act of scleral depression will cause sufficient indentation of the globe to literally close the tear to the surgeon's view, even if they can see around the lens opacities. And for choosing a lens power lifestyle is important. Friends' elderly relatives complain that they are corrected to distance vision yet they really need close vision to exist at home most of the time. When it is my time, as a life long myope who loves their near vision, I would have a miserable lifestyle if I had to find a pair of readers just to see my fingernails, for example. Mine happen to be NS with a little anterior capsule opacification. I am almost 70 for age perspective and started my career in 1980.
@@MicheleLeeMD You are most welcome, and thank you for teaching me why it would be best to postpone my bleph surgery. Besides, I went to the clinic of an oculoplastic surgeon and not one person in clinic or waiting room were masked last summer. With my serious health issues I had to walk out. First time I was a no-show for an MD appt. Not worth the risk to me. PS - I am a fan of fixed focus IOLs, especially for seniors. Worked with 3M way way back with their first one with concentric circles of power with mixed results. And the first silicone IOLs that really affected any postop biometry when figuring out an expected outcome. I coauthored the article about it with Dr Milauskas (spelling?) in Palm Springs in the 80s. After finally figuring out the cause being a different velocity of sound in silicone, I made sure there was a new pseudophakic mode on the system I helped design. Later added another mode for when silicone oil was used to replace the vitreous. I worked with many AIDs patients in SF in the 90s with oil and others with a gancyclovir implant. I am a very happy wearer of eyeglasses. Saw my first leaf on a tree or bird in the sky in 6th grade when it was discovered I was myopic. I will never forget that day walking home from my ophthalmologist's office. You are very articulate and so good at teaching. Glad your patients have you as their doctor.
I also have Fuch's Dystrophy so when I had my cataract surgery, it was not the spectacular improvement others have had. But the thing I miss the most was the loss of my "super close up vision" when I removed my glasses (-8.5 or so) prior to the surgery. I should have never let the ophthalmologist talk me into going for distance vision. I was told that if I ever needed a corneal transplant, I would fare better with the distance lenses. However, the ability to whip off my glasses and get an in-focus look at something a few inches from my eyes was enormously helpful in my work. I miss that every day!
Having great near vision can be a blessing and I’m sorry you ended up losing that. I sincerely hope that you overall had some benefit to your surgery and that everything works out ❤️
@@barbaraschuld8206 That's what I worry about. Right now I can see up close and my doctor told me after surgery I will need glasses for close up work. Of course my main concern is reading the DMV eye chart.
Yes, same here. I really miss my great up close vision. For a while I considered having surgery to correct one eye for distance & the other for up close vision but I wasn’t sure if I could get used to that.
I was ready to call for an appointment to see what I had to do about surgery. After watching this I am scared to death about the post surgery. Thank you for telling the truth.
Cataract surgery can be truly life-changing! As with any surgery there are some risks and potential side effects, so it is always a good idea to weigh them before proceeding. I hope that when you are ready you have a positive experience with cataract surgery!
@@MicheleLeeMD I have a friend that is soon having cataract surgery. I won't tell her about this video, it would serve no useful purpose. She has to have it or go blind, why scare her on top of that? I can think of no compassionate reason.
Pamela Rennia, I have a post surgery in Nov 2022, and I'm not gonna lie I'm scared {I have one eye that's partially blind} and now watching this video I'm really scared!
A day or so after my cataract surgery, when I looked at a point source of light (say a chandelier bulb or car headlight) I saw a beam of light passing through it Kind of like a lens flare in a camera. Or if you shone a flashlight through some milky water. It eventually dissipated. Then a week later I woke up seeing a burst of black dots which was followed by floaters. I still have a Weiss Ring floater a year later. People said that it would go away or I wouldn't notice it after awhile. It didn't go away but generally I have managed to not let it bother me too much. I also had the "secondary cataract" but the laser treatment fixed it.
THANK YOU! This is very scary, but it's what we need to hear. That way we are going into a surgery very informed and don't feel that information was withheld from us.
Ive had nothing but fantastic results since I had both eyes done 2 & a half years ago. It's just brilliant. I dont wear glasses anymore (with the exception of a pair I keep in the car for the 30/40 mins at sun-set, but only if Im driving). I have one eye set at long distance and one at short. No more craning my neck trying to shift my focus through my tri-focal glasses. My hubby is very jealous, he wears bi-focals and finds doing mechanical work almost impossible. No problems with detached retinas. My ophthalmologist did tell me there was a risk but, I thought & know, it was well worth it for me. My sister has had two detached retinas (a total pain in the arse I have to say) but she had her Cataracs done post detachment & has had no problems since (15 years ago).
I'm getting ready for the surgery myself and am so excited! I never imagined at 71 I'd be able to see clearly as its been foggy for so long. I can't even see the TV clearly so yes I'm excited!
My 2nd video from Dr. Lee. TY again for explaining more about the POSSIBLE effects of surgery. I think it gives a patient Knowledge so IF a complication comes up, t he patient will KNOW to tell the Dr.. , Or not to panic if one happens and to have more an idea what is happening. WHAT a great free consultation from Dr. Lee !! LOL I will continue to seek advice from my own Dr. and Dr. Lee as needed. Such a gift ! Thank You !! 😊😊⭐⭐
I had cataract surgery just over 4 years ago, left eye then right eye a month apart. I have had no lasting side effects, other than occasional dry eyes. There was some temporary discomfort for a few weeks after each surgery. I'm certainly pleased with the results. By the way, my eye surgeon explained the possible complications beforehand. This is also the reason for not doing both eyes together. Had there been serious complications after doing the worst eye, the other one would have still been usable.
Just an additional comment on the level of pain and discomfort during the procedure. Pain pretty much zero. All done under local anaesthetic. No sedation was used, although a cannula was put in the back of my hand and a couple of monitor pads taped on my chest. I presume that this was in case I panicked, or had an adverse reaction to any of the drugs used. Removing the tapes holding these in place was the most painful part of the whole procedure 😆. The overall level of discomfort was about the same as, or less than having a filling done at the dentist.
Hi mam.i hv 32 percent cataract on both eyes. I am lady 66 yrs old. Woman. Recently on scanning doctor suggested retina a to be operated on one eye and cataract on both eyes. Mam without retina surgery csn I only opt for cataract operation. Will I get sone improvement in vidion aftet cataract suregery and retina surgery Please advise. Thank you
Hi there, it realy depends what is going on with the retina and how much cataract there is. Most likely I would trust the expert opinion of your eye doctor here. If you are having doubts you can always get a second opinion. Best of luck!!!
I had a "secondary cataract" recently after about ten years. I went to an ophthalmologist for a checkup and he did it on the spot (I hadn't told him about it beforehand). Took a couple of minutes after waiting twenty minutes for the eye dilation drops to take effect. My wife hated wearing glasses and so had a different lens fitted in each eye, one for long range and one for short, computer screen range, and is really happy. She simulated it with contact lenses for a few weeks before the operation to make sure it would work for her.
I had both eyes done and unfortunately i am left with double vision in my left eye. I now have from the hospital eye clinic specs with plain glass for both eyes but in the left lenses have 20 prisms attached to it. Absolutely brilliant in sorting out my double vision but I feel so embarrassed when in company.
I wish I had known all of this before my cataract surgery. I am a couple of years post surgery and have had all of these symptoms. My vision is so much worse now. I wish I had never had the surgery. All you ever hear is that your vision would be Vastly improved. My brother has also had problems and he had a different surgeon. A friend of his had surgery, and is now blind in one eye. Be very careful before you get cataract surgery. Your eyesight is priceless.
Just had the right eye done 4 days ago. Vision in the right eye is much brighter while the left is somewhat yellow. My Dr is good but did not give me any info on what to expect other than my distant vision would improve. Your video brought things into focus, (pun intended) Thanks!
I have had lasik surgery about 18 years ago and my opthamolgist said (about 6 years ago) I have the beginning of cataracts. Went blind in my right eye for a few hours and was not alarmed because I sort of knew it was from REM sleep, which my Ophtomologist confirmed. I was wondering if, since I had lasik if I even could have cataract surgery, if needed, in the future. What do you think?
Yes you can definitely have cataract surgery after LASIK - the surgery itself does not change because of LASIK. The only thing that is a little trickier is figuring out your lens calculations but our formulas are just getting better and better. Hope that helps!
Doctor Lee,thank you for the eye opener of cataract surgery! I'm 70 and start of cataracts ? How far can I wait to go for surgery? Was told that if cataract gets to thick ,that surgery more difficult? I'm having no vision issues as we speak! I don't want to rush into surgery! Thank you for your public service,how many year's of experience, priceless knowledge and procedure,s ! I'm doing my homework before hand!
It really depends on your quantity and quality of vision. You don't want to wait until your cataract is too dense because that will make it a more complex surgery. I highly encourage you to discuss timing with your eye doctor I actually made a video a couple weeks ago about timing of cataract surgery: ruclips.net/video/PjLMkaBQoHw/видео.html Hope this helps!
I'm 76, been told that I have cataracts, but am in no rush to have surgery! My family members rarely live past 82, so I'm going to try to hold off till then!
@@rongendron8705 I am 78 and thinking of the same thing .I love to hold off cause I am also a worrier of complications. seeing a doctor is like meeting a girl friend when I feel too conscious that I am "ugly"
Please don't be afraid! Cataract surgery can be amazing & life-changing. Everything has risks but you just have to weigh the risks vs benefits and see if you are ready to go ahead. Best of luck ❤
@@lsdlrf I'm so sorry that has been your experience. This is your eye so ultimately it should be your decision. Your eye doctor can certainly help you and guide you towards a decision but please don't ever feel forced to make a decision. Thanks for your feedback. I try to be respectful of my patients' decisions and not pressure them to do surgery unless I feel it is necessary, but your comment will remind me to keep that mentality ♥
Wow! I've always thought you were as good as new after cataract surgery. Now I'm nervous as I have them but they're not ready to remove yet I'm told. I'm only 62 and I already have dry eye. I wish they had a newer procedure with less concerns.
I am having a second thought on having a cataract surgery even before I watched this video and am not really struggling with my cataract right now. Now this video confirms it. And if I can get enough proper diet and supplements to slow down development of cataract and fix my dry eyes which I have even before getting a surgery Then, my guess is only a pair of eye glasses and a sun glass is all I need at this time, as well as lessen my exposure to too much computer.
Cataracts develop due to proteins in the lens breaking down. This happens naturally with age but can be accelerated by UV light, medications, certain medical conditions, genetic conditions, genetics, etc. You are right in that sometimes supplements and vitamins can help prevent cataracts - I am actually releasing a video tomorrow about this so stay tuned! Hope that (kind of) answers your question. Thanks for your comment!
I really do appreciate your honesty Dr Lee. My husband has cataract surgery scheduled for June and July. While I do really like the honesty, as my husband has recently heard about several acquaintances who have had problems, he already is getting nervous... well slightly. A friend had surgery several years ago, and now wears sunglasses often indoors since everything seems too bright. An acquaintance we both know had surgery on one eye just over a year ago - and the new lens actually "broke" while being put in her eye. She has had 6 "surgeries" (actual surgeries to "invasive treatments" she considers surgeries) on that eye which now sees shadows but nothing really clearly or distinct. At Easter she suddenly had difficulty with her "good" eye and has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, is getting regular shots in the eye, and is also in a study group testing possible new meds. Of course she won't know if she is in the trial or placebo group. I really am not sure if I should send him a link to this clip, or not. Please tell me what you think? @MicheleLeeMD
Hi there, cataract surgery is successful the majority of the time and is a great surgery overall. Your husband should be aware of very common side effects like dry eyes, posterior capsular opacity, and temporary visual phenomena - these are things I tell all my patients at preop so there are no surprises. Otherwise, it is up to you on whether to send him this video. If you do end up sending him this video, you can also send him this video on the positive benefits of surgery to balance everything out: ruclips.net/video/3OS0lJwuQqw/видео.html Good luck to you both!
One additional side note, I had my right lens replaced three years ago and was amazed I could immediately see individual small branches on the trees high on the mountain behind my home. During the follow-up surgery exam, I learned I had better than 20:20 vision, it was actually 20:15. Left eye sight was marginal and was my close-up or "reading" eye, so I declined surgery. But I wasn't aware that one eye that sees distance and one that is a "closeup" eye damages depth perception. Stepping off something or judging uneven ground when hiking is now a challenge. I'm 78.
Thank you for sharing. I'm 33 and have to had cataracts removed in both eyes. I was considering mono-vision (i.e. ine eye for near and the other for far distance) but I'll try to look more into its side-effect. Have a great day!
Thank you for this reply! I’m 74 and scared to death to have this surgery done. I play harp for church and it’s tough . Some strings just disappear as one eye is great close up ( the worse one) and the other is better distance and I actually fell yesterday outside picking apples. Again as you mentioned depth perception. I hope I can find a Dr that is not running me through like a production line. I’m so happy you have been blessed with great results.
I had laser surgery to correct my near sighted vision, all was great then I was seeing double out of left eye one night. That eye can’t be corrected anymore so what I drive with is my right eye but the left eye gets in the way n sometimes I have to close left eye. Having bad vision is the worse thing that can happen to a person.😊
Thank you Doctor for this information. Would have helped to be told this before I had my cataract surgery. Many surgeries after that. Including a detached retina. I have subscribed and I will try to educate myself further as my left eye now is clouding over. The surgeon came highly recommended but like you said he didn't share much information with me.
I'm so sorry about your macular degeneration. Unfortunately cataract surgery will not help regain any sight lost from macular degeneration but one day your doctor may recommend it if your cataract is bad enough to optimize your vision and to help your retinal specialist see into your eye to continue treatments. Best of luck ♥
Thank you very much Dr. Lee You are correct about not being told any of this information by several ophthalmologist. I put off having cataract surgery when I found out I have a 95% chance of having EDS I have all the markers we're supposed to be tested but Stanford decline that said it won't give a real definitive answer. My research made me decide I had to put it off till I could get to some place where somebody understood And could handle This problem caused by the EDS.EDS has many types and that ocular problems can occur during cataracts surgery. Then I had an accident something else so I've been on a total standstill but thank you, thank you knowing this additional information makes me realize I really want to try these nutritional supplements that I hear are creating miracles and if you have an insight on whether that would be true or not please do another video that the nutrients don't really aid that much in repair of cataracts if that is the case. Thanks again. Knowledge is power. I can't play a good hand if I don't see all my cards.
Thanks for your comment. It’s always good to be cautious when it comes to surgery or procedures. I will actually release a video about how to slow cataract progression on Saturday (including supplements) so stay tuned!
Hi there, cataract surgery can be amazing and life-changing! If you are struggling with your vision, definitely talk to your eye doctor/surgeon about whether it is time to do surgery and whether the risks are outweighed by benefits. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
Yes, it would have been nice to have known about some of these things prior to my surgery. Even though it's now nearly four months after my surgery, leaning of this helps. I waited 8 years for this surgery and had such high hoped for finally being able to see clearly. Sadly, my eyesight post surgery is far worse than it was prior to the surgery. Before, I had 6 pairs of eyeglasses: bifocal day-to-day, back-up day-to-day, bifocal sunglasses, single vision reading/laptop (18"), single vision desktop computer (30"), and bifocal laptop/TV (18" and 8'). Post surgery, it looks like I can get away with only 5 pairs of eyeglasses but he jury is still out. I have health care insurance but even so, my out if pocket costs AFTER insurance was about $7,000! I can see reasonably well to read and on the laptop; my distance vision is not very good at all; and my mid range is pretty bad. That is, I need to stare at the ground as I walk because I cannot clearly see in front of me; I cannot clearly see reflections in a mirror; I cannot clearly see the dashboard on the car; I cannot clearly see/read labels on the shelves in bookstores or grocery stores. I have a LOT of floaters. Around he edges I have fluttering flash. My eyes often feel as if they are bulging. And the dry eye syndrome is prevalent. I really don't know if I would have gone through all of this had I known what the results would be. I doubt it. I am the anomaly--NOT the typical result. I knew the risks and took them. I gambled and I lost. And now I move on.
Don, I'm 65 years old and have suffered with dry eyes for decades. My Ophthalmologist has said I'm at the early stage of cataracts. I have the floaters and parts of my vision appear smudged in some areas. I was a road warrior in my job but today don't like to drive at night much anymore. I was anxious to maybe have cataract surgery, but all these side effects makes me want to pause until I just cannot see well and I have no choice.
you were not given proper informed consent it sounds like. Get that doctors licensed revoked. Whoever it it is over paid and needs a cashier job at walmart.
Jaskra zabrała mi nagle lewe oko, obecnie wchodzi zaćma,mój profesor nie pozwala mi się operować,bo mogę stracić wzrok,inni profesorowie podobnie Za to prywatnie mam już 3 skierowania i się boję.Wsxyscy, których znam ,po operacji mieli zaćmę wtórną lub gorzej.Profesor kazał mi operować się .za granicą,nie w Polsce i napewno nie w mieście gdzie mieszkam.Teraz dowiaduję,że i za granicą nie wszystko się udaje,poczekam,narazie biorę różne krople i tabletki,w tym can c z USA, trudno u nas dostać,ale jakoś działają.
I'm a golfer who can no longer see the ball out past about 150 yards. I've got a consult in a couple of weeks for the surgery. I can't wait to get the surgery completed and hopefully get most of my vision back. I've watched a couple of Dr. Lee's cataract videos and they are very helpful in learning what to expect.
I had cataract surgery 2 years ago. I had zero problems at all. I wish I had taken time to think about whether I wanted near vision or far vision though. I opted for far, but as a medical transcriptionist, I really should have decided on near vision which is what I had prior to the procedure.
I'm glad you had a smooth procedure and recovery - that is honestly the most important thing! It's hard to know what you need sometimes. Have you discussed wearing contact lenses for near with your eye doctor? If you really enjoy having near vision and do not mind glasses for distance, and you have successfully trialed this with contact lenses, you can ask your doctor whether refractive surgery like LASIK or PRK would be an option for you. Hope this helps, and best of luck!
I need the near vision for my job and all my hobbies, but I chose the far vision lenses so I could drive more safely. I was pretty much blind in my right eye, and it happened very quickly. I've always been far sighted, so I've been wearing glasses for over forty years for my up-close work and reading. I really don't regret my choice since I'm so comfortable with wearing glasses. I tried contacts, but they made me absolutely miserable.
I appreciate seeing this video. Gave it a thumbs up. My husband will have surgery in the future and his eyes are already dry. Will he likely experience extra dry eyes?
Most likely it will be temporarily worse - but most of the time the dry eye goes back to where it was prior to surgery after a few months. Best of luck on his upcoming surgery!
That's a great question. I'll actually be filming a video about it to come out in a week or two. Short answer is that you can take care of your body and eyes by wearing sunglasses, staying healthy, and eating well (lots of vitamins, green leafy veggies). Stay tuned!
I had cataract surgery of the left eye on 28th Nov. 2005 at the age of 57 years and was quite okay after that for 13 years. However, in January this year my vision of this operated eye became double. I immediately consulted an ophthalmologist, who after examining my eye told me that the IOL has gone decentred and that I shall have to undergo surgery again for replacement of the decentred IOL with a new one or if the retina has not ruptured then the decenteted IOL can be centred by laser surgery. Anyway, the Retina Surgeon performed replacement of lens surgery as also laser surgery on 29th. Jan., 2024. After surgery, the vision is okay, but the eye gets inflammation for which I have been prescribed steroid eye drops, first time for a certain period after surgery and the second time (a lighter one) about one and a half months ago, which I am administering alongwith another eye drops for keeping both eyes moist. I am sending this lengthy message to you to kindly prescribe, if you can, an effective eye drops for correcting the said condition of my said eye. I shall be very grateful to you.
I had cataract surgery quite a few years back (2012) and it’s been nothing but problems ever since. Before surgery I had really bad vision which required thick lensed glasses. Cataract surgery was an option I was given as I didn’t qualify for lasik. And since I play a lot of sports, the idea of no more glasses or contacts was very appealing. Everything was great for a few months even though looking at a computer screen or night driving was difficult. The lenses that were placed in my eyes made things with artificial light looked starred. Then the infections started and the severe dry eye. I can’t go anywhere without eye drops and prescription medication for constant inflammation in my eyes. Needless to say I’m back to wearing glasses due to all this and I honestly wish I had never had the surgery.
I had cataract surgery on both of my eyes three years ago. I ended up having to have the YAG laser surgery on both of my eyes months after the initial surgeries. My vision is worse than before my Cataract surgeries. 😢 If I could go back, I would not have had the surgeries.
I have the same problem after the surgery, I wish I didn’t have the surgery, but just count the blessings that at least I am not blind, still continue to find a away to sole my side effects from the surgery!
Don't be I've it when they say no glasses necessary after cataract surgery. It's been 2 yes without good vision and more problems that I had before. Paid 1k each best new lenses. If the Dr had told me any of the downsides to all this, I would have bought the normal lenses and get stronger glasses. Had Yag also and still have blurry double vision
I had strange vision after the surgery and my experience was so negative I have developed medical trauma. The VA did the procedure and they tore the tape off my face and gave my cheeks small red veins from the force of it. Not only did they do a bad job, they caused damage to the skin on my cheeks & I feel very self-conscious about it. When I had explained my problems like the dark Circular shadows on the sides & other problems, they just said I was the 1 out of a thousand, that have problems. It's been 2 years and I still fear going to the doctor. I filed a claim and complaint but haven't heard back and don't expect to. They're very negligent.
Increased risk of retina detachment after cataract surgery is not understood by cataract surgery patients. I had a detached retina in both eyes after cataract surgery. The reattachment surgery is extremely painful and recover time is 1 to 3 months.
I had cataract surgery because 12 months before I had a Pvd and then two days after I was diagnosed with a detached retina. Couldn't drive for 5 weeks, and had poor vision in the affected eye till the cataract was done. Then last year I noticed vision getting blurry again and had a YAG operation and vision now crystal clear.
Had cataract surgeries in 2004-5. Omg! What a difference in sight. I do get the halos at night, & i have floaters, but all in all, id highly recommend it. Just remember to be faithful about applying the drops they give you.
Hi Dr Lee, thank u for sharing this informative information.just a quick question, I had a lasik surgery in 2010. My vision gotten worse again after after 2017. I started to use glasses since 2020. My left eye is -1.50 and the right eyes-2.00 again.am I able to do the lasik operation again? Please let me know.Thank you 🙏.
Without knowing more information, I could not tell you what the next steps would be. Usually we don't repeat LASIK many years later since lifting the flap may result in flap complications and make things worse. If you have enough cataract you can consider cataract surgery; please talk to your eye doctor about your options. Hope this helps!
It's very helpful information especially I'm planning on have Cataract surgery next year ! It's also scary to hear all of the side affect after surgery !
I appreciate your feedback! I made this video for people who want to know about all the possible side effects - not everyone has all or any of these side effects. If/when you need cataract surgery, you will weigh all the pros and cons and make a decision with your surgeon about timing and when to move forward. Thanks again for watching, and best of luck!
Hi Dr. Lee, enjoyed your video. I have had floaters for twenty years in my left eye. I am 63 and have great eyesite and found this product called Occuphase and it has N-acetylcarnosine as the main ingredient. My floaters were gone within two weeks of using this one drop a day. If i stop using it or run out the floaters come back fast.
Hi there, if you are doing OK and seeing everything you need to, there is no need to rush into eye surgery. One day when you are starting to struggle with your vision, you will talk to your eye doctor and weigh all the pros and cons. Hopefully, one day, cataract surgery will be a very positive experience for you!
Thanks for this additional information. I actually had a consult with an ophthalmologist today about getting cataract surgery.., I also watch a video disclosing all the pluses and potential negatives that might occur. I currently have floaters but I’m going though with the surgery… I can only hope that the floaters don’t become worse… my vision is getting worse daily so I need to do something… thanks again for the information.
Thank you so much for this video. I had cataract surgery 12 years ago. prior to the surgery my vision was 2025, and now its 2050, very blurry. What can be done after 12 years?
It really depends why your vision is blurry. I highly recommend you make a visit to your eye doctor so they can take a look and help you out. I hope it is something that can be a quick fix!
My right eye was operated on over a month ago, My left eye, two weeks later. The disparity of vision between my eyes is nauseating and causing me constant head aches. I went into this expecting to wear glasses for reading, but I have no unburied vision in my right eye closer than 7 feet. It feels like I’m cross eyed now. Even with my eyes closed I feel muscle strain. I was finally able to get an appointment with the surgeon (the office had kept telling me I should have more patience, that my eyes needed more time to “heal”), and insisted I see an optometrist to be fitted for glasses the week before that appointment. By the time I see the surgeon it will have been 10 weeks of this waking nightmare.
@@MicheleLeeMD Thank you, but it feels hopeless. When I saw the post surgical optometrist today and I mentioned the discomfort it is to have such disparity of vision between my eyes, he marginalized my concerns, I started crying, and then he called me a pessimist. I have an appointment to see the surgeon next week. The optometrist brushed that off as useless and said I’d need 6-8 weeks to heal. Surgery was 20 October and 3 November.
@@MicheleLeeMD I had a consultation with the surgeon yesterday and he says in 3 months we can try burning away the lens the new lens was attached to 2 months ago. If that additional procedure is successful it will make it only 3 more months, 5 months total for me to be stuck in a visually painful hell surrounded by people who assume I’m either drunk or an irrational drama queen.
I got cataracts early in life at 46 years old. I had previously taken corticosteroids for asthma ( which I no longer have ) and I am told that this can lead to early onset cataracts. In my earlier life I had photo refractive kerotectomy on both eyes for short sightedness and was in the pilot study for this with astigmatism computer correction during my laser treatment, which was very successful at the time. The early oblation of my eyes however caused the calculation for my cataract prescription first inserted lens to be wrong and the result was medium short sight in my first eye. From the experience of my first operated eye, the surgeon got the second eye prescription bang on for good long sight. Thus by serendipity, I have one eye good for reading and one good for long distance, with the less able eye in each scenario ' filling in '. A lot of people can't put up with the disparity between eyes, causing headaches but I had no such problems and it has been perfect for 17 years now. The cataract operation has been better than glasses, contact lenses or oblation for me ! I also had a capsulotomy done at the time with a yag laser to prevent them from getting cloudy as well with a hole blasted through.
My vision 6 months after surgery is distorted. One eye sees things higher and bigger than the other, with or without glasses. Faces are impossible as example, to focus on, as their eyes and nose and mouths hop up and down and side to side in a mush. Horizontal lines are tilted, but if I tilt my head they even up slightly. Bottom of vision squases up, faces for example, chins squash up over lips. Everything is wavy, especially up close. I can see far distance fairly clearly and stable, but closer up, street striping and curbs wiggle and move, as do cars and pedestrians the closer they are. A single pedestrian looks like 2 people super imposed on top of each other at slightly different planes up and down and side to side, same for facial distortion. Reading is difficult because the 2 letters to the left of the center of a word become one. Example, a stop sign will either be SOP or TOP, and bounce back and forth between the 2. What used to be floaters have become little twinkling lights. A couple of sever blind spots are new. Last, instead of the dark fog of cataracts, I'm now in a bright white light fog, like looking through frosted glass. Been back to doctor 3 times with nothing but new glasses prescriptions that do nothing. Will be seeing a retinol specialist soon. I was not advised that there were lenses options.
I'm so sorry you've been having issues after cataract surgery. It sounds like there might be something else going on with your eyes besides the cataract, and I'm glad you are going to see a retinal specialist. Best of luck!
You’re describing exactly what I have; after detached retina and vitero surgery. I’m told the freezing of one of my muscles controlling movement was damaged so vision in one eye is not aligned to the other . I’m told it gets better 9 months later it’s got worse
@@AustralianQldDad I'm so sorry. I stopped going to the surgeon because all I got " it will get better". But its not better. Went to a regular eyeglass place and he gave me a referral to the retinol specialist, he said he could see "wrinkles"in the sense sac. Now I have to find a ride because they won't let me drive myself. Best wishes to both of us.
@@AustralianQldDad I'm so sorry you had to go through this - a detached retina and a frozen eye muscle are both devastating by themselves and having both issues must be so frustrating. I hope things get better for you eventually!
That’s a great question. Right after or during cataract surgery it is not a good idea to make an opening because the lens is not scarred enough and we worry about it being dislocated. Most will wait at least 3 months before performing laser. Hope that helps!
@@MicheleLeeMD Thanks for the response. I didn't realize i was asking two questions at the same time. On the other hand can you not try to clean the back of the lens with laser treatment before a lens replacement to see if that has any consequential benefits. Thanks
@@EdwardAmesCastellano That's another great question. The way we "clean up" scar tissue is cutting it out with a laser, and doing that before cataract surgery would be very dangerous. During eye surgery, we try to polish the back of the bag but that scar tissue can still form. Hope that helps!
Hi there, I can certainly address eye drops for cataracts. The short answer is that we do not have an eye drop that is known to completely cure or prevent cataracts. There are some interesting chemicals that show promise but it may take a while before we have more data. Most of the data out that "prove" that eye drops work for cataracts there are sponsored by the companies that produce these chemicals, are case reports or low-powered studies, or are basic science experiements performed on animals. I'm hopeful that we will have something soon!
I had cataract surgery a week ago and doctor is not happy with placement of lens and would like to redo. I have a slight positive glare on inside of eye. Should I let him redo this surgery or is it too risky?
Dr.Lee I'm an ophthalmologist too doing volume surgeries.Cataract surgery is life changing & if some one dev cataract there's no other options except surgery & as a surgeon with known complications we do it right.
Dr Lee, Thank you for being very honest for telling all the side effects that may incurred from the cataract surgery that most other doctors won't tell. I had my left eye done 5 years ago and have developed many problems ever since including both negative and positive dysphotopsia, the eye floaters, secondary-cataract and severe dry eye. I wished the doctor who did the surgery for me had told me what could possibly happen after the surgery.
Hi Bonnie, I'm so sorry that you have experienced side effects from your cataract surgery. While the dysphotopsias and floaters typically settle down but may not completely disappear (at least I hope you can get used to it!) ,the secondary cataracts and dry eye might be treated. Have you discussed these issues with your eye doctor? Thanks for sharing your experience, and I hope you get relief soon!
Thanks for your question! If your cataracts are affecting your vision and/or quality of life enough, then it would be worth it to pursue cataract surgery knowing there may be some risks and side effectsi. It is all about weighing pros and cons.
@@elizabethwestlake8896 Also somewhat dangerous if one is still driving, and working with horses as I do 🤗 I know far more people who have had no serious after effect than ones who did.
Since my cataract surgery I can not drive a car in the evening when is dark. Reflections of light are huge and obstruct my view. I do have floats as well. When I saw a doctor 2 months ago he told me that as soon as I see flash lights to go to emergency room. I have not been warned about side effects before surgery. I had a cataract surgery in 2015 and I have been using eye drops for dry eyes since then. In addition my eyes are always reddish.
Thanks for sharing your experience after cataract surgery. I'm so sorry to hear about your dry eyes, floaters, and red eyes - have you asked your eye doctor if you would benefit from a prescription-strength treatment for dry eyes? I hope things get better for you!
Thank you, Dr. Lee. I had cataract surgery in both eyes about a year and a-half ago and have done well overall. I experienced one painless incidence of what I found online to be called "kaleidoscope migraine" which seemed to be triggered by looking at a bright computer screen with first a bright, bright light in my vision, both eyes, then a series of moving colors. That lasted for what seemed like a long time, close to an hour. I told my ophthalmologist but he didn't comment one way or the other. I never experienced that before surgery and have not since that one time.
I am a surgical tech who assists with mainly cataract surgery. When I started at the surgery center I'm at now, I was taking a step down from doing really major, "life changing" surgeries and thought cataracts were so minor and not a big deal compared to what I'm used to. Until we did surgery on a patient with the whitest cataract ever. The results were immediate for her once we turned the OR lights back on, she started reading our whiteboard and was astonished that she could see it. She started to get emotional right there in the OR with us, and I felt myself tear up. It was the coolest moment ever, and it gave me a much deeper appreciation for what I do.
Thanks for sharing your experience as a surgical tech!!!
Yes I teared up after getting my left eye done on May 3rd. When I drove away from my eye doctor's office and saw everything so clear. It was a great moment for me.. ❤
@@lisatownsend3513 p 5:38
Aawww! God bless her.
@@florencevaneltsi8294I also had an appointment but I canceled after watching a few videos and the negative comments..heartbreaking. Do a little more research on the bad affects. God bless you
Do you see her complete honesty? THIS is the type of doctor you want working on you! Awesome video! I appreciate doctors like you!
I appreciate your kind words :)
I agree, and though not every patient will accept truth and reality as well as we do, I agree, this is the sort of doctor I want.
@@MicheleLeeMD Youre are very welcome. Youve earned it. I really appreciate a Physician who is possesses honesty integrity.
I had Cataract Surgery 2 years ago and my Opthmoligist never explained any of these before either of my Cataract Surgeries!
My vision is 100% perfect now.
Very few Floaters now, had quite a few before Surgery.
No Flashes now, had constant Flashes before Surgery.
No more Glasses EXCEPT for very small news print.
I tend to have the opposite of DRY Eye's!
Tears in the outside edge of both eyes, not excessive.
My Opthomopoligist said this is not serious.
100% agree! My doctor is highly experienced and everything went great with the surgery--- but--- ahead of time he told me NONE of this.... only handed me a 4 page printed brochure (that looks like it was printed years ago). I "dared" to ask a couple of questions because I was very nervous and he simply looked at me and said "well, if you want to see better you'll do it- your choice". I was so intimidated that I just said "OK". I'm not sorry I had it, both eyes, but I do wish I had known more what to expect- the first few days (especially inbetween surgeries) were pure misery. I appreciate you Dr Lee for helping so many people!
My mother had cataract surgery in her mid-70s. After the surgery she said she'd wished she'd never had it done because it changed her color perception. I asked her for specific examples and she said, well, the color of the spread and curtains she put in the guest bedroom - they now looked like this pukey teal color instead of the hunter's green she had chosen.
"Mom", I told her, "They ARE a pukey teal color. You are finally seeing colors as they actually are". She was HORRIFIED as she looked around her house. The upshot was having to correct her unintentional color mistakes through the entire house. 😄
That’s so funny! And a good result, once she knew.
I'm afraid I'm going to look into the mirror and see all the wrinkles that my cataracts had blurred into a pleasant presentation. 😨
😂I'm laughing because I was the same! Every color was different than what I had thought- for I guess all the years I had cataracts. As you said- the upside was getting to get some new things♥
Yes colour is incredible I didn't realise how dull everything was..it was hard to watch TV for a few days as it was so sharp..I'm 57 and had nt notice how bad it was getting till a year ago ..I still need reading glasses for small stuff but my long distance not thinking shadows were holes or vise versa..is amazing
😂😂😂❤
I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago, when I was 71, and I was completely satisfied with the outcome. I have worn glasses since I was 9 years old, and was terribly nearsighted with astigmatism. It's like a miracle to see clearly without glasses for the first time in 60 years. I had no idea the cataracts were obscuring my vision so much. Colors are brighter now too. I had the YAG laser surgery about a month ago, which resolved the secondary effects I was experiencing. I did experience a lot of floaters, but they gradually diminished. It's a lot to go through, and you need to make sure you've considered all the possible side effects, but overall, I'm 100% satisfied.
Thanks for sharing your experience ❤
I read some stories like yours, and also lots of comments from people saying "I wish I'd had it done years ago", so I did have it done "years ago", a few weeks ago! Both eyes at 62.
Loving the brighter colors and the distance vision. I already had quite a few floaters; if anything, fewer after surgery.
you must have been able to buy the "good" name brand lens.
I had the surgery when I was72. I am very pleased with the outcome.
Whew. Wonderful to hear your excellent results. Am 85, having surgery soon.
Thank you, Dr Lee, for your honesty. I had surgery 14 years ago on 1 eye for a cataract. The Dr installed a B&L Crystal Lens HD Multifocal lens. I have had almost everything possible go wrong, including retinal detachment. My retina was restored repairing 18 tears in it. I also now have a band wrapped around my eye to reshape my eyeball. I tell anyone who asks me about my surgery, to never, under any circumstances, allow someone to talk you into a multifocal lens. They all have glare issues, and have more problems than they are worth. Keep all multifocal devices on the outside of your eyeball.
Yeah they tore the lens capsule and dropped the old lens in the back of my eye. I spent 5 days in hospital before they could get it out. I could not have even sedation as my heart rate dropped to 30 during my prior surgery. So all done local anaesthetic, they took out the vitreous humour and replaced with I don’t know what. After I got out of hospital things went badly and I got an infection. It’s all settled now and I love that I can read and write and oh the colours. So vibrant. It was worth all the suffering. My other eye cataract surgery done first, was uncomplicated in my opinion but I then found out I had macula degeneration. I have regular shots into the vitreous humour (back of eye) for that. I am so grateful for my surgeons for what they did and I’ve even forgiven the one who dropped the lens into the back of my eye. I know it was an accident. It is truly a miracle to be able to see again, the colours… It just blows my mind. No one can understand unless you’ve had your eyes fixed. I was legally blind before my surgeries. I would go through it all again in a heartbeat. So if you are thinking about having cataract surgery go ahead, what happened to me was rare. They are not likely to drop your lens in the back of your eye. I just want to say I didn’t move. It wasn’t my fault. Regards from Australia
Thanks for sharing your long but positive experience with eye surgery! I'm so glad you are seeing better ♥
❤
Hi,.. did you have near sight?
Also.. did you have astigmatism?... im 62.
I also have small cataracts.
Thanks for motivation...
and reply. Cheers
@@klanderkal yes near sight. I was legal blind. It was mind blowing to see colour you will go Look! Everyone takes leaves for granted and other stuff like clouds and the sky, even tree trunks…it’s wonderful when you see how truly magnificent the world is
@ksanurse thank you. I'm glad for your happiness.
I'm afraid because I have near sighted and Astigmatism.
And im too old for Lazic.
But... I can get laser cataract surgery..
I was so fortunate to have Dr. Lee do my cataract surgeries when she was at University of Washington. She is a brilliant surgeon! So knowledgeable and kind!
Hi, and thank you for your kind words! I'm so glad to have met you and honored to have performed your surgery ❤
I wish I had her as my doctor. I had my left eye done yesterday. My doctor did a good job, as far as I can tell at this point, but as far as being personable or explaining anything, he sucks. Also, I had an IV sedative. Had I known this was not necessary, with respectful, open communication from the clinic, I wouldn't have had it done. I don't do drugs unless absolutely necessary. Normally only an occasional aspirin. So I won't be having any sedation with the right eye next month. Doctors and other health care givers need to give their patients the courtesy of full, open, simple -language honest communication.
@@philomath67 I had teeth drop out at 80 and chose implants, 3. It was expensive, but I saved a little by NOT have IV sedative. But, I wasn't told I had the option, I asked.
There was no pain, so why IV sedatives at all? More money for the dentist.
thank you for being honest, rare these days. They use eye drops to dissolve cataracts away in dogs with little side effects at all. It can't be too much of a stretch to do this for people. BUT like always cures are wanted or looked for from big pharma or the medical profession. $$$$$$$$$$$$ not your health or quality of life.
You should shut up...not all is money
What is it they use for dogs?
Helpful.
I have a older dog going through this at present. Which brand did you use please?
@@lindacrawley7255I think in eye drops for dogs the active ingredient is "N-Acetyl L-carnosine". Both the "Can-C" and "OcluMed" brands of eye drops for humans have this ingredient. Some people find these "NAC/L-Carnosine" drops irritating, because the N-Acetyl component is a "carrier" designed to penetrate the eye, so the L-carnosine can get into the eye and break up the cataract. Humans can tolerate the N-acetyl component at about 3% in solution. Idk much about the NAC/L-carnosine drops for dogs, but my guess is that dogs can tolerate higher concentrations of the N-acetyl component. Maybe that's why these NAC/L-carnosine drops are used more effectively on dogs?
Note the difference between NAC/L-carnosine, as opposed to another dietary supplement for humans called by a similar name- "N-acetyl Cystine". That supplement also begins with "N-acetyl" but it's followed by "Cystine", rather than "L-carnosine". Two different things! The drops for cataract therapy are the ones with "L-carnosine" in them.
There's also a NAC/L-carnosine dietary supplement for humans, available in pill form. Don't know if it works.
I shouldn’t have watched this. I think I will put off cataract surgery until I’m blind.
Lol
You need to go ahead. You won’t regret it!
I feel the same way.
Yeah now I’m scared Now too. 👁️
That's hilarious!
I just had cataract surgery about a month ago. I did notice that the eye with the new lens doesn't open as wide as before. Now I know what this is. Thank you!
How is your eye now? Does it open as wide as the other eye? I had retina surgery and my eye didn’t open as wide either. I’d say it’s about 90% there and this is 3 years later now. So not sure I’ll ever get to 100% the same. What about you?
I had cataract surgery on my left eye on May 1st and my right eye on May 31st. Both eyes are doing fine and I'm so happy right now. I struggled for a year not being able to see. I follow my doctors instructions on my eye drops.. 👍 I'm 54 years old and are having no problems. I consider my eye doctor my hero. She brought back my eye sight.. ❤
Thanks for sharing ❤️
Wow, happy for you.
I'm considering 🤔
I have small cataracts in both
Also... I now have near sighted -2.75 and was told astigmatism 😮 Did you have this eyesight Also?... Thanks
Thank you for this. I had cataract surgery 10 months ago and still experience almost all of these symptoms. I would have appreciated knowing this before my surgery.
Thank you for sharing. I hope things got better for you!
It took almost 2 years for the Ptosis in my eye to return to 90% normal as far as opening as much as my other eye. Still not 100% 3 years after my retina surgery. What about your eye now?
I’m 65 and had cataract surgery on both eyes last year. I’ve been sorry ever since. After being very nearsighted all my life I’m now extremely farsighted and have virtually no close vision. I can’t do anything without readers, not even cook. Plus I have separate glasses for my computer at work that take care of my mid distance, readers don’t work for that. Had a partial detachment in my right eye which caused severe floaters. Still have fluttering lights on the edge of that eye. My left eye got extreme dryness and discomfort and my surgeon did the YAG laser on that eye which caused me to now have poor night vision with halos around all lights, so I can barely drive at night as any light blinds me. Overall it’s been a very depressing experience and I wish I had never had the surgeries. 😢 Wish I had found this honest doctor beforehand. Thank you for letting me vent my frustration.
😮wow,.. im bumming for you.!! I have recently become near sighted. - 2.75. And Astigmatism 😢 told Also i have small cataracts in both. everything is blurry. I'm 62. I'm wondering
Choose the right doctor and please other doctor's opinion maybe the lens inside ur eyes can be changed there is always a solution ❤ may Allah bless u
@Aichdreamer im not doing so well. I keep having terrible things happen to me. I can't handle all that I lost. Besides my eyesight that went terribly bad on me.....
I lost 4 family members 🙏 and 1 close friend. Un my bad state of mind,.. I messed up badly at my job, because of the anxiety and sleepless stress I made a HUGE foolish mistake.... and I lost my career job of 20yrs. Im so devastated.... I have the worst crippling anxiety, full of fear. I fell into severe depression... and that is the worst illness I've ever had. It's like I lost my soul. My brain shut off. And I can't feel any desires or pleasure in anything. I just stay in the apt... unable to socialize, unable to just live. The Dr. said I had anhedonia., also agoraphobia. I'm so messed up mentally now. I don't know what to do...
I had to cancel all appointments because I can't do anything. It's like being mentally paralyzed....
Thank you for caring. It's like my whole life was destroyed.
@@klanderkalOh my God 😢
@@Ayalasand1 .... I know, .
It's horrifying to be in this horrible debilitating state..,
I been thinking very bad thoughts... and I'm trying to fight them off with fake positivity. I'm told, I need to try harder to stop the ruminating on every that Happened........ how?
😫
OK..i was prepared to have cataract surgery..but now after listening to her..i dont know if i want to...i pray that none of that will happen to me.. im very anxious about the surgery..
You have to do the op. It helps alot rather than the negative impact.
Success with the surgery! It takes only 5-15 minutes max! The laser cataract surgery is most by far the hitech non pain one.
Convinced me to cancel my eye appt. Was looking for hope not complete FEAR!!!!
@terribishop5313 .. every time I search up things... I get discouraged. I'm hesitant.... might cancel my 1st appointment...
@@klanderkal I went ahead and had the cataract surgery on my left eye.. it went pretty smoothly..no pain.. u are awake..they can give u something to calm u down if u want..but I know now that if i didnt have it done.. i would have lost sight in my eye.. im having the right eye done in january of 2025..
@luvlylady55 wow, congratulations 🎊.
I'm happy for you.
I have small cataracts,
Near sighted-2.75
And Astigmatism..
... I haven't made appointment. I don't know if the cataracts surgery would correct all these blurry issues.
I'm very afraid to even get glasses.
I never wore b4.
My life has been down hill after loosing my career job I loved.
Depression has destroyed my mental health,.. and now physical health. Sleep deprivation, stress has made my eyesight go bad.
.... it's not a good place to be for me.
Thank you for replying,.. 🫶👍
Thank you! My elderly dad had his cataracts removed a few months ago. He is very happy. Before the surgery he was buying the brightest lightest lightulbs he could find and would carry a small flashlight with him everywhere. After the surgery he kept commenting on how much brighter everything was, and that colors looked brighter too. I'm so happy for him :)
Thanks for sharing - how wonderful :)
My dry eye got so much worse, its costing a small fortune for drops.
@@vallee3140 I'm so sorry to hear about your dry eye. You should let your provider know about the high cost of drops - there may be other options that are less expensive. Best of luck!
@@MicheleLeeMD thanks but doubt I would get anywhere the UK we have a bad medical system now. I feel so miserable about it.
@@vallee3140 There’s huge upsides in Nationalised Health and downsides and vice versa as in United States Insurance Health system. My wife’s sister is American and I can assure you it’s not exactly a bed of roses there.
I learnt a lot from watching this video. Extremely interesting. And by and large most people seem extremely happy after cataract surgery. Of course there’s always some exceptions.
Cheers NZ.
Thank you very much for the complete information given to everybody for free. You are one of a kind ,special human being. God bless you!❤
Thanks for your kind words ❤️
You are a honest and at the same time good eye doctor ! If I ever don't see you talking I would say you are an American or Ang English woman doctor . Your words are very clear ! Thank you !
Thank you ❤️
When I had cataract surgery I could literally See Clearly immediately after the surgery it was life-changing I'm very thankful I didn't have any side effects
Thanks for sharing!!!
I can’t comprehend seeing “clearly immediately.” That seems impossible…just fantastic!
@@mollypitcher9380 I promise you it's true ! right after surgery still laying on the gurney in recovery ....I started to cry because I could see clearly after the surgery. My family and I went out to breakfast it was amazing. I had to have the cataract surgery because I had a detached retina they had to operate laser the tear and put a gas bubble in that's a long process I know the doctor knows what that's all about that gas bubble clouded the lens which caused me to have a cataract so this was an extensive situation but I can see perfectly and it's a blessing I Thank God 🙏
You are so right. Im two days post op cataract surgery. Wow i can see again. I feel like my surgeon is a hero. I had zero side effects and no inflammation. The Dr was blown away how good my eye looked in his post op visit. Prayers definitely work 🙏
Agree not all catharact surgery have side effects and it all depends whether the doctor is capable or not in performing the surgery.
I am so happy it went well for you I need it done but I just been hesitant about the whole procedure well congratulations to you and your doctor God bless have a great day 🙏❤️😊
@@maryperea4077me too. Am just so freaking scared. One eye is way worse and just want the best dang surgeon and want it perfect and anything short of that well I don’t want….they are my eyes
Does it hurt?? Im scared😢😢
Pray for all ophth surgeons. TKS
Very informative video. I put off cataract surgery for years until I was 72 because I was afraid of all the potential complications. I had both eyes done about 2 weeks apart. The surgery corrected most of my astigmatism and I now need glasses just for reading. I was lucky. No complications other than a secondary cataract in one eye that required the YAG laser treatment. It’s now been six months and no further problems.
Thanks for sharing your experience with cataract surgery :)
Hi, I'm 62. Small cataracts and Astigmatism, with nearsighted-2.75. Everything is so blurry....
I wonder if it would help me too... ?
Thanks for being honest, I am left with lasting dysphotopsia and thick lines in my vision after having surgery six years ago. The cataract is removed, but the jagged lenses do not suit everyone - my sight is worse now. Be aware of any risks involved. ⭐️
Thanks for sharing your experience, and I'm sorry your quality of vision was not good after surgery. I hope things eventually get better for you ♥
hope your sight gets better, mine has been a disaster, it does not help that the doctor has treated me awful on top of dealing with loss of vision.
@@dryan3261 I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with cataract surgery. Thanks for sharing your experience
The descriptions you see online of dysphotopsia don't do it justice! Mine feels like someone went at my cornea with a black marker pen, and the worst part is it moves around based on where I am trying to focus! Not enjoying the result at all!
@@lordlucan529 I'm so sorry to hear about your dysphotopsias. It can be really frustrating! I hope it gets better for you ♥
I had both eyes done about 18 months ago and haven't seen any changes yet. I had some irritation on the day of surgery but it cleared up. I had droopy eyelids before surgery (from contacts) and they haven't gotten worse. In the right light I can see the outline of the lens as a whiteish circle. I no longer have to wear glasses except for close up work. I'm very pleased.
Thanks for sharing ❤️
I wish I had not seen this video. It is scarring me from having my cataract surgery in a couple of weeks.
I didn't mean to scar you! Cataract surgery can be very positive and life-changing. While some people have some issues like dry eye, etc. most do not regret their decision. Best of luck!
Please keep us updated, I see the surgeon in Nov for a post op. I'm scared!
Having worn glasses from age 5 i now see the world clearer than ever. Dance into surgery its wonderful. I never knew the world had such sharp edges and that the color white so beautiful 😍 20/20 + 20/30
I go in tomorrow to see I am scared to now I was looking forward to it
@@tammielarrison3455 My eye doctor told me that the test she did showed my cataract were bigger than what she saw, so I went to a Cataract Specialist and he said my cataracts were to small for surgery and Medicare wouldn't cover it unless they were bigger, he gave me a new prescription for glasses... I'm really glad I didn't need the surgery, because my left eye is partially blind {been like that since I was little} and if something ever happens to my right eye, I would be screwed.
Absolutely life changing, astigmatism reached the point where corrective lenses couldn't improve, left eye at age 80, instant change with Toric implant, right eye at 81, passed DMV test, zero restriction. Use 2.5 readers/prescription for books/e-reader or computer. zero correct for 36" or beyond, color saturation is so much better.
Wow.... im 62.
I have near sighted -2.75. Also astigmatism.....
With both small cataracts.
I'm wondering if it would help me..? Wow
@@klanderkal
@roychin6460 yes... ?
My surgeon didn't spend any time with this info before I had my surgery. If they did it was not done verbally but buried in paperwork. I had significant floaters afterwards which scared the heck out of me. I wish they had spoken to me the way you just did in this video. Thanks for the way you presented this.
I had bilateral cataract surgery in my 50’s. No problems at all during the procedure and post-op recovery. So did my older sister and younger brother. Fortunately, none of us had any I’ll effects. I carry the cards I was issued stating the implants date, type and kind of implant in my wallet. In my late 60’s now and still no issues.
Thanks for sharing :)
Ill effects
@@NoName-zn1sb That’s a result of not reading before texting. I’m aware of the difference …
I had my second cataract surgery a few days ago. My surgeon explained the risks to me before my first cataract surgery a couple months ago. The results of the surgery were amazing! I have not seen this well in over twenty years. I am currently 62 years old.
So happy to hear about your amazing results! Thanks for sharing ❤️
I had the same experience. The change was... Biblical. I do believe my cataract surgeon is one of the happiest people I have ever met. He does cataract surgery exclusively, has done thousands of them (did a few years in the VA) and he said it never gets old seeing how being able to see again effects people.
@@johnswoodgadgets9819 Thanks for sharing!
@@johnswoodgadgets9819 I was nearly blind in one eye so the surgery was life changing for me but I do have very dry eyes now. Also, as a once avid reader I can no longer read for long because my eyes have a hard time focusing together now, especially if I am looking side to side or up and down. I find myself closing one eye after a while, which gets old fast!
@@CharGC123 I only have one eye so I won't have to close one to be comfortable reading. But I do need cataract surgery. If something goes really wrong, I'd need to learn braille. I have to admit, I'm scared.
I got a cataract at 50, It started in the middle of my eye. It looked like I had a cotton ball in my eye. They fixed & I was amazed at just how blind I had been. Then I got the secondary, which they fixed immediately. Although, many people thought I was crazy when I told them.This video was very educational & easy to understand.
I'm a 68 year old female and I've had cataracts for a decade. At my last eye exam a month ago, I was told I was still a long ways off from being considered a candidate for the surgery. After seeing this I'm very grateful I'm not eligible. Thanks so much for the information.
Thanks for your feedback! Hopefully you will be OK without cataract surgery for a while, and when the time comes, I hope your cataract surgery goes smoothly.
@@MicheleLeeMD Thanks. It''s always such a challenge to get ALL the information you need to make an informed decision. I appreciate your honesty.
candid and comprehensive information regarding possible side effects. This Opthalmologist seems to genuinely have the well being of her patients at heart, providing the info they need to make a truly informed decision regarding this procedure and putting it out there on the internet for all to see.
@@catherinehazur7336 I really appreciate your kind words ♥
I am in the UK age 73. Under the NHS i have recently had cataract surgery with monovision. This has cost me nothing and am very pleased with the results. Thanks for your informative video.
Hi, I’m in U.K. and aged 74, I’m glad I saw your post as I was really concerned about having the procedure done after watching this!
@@paulblatchfordplymouthI'm also in the UK. Had cataract operation, on the NHS, in both eyes earlier this year. I'm 64. It's been brilliant - I can now see colours correctly, don't need glasses except for close work (reading, etc). It's life changing. Go for it!
@@simonknights7526 Thanks Simon, you’ve reassured me! I’ll defo go for it now!👍🏻. Glad it has made such a difference for you.
This is a fantastic video, Dr. Lee! I am an ophthalmic technician and agree that when risks and benefits are discussed with patients prior to surgery, these 5 very common side effects are often not mentioned, or mentioned very briefly. I particularly appreciated your explanations of why these side effects might occur, and think patients would, too.
We sometimes spend a lot of time on the back end of surgery (post op visits) explaining these things after the patient has noticed or been bothered by them. An extra 5 minutes to provide this information during the consult would decrease that time on the back end and, more importantly, decrease some of the worry and anxiety patients might feel if they experience any of these side effects.
Thanks for posting this! I'll be using this for technician training, in the future!
I really appreciate your feedback, as well as the hard work you do as an ophthalmic technician!
I agree that we - the team of surgeons, co-managing eye doctors, and ophthalmic techs - end up doing a lot of explaining on the back end. In my practice, I've learned the hard way that setting expectations at the beginning is beneficial for everyone, including the patients and the team. Thanks again ❤
@@MicheleLeeMD 0
I’m having worry and anxiety already and just postponed cataract surgery because my doctor failed to answer my questions regarding color perception after surgery. I’m a professional artist with an MFA, having studied color for fifty years and I’m not prepared to see red as magenta. And no, I don’t see the world through a yellow haze as I do a lot of color matching in my work. Just passed my DMV vision test (without glasses)- distance is fine, but my reading glasses need stronger prescriptions! I read a lot and do a lot of color work, both things which are vital to my existence.
Am getting a second opinion with an eye doctor who is one of my collectors. Any info on the blue/purple/magenta cast after cataract surgery? This is really not acceptable in my line of work.
The cataract is a growth that has a color. I experienced it as a slight brownish stain. I had one eye done at a time so I was able to see the difference before and after surgery on one eye. One eye was different than the other Whites were clearer and brighter after surgery..I was good at color matching before my surgery and am still good at it.
I assume that you have no color blindness, war-painter, so consider your cataract as a yellowish filter that has grown more dense -- more yellow and "dirty" -- over time, making your eye and visual cortex adjust color perception to yield what you had learned to call a "neutral" or normal color balance, thus matching the color perception in your "good" eye. (That's why you don't believe you see through a yellow haze, only a neutral haze. Your visual system has, in effect, interposed a complementary blue-green filter to compensate for the yellow-ish cataract.) When the cataract is suddenly removed, the "cooler" acquired color temperature perception, sans "yellow" filter, temporarily makes for not only a brighter image, but one with a persistent, cooler, blue-green (cyan) hue. Over time, this compensation should normalize itself, and you should see, not "red" or magenta, but with what you consider a normal, or neutral, color balance, and the image will be, once again, so clear that you will wonder how you ever tolerated that cataract for as long as you did. Best wishes!
Thank you for this. I've had cataract surgery in both eyes. And also retina detached in both eyes requiring vitrectomy surgery. As a result I have terrible dry eye syndrome. I also got scared tissue behind one of my new lenses requiring the YAG laser. I wish that more patients considering cataract surgery were made more aware of these possible side effects. Thank you for your honesty and transparency. I'm super happy now with my vision but wow, I had a lot to go through.
Thanks for sharing your experience and I'm glad you are doing well now!
ditto & I required a scleral band on my eye
@@maddscientist3170 yes. Me too on both eyes. I think that's standard practice. Unfortunately it took away my good long distance vision and made me short sighted!
After a lifetime of near-sightedness with astigmatism I had several eye operations. After the first cataract job, I was really freaked out -- I was very, very aware of being awake during the procedure and decided I would not even have the second one. Doc did not appreciate my criticism at the day-after followup visit. I did get the second surgery because he promised to take me more "out of it." Recovery went ok and colors were very vibrant. I had Lasik from the same doctor and did not need glasses for about 5 years, but the whole time I needed a magnifying glass to read a newspaper, magazine or a book. Had 2 YAG procedures in there somewhere, too.
Then I had both vitreous sacs collapse about 6 months apart. I was warned to be aware that retinas may detach after the vitreous collapses.
Within a few years I did have both retinas detach. First surgeon was really, really good at explaining what was going to happen before, and then very helpful after the surgery. Second time I wanted the same surgeon but it wasn't his turn in the rotation. This second surgeon was not as good. He explained things in somewhat broken English, even ignoring some of my questions. I asked him about seeing stuff in my periferal vision afterward and he told me to pay no attention to it. After 5 weeks I was still having pain in the outboard corner of the eye and he put off telling me to come in. I finally insisted that I be seen, and guess what? He needed to remove a stitch from my eye -- the source of the extreme irritation.
So glad that Costco sells 5-packs of artificial tears that help with extreme dry eye, I have those little green bottles all over the house. If I read a book it takes about a year to finish it due to dry eye. I stopped driving at night about 6 years ago, and actually stopped all highway driving about 2 years ago. (I'm 71 now.) Now I wear no-line bifocals again, and they need to be updated almost every year, just like before all the surgeries, but it's a much lighter prescription than before Lasik surgery.
That's it; I got a little verbose there.
@@jac3054 I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with cataract surgery. I'm glad everything is OK at the end ❤
Questions you see I have problem in my eyes. I start seeing clusters of eggs frogs in my right eyes 👀 but tiny tiny…when I look up down side fallows. Need help. Thanks…I did not surgery just need your advice
It's hard to say without examining your eyes. I highly recommend you see an eye doctor at your earliest convenience to make sure there is nothing concerning. Best of luck!
Life changing is exactly the word I would use. I remember my mum saying that her results were instant and I couldn't imagine that they wouldn't be blurry for a few days at least. When they wheeled me to recovery...I could see all around me! I could read posters on the walls and see clear faces - it was like I got new eyes. Because this was late 2020 and the situation the world was in, they wanted to do both eyes at the same time. Risky, yes but they just wanted people in and out as quickly and as few times as possible. I'm just so glad it worked well for me. I do still wear glasses because I feel funny without them but they're mostly glass, just a reading lens in the bottom.
Thanks for sharing your positive experience with cataract surgery!
Hi, did you have near sight? Also,.. did you have astigmatism?
... I have both, also small cataracts... I wonder if cataract laser surgery would correct my eyes. Everything is so blurry now
I developed a cataract after vitrectomy and laser treatment for a detached retina. This detachment was due to walking into a low hanging tree branch while distracted walking the dog. The cataract developed over a period of a couple of years after the initial treatment. The cataract surgery resulted in immediate clear vision and after rigorously following the eye drop routine for a fortnight, no problems were experienced. A couple of years later I needed some further laser treatment to clear away some cell regrowth over the replacement lens. Since then, no problems at all. All operations carry the risk of some side effects, but cataract surgery is one of the most common operations carried out and the benefits certainly outweigh the risks provided you follow the follow up care guidelines.
I agree that it is all about weighing out the risks and benefits. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I was totally blown away with the clarity after the surgery! I was living in a fog, and I mean fog every day for two years. After the surgery the next day, I looked in the mirror, and I began to cry. I could see myself again, I could see color again, I could see the grass blades on my lawn again, no more seeing blobs, I could now see details. I threw my glasses away and will never take my site for granted again. It’s been one year and I am still amazed at the results!
The only side effects I experienced was my eyes always seem to be tired even till this day. My eyelids are not droopy, but they seem tired 80% of the time. But I don’t mind, if I did not get the surgery, I would be legally blind by now. I now have 2020 vision without glasses! I was once blind but now I see!!!
Isn't cataract surgery amazing? So happy for you!!!
I am.due to have mine done brefore it gets worse
@@jeanmerron1918 I wish you well… everything will work out!
@@jeanmerron1918 Best of luck! I hope everything goes well ❤
My eyes are tired all time i blame it on my mobile staring into it how do you go on with your mobile
Thank you. I was afraid at first, but I left optimistic.
Best of luck!
@@MicheleLeeMD I had one eye done five years ago and it was amazing. I could not afford the other eye until now (when I raised the money, Covid hit and cataract surgery was deemed "elective" so it was forbidden for a while, and my money shank in that era. I met a girl who worked for an ophthalmologist. I pretended not to know about cataracts, and she told me horror stories of complications and even blindness, which discouraged me. I thought your video was going to be like that, but I am ready for the second eye.
@@BillZebubproductions There are always risks of complications in any surgery, even cataract surgery and risks of side effects. That being said, most of the time the surgery goes well and the side effects are manageable. It is all about weighing pros and cons!
Best of luck with your 2nd eye :)
I needed you last summer. You know how many complications I was warned about?? Zero. I was told I would have no pain. Flat lie, both surgeries. I was told that I needed surgery but was not presented with any options at all for type of surgery. The results were good, surgeon had terrific technical skills but the eye surgery experience was so painful and dreadful, nobody is EVER touching my eyes again without a general anesthesia. You're already better than my surgeon because you admit the possibility of complications. I'm glad for your patients.
As a now retired Ophthalmic Sonographer for over 40 years, I have performed hundreds and hundreds of pre-cataract surgery B-scans to look for lesions, vitreoretinal adhesions, and any underlying hidden issues. One thing I noticed too, is postop complaints of floaters. In my personal experience I knew that many of these were there prior to surgery and I assumed the cataract minimized the patient's perception of the shadows they see. So, with the various doctors' approval, I would be permitted to tell the patients that they have lots of them and likely will see them after their surgery when their vision improves. Also I remind them, and any myopic folks how to recognize a flash of light "when no lights are on" and to seek advice from an MD ophthalmologist for inspection of that in case a retinal tear is developing. I appreciate your clear descriptions of the entire process, pre and post surgery. Thank you. If you have access to a high quality B-scan in your clinic, you should be able to detect the floaters with high gain and direct the eye movements of the patient to see the quantity and how they are dispersed within the liquifying vitreous. With training and proper exam technique, B-scan ultrasonography can detect very peripheral retinal tears or traction in advance which of course helps you to know before surgery the possible problems that may appear later. I have found a mm (code to not scare others) preop, along with macular edema and of course, lots of disk drusen. I showed patients movie clips of their floaters dancing around inside their eye. Hope that helped them to not blame the surgeon for the appearance of floaters if they were already prevalent before. Even with scleral depression, it can be hard to detect peripheral tears. My theory on that (since I have found many when even a retina doctor couldn't find them) is that the act of scleral depression will cause sufficient indentation of the globe to literally close the tear to the surgeon's view, even if they can see around the lens opacities. And for choosing a lens power lifestyle is important. Friends' elderly relatives complain that they are corrected to distance vision yet they really need close vision to exist at home most of the time. When it is my time, as a life long myope who loves their near vision, I would have a miserable lifestyle if I had to find a pair of readers just to see my fingernails, for example. Mine happen to be NS with a little anterior capsule opacification. I am almost 70 for age perspective and started my career in 1980.
Thank you for sharing your perspective as an ophthalmic sonographer ❤
@@MicheleLeeMD You are most welcome, and thank you for teaching me why it would be best to postpone my bleph surgery. Besides, I went to the clinic of an oculoplastic surgeon and not one person in clinic or waiting room were masked last summer. With my serious health issues I had to walk out. First time I was a no-show for an MD appt. Not worth the risk to me. PS - I am a fan of fixed focus IOLs, especially for seniors. Worked with 3M way way back with their first one with concentric circles of power with mixed results. And the first silicone IOLs that really affected any postop biometry when figuring out an expected outcome. I coauthored the article about it with Dr Milauskas (spelling?) in Palm Springs in the 80s. After finally figuring out the cause being a different velocity of sound in silicone, I made sure there was a new pseudophakic mode on the system I helped design. Later added another mode for when silicone oil was used to replace the vitreous. I worked with many AIDs patients in SF in the 90s with oil and others with a gancyclovir implant.
I am a very happy wearer of eyeglasses. Saw my first leaf on a tree or bird in the sky in 6th grade when it was discovered I was myopic. I will never forget that day walking home from my ophthalmologist's office.
You are very articulate and so good at teaching. Glad your patients have you as their doctor.
@@CJ-bu8mh I really appreciate your kind words ♥
Can you please give us a video on how to PREVENT cataracts?
Thanks for your suggestion. I did make a video about this: ruclips.net/video/TGC40ebtqJ0/видео.html
Hope that helps!
I also have Fuch's Dystrophy so when I had my cataract surgery, it was not the spectacular improvement others have had. But the thing I miss the most was the loss of my "super close up vision" when I removed my glasses (-8.5 or so) prior to the surgery. I should have never let the ophthalmologist talk me into going for distance vision. I was told that if I ever needed a corneal transplant, I would fare better with the distance lenses. However, the ability to whip off my glasses and get an in-focus look at something a few inches from my eyes was enormously helpful in my work. I miss that every day!
Having great near vision can be a blessing and I’m sorry you ended up losing that. I sincerely hope that you overall had some benefit to your surgery and that everything works out ❤️
@@MicheleLeeMD My ability to see anything close up which I had before is gone!
@@barbaraschuld8206 That must be so frustrating - I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your near vision.
@@barbaraschuld8206 That's what I worry about. Right now I can see up close and my doctor told me after surgery I will need glasses for close up work. Of course my main concern is reading the DMV eye chart.
Yes, same here. I really miss my great up close vision. For a while I considered having surgery to correct one eye for distance & the other for up close vision but I wasn’t sure if I could get used to that.
I was ready to call for an appointment to see what I had to do about surgery. After watching this I am scared to death about the post surgery. Thank you for telling the truth.
Cataract surgery can be truly life-changing! As with any surgery there are some risks and potential side effects, so it is always a good idea to weigh them before proceeding. I hope that when you are ready you have a positive experience with cataract surgery!
"After watching this I am scared to death about the post surgery...."
==
Me too, the result could be worse than before.
@@MicheleLeeMD I have a friend that is soon having cataract surgery. I won't tell her about this video, it would serve no useful purpose. She has to have it or go blind, why scare her on top of that? I can think of no compassionate reason.
Pamela Rennia, I have a post surgery in Nov 2022, and I'm not gonna lie I'm scared {I have one eye that's partially blind} and now watching this video I'm really scared!
@@febeleven It does sound reminiscent of Russian Roulette, doesn't it.
Dr. Lee, I was a patient of yours when you were starting out in Chandler. I was surprised to see your videos and am glad you are still in the area.
A day or so after my cataract surgery, when I looked at a point source of light (say a chandelier bulb or car headlight) I saw a beam of light passing through it
Kind of like a lens flare in a camera. Or if you shone a flashlight through some milky water. It eventually dissipated. Then a week later I woke up seeing a burst of black dots which was followed by floaters. I still have a Weiss Ring floater a year later. People said that it would go away or I wouldn't notice it after awhile. It didn't go away but generally I have managed to not let it bother me too much. I also had the "secondary cataract" but the laser treatment fixed it.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
THANK YOU! This is very scary, but it's what we need to hear. That way we are going into a surgery very informed and don't feel that information was withheld from us.
Thank you!!!fo your Integrity !
Thanks for watching ❤
Ive had nothing but fantastic results since I had both eyes done 2 & a half years ago. It's just brilliant. I dont wear glasses anymore (with the exception of a pair I keep in the car for the 30/40 mins at sun-set, but only if Im driving).
I have one eye set at long distance and one at short. No more craning my neck trying to shift my focus through my tri-focal glasses. My hubby is very jealous, he wears bi-focals and finds doing mechanical work almost impossible. No problems with detached retinas. My ophthalmologist did tell me there was a risk but, I thought & know, it was well worth it for me. My sister has had two detached retinas (a total pain in the arse I have to say) but she had her Cataracs done post detachment & has had no problems since (15 years ago).
It sounds like you have done really well with monovision! Thanks for sharing your positive experience with cataract surgery :)
Fortunate!
Thank you for this 🙏
I'm getting ready for the surgery myself and am so excited! I never imagined at 71 I'd be able to see clearly as its been foggy for so long. I can't even see the TV clearly so yes I'm excited!
My 2nd video from Dr. Lee. TY again for explaining more about the POSSIBLE effects of surgery. I think it gives a patient Knowledge so IF a complication comes up, t he patient will KNOW to tell the Dr.. , Or not to panic if one happens and to have more an idea what is happening. WHAT a great free consultation from Dr. Lee !! LOL I will continue to seek advice from my own Dr. and Dr. Lee as needed. Such a gift ! Thank You !! 😊😊⭐⭐
I had cataract surgery just over 4 years ago, left eye then right eye a month apart. I have had no lasting side effects, other than occasional dry eyes. There was some temporary discomfort for a few weeks after each surgery. I'm certainly pleased with the results.
By the way, my eye surgeon explained the possible complications beforehand. This is also the reason for not doing both eyes together. Had there been serious complications after doing the worst eye, the other one would have still been usable.
Just an additional comment on the level of pain and discomfort during the procedure. Pain pretty much zero. All done under local anaesthetic. No sedation was used, although a cannula was put in the back of my hand and a couple of monitor pads taped on my chest. I presume that this was in case I panicked, or had an adverse reaction to any of the drugs used. Removing the tapes holding these in place was the most painful part of the whole procedure 😆. The overall level of discomfort was about the same as, or less than having a filling done at the dentist.
Hi mam.i hv 32 percent cataract on both eyes. I am lady 66 yrs old. Woman. Recently on scanning doctor suggested retina a to be operated on one eye and cataract on both eyes. Mam without retina surgery csn I only opt for cataract operation. Will I get sone improvement in vidion aftet cataract suregery and retina surgery
Please advise. Thank you
Hi there, it realy depends what is going on with the retina and how much cataract there is. Most likely I would trust the expert opinion of your eye doctor here. If you are having doubts you can always get a second opinion.
Best of luck!!!
I had a "secondary cataract" recently after about ten years. I went to an ophthalmologist for a checkup and he did it on the spot (I hadn't told him about it beforehand). Took a couple of minutes after waiting twenty minutes for the eye dilation drops to take effect.
My wife hated wearing glasses and so had a different lens fitted in each eye, one for long range and one for short, computer screen range, and is really happy. She simulated it with contact lenses for a few weeks before the operation to make sure it would work for her.
Thanks for sharing your experience with cataract surgery!!!
You developed PCO (secondary cataract?), needed YAG laser Rx?
@@bryanshapiro6977 This was in Switzerland and I didn't need a prescription.
I had both eyes done and unfortunately i am left with double vision in my left eye.
I now have from the hospital eye clinic specs with plain glass for both eyes but in the left lenses have 20 prisms attached to it.
Absolutely brilliant in sorting out my double vision but I feel so embarrassed when in company.
I wish I had known all of this before my cataract surgery. I am a couple of years post surgery and have had all of these symptoms. My vision is so much worse now. I wish I had never had the surgery. All you ever hear is that your vision would be Vastly improved. My brother has also had problems and he had a different surgeon. A friend of his had surgery, and is now blind in one eye. Be very careful before you get cataract surgery. Your eyesight is priceless.
Just had the right eye done 4 days ago. Vision in the right eye is much brighter while the left is somewhat yellow. My Dr is good but did not give me any info on what to expect other than my distant vision would improve. Your video brought things into focus, (pun intended) Thanks!
I have had lasik surgery about 18 years ago and my opthamolgist said (about 6 years ago) I have the beginning of cataracts. Went blind in my right eye for a few hours and was not alarmed because I sort of knew it was from REM sleep, which my Ophtomologist confirmed. I was wondering if, since I had lasik if I even could have cataract surgery, if needed, in the future. What do you think?
Yes you can definitely have cataract surgery after LASIK - the surgery itself does not change because of LASIK. The only thing that is a little trickier is figuring out your lens calculations but our formulas are just getting better and better. Hope that helps!
Doctor Lee,thank you for the eye opener of cataract surgery! I'm 70 and start of cataracts ? How far can I wait to go for surgery? Was told that if cataract gets to thick ,that surgery more difficult? I'm having no vision issues as we speak! I don't want to rush into surgery! Thank you for your public service,how many year's of experience, priceless knowledge and procedure,s ! I'm doing my homework before hand!
It really depends on your quantity and quality of vision. You don't want to wait until your cataract is too dense because that will make it a more complex surgery. I highly encourage you to discuss timing with your eye doctor
I actually made a video a couple weeks ago about timing of cataract surgery: ruclips.net/video/PjLMkaBQoHw/видео.html
Hope this helps!
I'm 76, been told that I have cataracts, but am in no rush to have surgery! My family members rarely live past
82, so I'm going to try to hold off till then!
@@rongendron8705 I just published a video about prevention of cataracts: ruclips.net/video/TGC40ebtqJ0/видео.html
Hope that helps!
@@rongendron8705 I am 78 and thinking of the same thing .I love to hold off cause I am also a worrier of complications. seeing a doctor is like meeting a girl friend when I feel too conscious that I am "ugly"
Wow I never knew thee were so many potential complications. Now I’m afraid to schedule the surgery.
Please don't be afraid! Cataract surgery can be amazing & life-changing. Everything has risks but you just have to weigh the risks vs benefits and see if you are ready to go ahead. Best of luck ❤
Dr Lee, It is amazing to me the “strong arm tactics that some eye doctors use to push cataract surgery. 😔😔
@@lsdlrf I'm so sorry that has been your experience. This is your eye so ultimately it should be your decision. Your eye doctor can certainly help you and guide you towards a decision but please don't ever feel forced to make a decision.
Thanks for your feedback. I try to be respectful of my patients' decisions and not pressure them to do surgery unless I feel it is necessary, but your comment will remind me to keep that mentality
♥
Wow! I've always thought you were as good as new after cataract surgery. Now I'm nervous as I have them but they're not ready to remove yet I'm told. I'm only 62 and I already have dry eye. I wish they had a newer procedure with less concerns.
I am having a second thought on having a cataract surgery even before I watched this video and am not really struggling with my cataract right now. Now this video confirms it. And if I can get enough proper diet and supplements to slow down development of cataract and fix my dry eyes which I have even before getting a surgery Then, my guess is only a pair of eye glasses and a sun glass is all I need at this time, as well as lessen my exposure to too much computer.
Why are so many people getting cataracts? Does it have to do with long term vitamin D deficiency?
Cataracts develop due to proteins in the lens breaking down. This happens naturally with age but can be accelerated by UV light, medications, certain medical conditions, genetic conditions, genetics, etc. You are right in that sometimes supplements and vitamins can help prevent cataracts - I am actually releasing a video tomorrow about this so stay tuned!
Hope that (kind of) answers your question. Thanks for your comment!
I really do appreciate your honesty Dr Lee. My husband has cataract surgery scheduled for June and July. While I do really like the honesty, as my husband has recently heard about several acquaintances who have had problems, he already is getting nervous... well slightly. A friend had surgery several years ago, and now wears sunglasses often indoors since everything seems too bright. An acquaintance we both know had surgery on one eye just over a year ago - and the new lens actually "broke" while being put in her eye. She has had 6 "surgeries" (actual surgeries to "invasive treatments" she considers surgeries) on that eye which now sees shadows but nothing really clearly or distinct. At Easter she suddenly had difficulty with her "good" eye and has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, is getting regular shots in the eye, and is also in a study group testing possible new meds. Of course she won't know if she is in the trial or placebo group. I really am not sure if I should send him a link to this clip, or not. Please tell me what you think? @MicheleLeeMD
Hi there, cataract surgery is successful the majority of the time and is a great surgery overall. Your husband should be aware of very common side effects like dry eyes, posterior capsular opacity, and temporary visual phenomena - these are things I tell all my patients at preop so there are no surprises. Otherwise, it is up to you on whether to send him this video.
If you do end up sending him this video, you can also send him this video on the positive benefits of surgery to balance everything out: ruclips.net/video/3OS0lJwuQqw/видео.html
Good luck to you both!
@@MicheleLeeMD Thank you for your time and response!
One additional side note, I had my right lens replaced three years ago and was amazed I could immediately see individual small branches on the trees high on the mountain behind my home. During the follow-up surgery exam, I learned I had better than 20:20 vision, it was actually 20:15. Left eye sight was marginal and was my close-up or "reading" eye, so I declined surgery. But I wasn't aware that one eye that sees distance and one that is a "closeup" eye damages depth perception. Stepping off something or judging uneven ground when hiking is now a challenge. I'm 78.
Thank you for sharing. I'm 33 and have to had cataracts removed in both eyes. I was considering mono-vision (i.e. ine eye for near and the other for far distance) but I'll try to look more into its side-effect.
Have a great day!
Thank you for this reply! I’m 74 and scared to death to have this surgery done. I play harp for church and it’s tough . Some strings just disappear as one eye is great close up ( the worse one) and the other is better distance and I actually fell yesterday outside picking apples. Again as you mentioned depth perception. I hope I can find a Dr that is not running me through like a production line. I’m so happy you have been blessed with great results.
Kind of scared to do the surgery
@@shahidakamal3951 That's normal. I felt the same. Every day now I think how wonderful it is to be able to see so clearly. It's like magic.
I had laser surgery to correct my near sighted vision, all was great then I was seeing double out of left eye one night. That eye can’t be corrected anymore so what I drive with is my right eye but the left eye gets in the way n sometimes I have to close left eye. Having bad vision is the worse thing that can happen to a person.😊
I’m so sorry you are having issues after laser corrective surgery. Thanks for sharing your experience and I hope things get better for you ❤️
@@MicheleLeeMD thanks a lot of your video! I had this surgery 6 months ago and I have not any complication. My docter told my before about.
@@ludmillabahari2098 Thank you for sharing :)
❤
@@TheStaffOfLife I'm so sorry to hear about your issues as well ♥♥
Very good honest statements. I wish all my doctors were honest too, like this one.
Thank you Doctor for this information. Would have helped to be told this before I had my cataract surgery. Many surgeries after that. Including a detached retina. I have subscribed and I will try to educate myself further as my left eye now is clouding over. The surgeon came highly recommended but like you said he didn't share much information with me.
Wish this surgery would give me back my sight … but it won’t I have wet macular degeneration . I get eylea injections every 8 weeks …
I'm so sorry about your macular degeneration. Unfortunately cataract surgery will not help regain any sight lost from macular degeneration but one day your doctor may recommend it if your cataract is bad enough to optimize your vision and to help your retinal specialist see into your eye to continue treatments. Best of luck ♥
Thank you very much Dr. Lee You are correct about not being told any of this information by several ophthalmologist. I put off having cataract surgery when I found out I have a 95% chance of having EDS I have all the markers we're supposed to be tested but Stanford decline that said it won't give a real definitive answer. My research made me decide I had to put it off till I could get to some place where somebody understood And could handle This problem caused by the EDS.EDS has many types and that ocular problems can occur during cataracts surgery. Then I had an accident something else so I've been on a total standstill but thank you, thank you knowing this additional information makes me realize I really want to try these nutritional supplements that I hear are creating miracles and if you have an insight on whether that would be true or not please do another video that the nutrients don't really aid that much in repair of cataracts if that is the case. Thanks again. Knowledge is power. I can't play a good hand if I don't see all my cards.
Thanks for your comment. It’s always good to be cautious when it comes to surgery or procedures. I will actually release a video about how to slow cataract progression on Saturday (including supplements) so stay tuned!
Thank you so much Dr lee for information. I am always having 2nd thought about surgery. I am afraid.
Hi there, cataract surgery can be amazing and life-changing! If you are struggling with your vision, definitely talk to your eye doctor/surgeon about whether it is time to do surgery and whether the risks are outweighed by benefits. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
Yes, it would have been nice to have known about some of these things prior to my surgery. Even though it's now nearly four months after my surgery, leaning of this helps.
I waited 8 years for this surgery and had such high hoped for finally being able to see clearly.
Sadly, my eyesight post surgery is far worse than it was prior to the surgery. Before, I had 6 pairs of eyeglasses: bifocal day-to-day, back-up day-to-day, bifocal sunglasses, single vision reading/laptop (18"), single vision desktop computer (30"), and bifocal laptop/TV (18" and 8'). Post surgery, it looks like I can get away with only 5 pairs of eyeglasses but he jury is still out.
I have health care insurance but even so, my out if pocket costs AFTER insurance was about $7,000!
I can see reasonably well to read and on the laptop; my distance vision is not very good at all; and my mid range is pretty bad. That is, I need to stare at the ground as I walk because I cannot clearly see in front of me; I cannot clearly see reflections in a mirror; I cannot clearly see the dashboard on the car; I cannot clearly see/read labels on the shelves in bookstores or grocery stores.
I have a LOT of floaters. Around he edges I have fluttering flash. My eyes often feel as if they are bulging. And the dry eye syndrome is prevalent.
I really don't know if I would have gone through all of this had I known what the results would be. I doubt it.
I am the anomaly--NOT the typical result. I knew the risks and took them. I gambled and I lost. And now I move on.
Don, I'm 65 years old and have suffered with dry eyes for decades. My Ophthalmologist has said I'm at the early stage of cataracts. I have the floaters and parts of my vision appear smudged in some areas. I was a road warrior in my job but today don't like to drive at night much anymore. I was anxious to maybe have cataract surgery, but all these side effects makes me want to pause until I just cannot see well and I have no choice.
you were not given proper informed consent it sounds like. Get that doctors licensed revoked. Whoever it it is over paid and needs a cashier job at walmart.
Jaskra zabrała mi nagle lewe oko, obecnie wchodzi zaćma,mój profesor nie pozwala mi się operować,bo mogę stracić wzrok,inni profesorowie podobnie Za to prywatnie mam już 3 skierowania i się boję.Wsxyscy, których znam ,po operacji mieli zaćmę wtórną lub gorzej.Profesor kazał mi operować się .za granicą,nie w Polsce i napewno nie w mieście gdzie mieszkam.Teraz dowiaduję,że i za granicą nie wszystko się udaje,poczekam,narazie biorę różne krople i tabletki,w tym can c z USA, trudno u nas dostać,ale jakoś działają.
I'm a golfer who can no longer see the ball out past about 150 yards. I've got a consult in a couple of weeks for the surgery. I can't wait to get the surgery completed and hopefully get most of my vision back. I've watched a couple of Dr. Lee's cataract videos and they are very helpful in learning what to expect.
I had cataract surgery 2 years ago. I had zero problems at all. I wish I had taken time to think about whether I wanted near vision or far vision though. I opted for far, but as a medical transcriptionist, I really should have decided on near vision which is what I had prior to the procedure.
I'm glad you had a smooth procedure and recovery - that is honestly the most important thing! It's hard to know what you need sometimes. Have you discussed wearing contact lenses for near with your eye doctor? If you really enjoy having near vision and do not mind glasses for distance, and you have successfully trialed this with contact lenses, you can ask your doctor whether refractive surgery like LASIK or PRK would be an option for you. Hope this helps, and best of luck!
I need the near vision for my job and all my hobbies, but I chose the far vision lenses so I could drive more safely. I was pretty much blind in my right eye, and it happened very quickly.
I've always been far sighted, so I've been wearing glasses for over forty years for my up-close work and reading. I really don't regret my choice since I'm so comfortable with wearing glasses. I tried contacts, but they made me absolutely miserable.
If you're fine don't mess around with your eyes. Some glasses make you pretty and look intellectual. :)
I have mono vision. One eye near and one far. No problems worth reporting.
@@Keep-on-ok Thanks for sharing :)
I appreciate seeing this video. Gave it a thumbs up. My husband will have surgery in the future and his eyes are already dry. Will he likely experience extra dry eyes?
Most likely it will be temporarily worse - but most of the time the dry eye goes back to where it was prior to surgery after a few months. Best of luck on his upcoming surgery!
Do you have any recommendations for preventing cataracts?
That's a great question. I'll actually be filming a video about it to come out in a week or two. Short answer is that you can take care of your body and eyes by wearing sunglasses, staying healthy, and eating well (lots of vitamins, green leafy veggies). Stay tuned!
@@MicheleLeeMD okay thank you. That's pretty much what others say.
I had cataract surgery of the left eye on 28th Nov. 2005 at the age of 57 years and was quite okay after that for 13 years. However, in January this year my vision of this operated eye became double. I immediately consulted an ophthalmologist, who after examining my eye told me that the IOL has gone decentred and that I shall have to undergo surgery again for replacement of the decentred IOL with a new one or if the retina has not ruptured then the decenteted IOL can be centred by laser surgery. Anyway, the Retina Surgeon performed replacement of lens surgery as also laser surgery on 29th. Jan., 2024. After surgery, the vision is okay, but the eye gets inflammation for which I have been prescribed steroid eye drops, first time for a certain period after surgery and the second time (a lighter one) about one and a half months ago, which I am administering alongwith another eye drops for keeping both eyes moist.
I am sending this lengthy message to you to kindly prescribe, if you can, an effective eye drops for correcting the said condition of my said eye. I shall be very grateful to you.
I had cataract surgery quite a few years back (2012) and it’s been nothing but problems ever since. Before surgery I had really bad vision which required thick lensed glasses. Cataract surgery was an option I was given as I didn’t qualify for lasik. And since I play a lot of sports, the idea of no more glasses or contacts was very appealing. Everything was great for a few months even though looking at a computer screen or night driving was difficult. The lenses that were placed in my eyes made things with artificial light looked starred. Then the infections started and the severe dry eye. I can’t go anywhere without eye drops and prescription medication for constant inflammation in my eyes. Needless to say I’m back to wearing glasses due to all this and I honestly wish I had never had the surgery.
I had cataract surgery on both of my eyes three years ago. I ended up having to have the YAG laser surgery on both of my eyes months after the initial surgeries. My vision is worse than before my Cataract surgeries. 😢 If I could go back, I would not have had the surgeries.
I'm sorry to hear about your experiences. Best wishes for good results with your laser procedures!
@@MicheleLeeMD Thank you! I still count my blessings that I can still see, even if it’s not as well as it used to be.
I have the same problem after the surgery, I wish I didn’t have the surgery, but just count the blessings that at least I am not blind, still continue to find a away to sole my side effects from the surgery!
Don't be
I've it when they say no glasses necessary after cataract surgery. It's been 2 yes without good vision and more problems that I had before. Paid 1k each best new lenses. If the Dr had told me any of the downsides to all this, I would have bought the normal lenses and get stronger glasses. Had Yag also and still have blurry double vision
I had strange vision after the surgery and my experience was so negative I have developed medical trauma. The VA did the procedure and they tore the tape off my face and gave my cheeks small red veins from the force of it. Not only did they do a bad job, they caused damage to the skin on my cheeks & I feel very self-conscious about it. When I had explained my problems like the dark Circular shadows on the sides & other problems, they just said I was the 1 out of a thousand, that have problems. It's been 2 years and I still fear going to the doctor. I filed a claim and complaint but haven't heard back and don't expect to. They're very negligent.
Increased risk of retina detachment after cataract surgery is not understood by cataract surgery patients. I had a detached retina in both eyes after cataract surgery. The reattachment surgery is extremely painful and recover time is 1 to 3 months.
I'm so sorry to hear about your retinal detachments and your difficult recovery ❤
I had cataract surgery because 12 months before I had a Pvd and then two days after I was diagnosed with a detached retina. Couldn't drive for 5 weeks, and had poor vision in the affected eye till the cataract was done. Then last year I noticed vision getting blurry again and had a YAG operation and vision now crystal clear.
@@keithhobbs1 Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm so sorry to hear about your detached retina, and I'm glad to hear that your vision is clear!
You can also suffer from deteriorating macular degeneration 😢😢😢
Unfortunately that is true :(
Very helpful, thank you.
Had cataract surgeries in 2004-5. Omg! What a difference in sight. I do get the halos at night, & i have floaters, but all in all, id highly recommend it. Just remember to be faithful about applying the drops they give you.
Hi Dr Lee, thank u for sharing this informative information.just a quick question, I had a lasik surgery in 2010. My vision gotten worse again after after 2017. I started to use glasses since 2020. My left eye is -1.50 and the right eyes-2.00 again.am I able to do the lasik operation again? Please let me know.Thank you 🙏.
Without knowing more information, I could not tell you what the next steps would be. Usually we don't repeat LASIK many years later since lifting the flap may result in flap complications and make things worse. If you have enough cataract you can consider cataract surgery; please talk to your eye doctor about your options. Hope this helps!
Thank u very much Dr Lee.Yes I'll consult.
It's very helpful information especially I'm planning on have Cataract surgery next year ! It's also scary to hear all of the side affect after surgery !
I appreciate your feedback! I made this video for people who want to know about all the possible side effects - not everyone has all or any of these side effects. If/when you need cataract surgery, you will weigh all the pros and cons and make a decision with your surgeon about timing and when to move forward.
Thanks again for watching, and best of luck!
@@MicheleLeeMD thank you for being so genuinely helping people to decide for themselves on cataract surgery
Hi Dr. Lee, enjoyed your video. I have had floaters for twenty years in my left eye. I am 63 and have great eyesite and found this product called Occuphase and it has N-acetylcarnosine as the main ingredient. My floaters were gone within two weeks of using this one drop a day. If i stop using it or run out the floaters come back fast.
That is so interesting! I’ll have to look into that drop. Thanks for sharing :)
Thank u for posting about occuphase for floaters. I still have them in right eye post surgery so will check this out and hope it works. Cheers
I getting mine done and your videos have helped put me at ease. Thanks.
Best of luck!
It's always better to know about the risks.
I agree! It is all about weighing pros and cons. Thanks for your comment!
I think I will postpone my surgery, I am 82 with " moderate stage cataracts". (My doctor's words. Any comments Dr. Lee or anyone else?
Hi there, if you are doing OK and seeing everything you need to, there is no need to rush into eye surgery. One day when you are starting to struggle with your vision, you will talk to your eye doctor and weigh all the pros and cons. Hopefully, one day, cataract surgery will be a very positive experience for you!
@@MicheleLeeMD Thank you very much for your prompt reply! I have an appointment in Nov. to discuss this topic in detail with my MD.
@@1linkbelt I hope it goes well! Best of luck :)
There are quite a few Dr. Lee on this Planet ! Where is your Lee ? Mine is in NSW Australia ! KL Lee his name !
Thanks for this additional information. I actually had a consult with an ophthalmologist today about getting cataract surgery.., I also watch a video disclosing all the pluses and potential negatives that might occur. I currently have floaters but I’m going though with the surgery… I can only hope that the floaters don’t become worse… my vision is getting worse daily so I need to do something… thanks again for the information.
Thanks for sharing, and I hope everything goes well with your surgery!
I had floaters for 2 weeks (no surgery) then they were gone. Two years ago. Good luck.
@@jeffarchibald3837 Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you so much for this video. I had cataract surgery 12 years ago. prior to the surgery my vision was 2025, and now its 2050, very blurry. What can be done after 12 years?
It really depends why your vision is blurry. I highly recommend you make a visit to your eye doctor so they can take a look and help you out. I hope it is something that can be a quick fix!
My right eye was operated on over a month ago, My left eye, two weeks later. The disparity of vision between my eyes is nauseating and causing me constant head aches. I went into this expecting to wear glasses for reading, but I have no unburied vision in my right eye closer than 7 feet. It feels like I’m cross eyed now. Even with my eyes closed I feel muscle strain.
I was finally able to get an appointment with the surgeon (the office had kept telling me I should have more patience, that my eyes needed more time to “heal”), and insisted I see an optometrist to be fitted for glasses the week before that appointment.
By the time I see the surgeon it will have been 10 weeks of this waking nightmare.
I’m so sorry to hear about your experience. I hope things get better for you soon ❤️
@@MicheleLeeMD Thank you, but it feels hopeless. When I saw the post surgical optometrist today and I mentioned the discomfort it is to have such disparity of vision between my eyes, he marginalized my concerns, I started crying, and then he called me a pessimist.
I have an appointment to see the surgeon next week. The optometrist brushed that off as useless and said I’d need 6-8 weeks to heal. Surgery was 20 October and 3 November.
@@MicheleLeeMD I had a consultation with the surgeon yesterday and he says in 3 months we can try burning away the lens the new lens was attached to 2 months ago.
If that additional procedure is successful it will make it only 3 more months, 5 months total for me to be stuck in a visually painful hell surrounded by people who assume I’m either drunk or an irrational drama queen.
I got cataracts early in life at 46 years old. I had previously taken corticosteroids for asthma ( which I no longer have ) and I am told that this can lead to early onset cataracts.
In my earlier life I had photo refractive kerotectomy on both eyes for short sightedness and was in the pilot study for this with astigmatism computer correction during my laser treatment, which was very successful at the time. The early oblation of my eyes however caused the calculation for my cataract prescription first inserted lens to be wrong and the result was medium short sight in my first eye. From the experience of my first operated eye, the surgeon got the second eye prescription bang on for good long sight. Thus by serendipity, I have one eye good for reading and one good for long distance, with the less able eye in each scenario ' filling in '. A lot of people can't put up with the disparity between eyes, causing headaches but I had no such problems and it has been perfect for 17 years now. The cataract operation has been better than glasses, contact lenses or oblation for me ! I also had a capsulotomy done at the time with a yag laser to prevent them from getting cloudy as well with a hole blasted through.
Thanks for sharing your story with us :)
My vision 6 months after surgery is distorted. One eye sees things higher and bigger than the other, with or without glasses. Faces are impossible as example, to focus on, as their eyes and nose and mouths hop up and down and side to side in a mush. Horizontal lines are tilted, but if I tilt my head they even up slightly. Bottom of vision squases up, faces for example, chins squash up over lips. Everything is wavy, especially up close. I can see far distance fairly clearly and stable, but closer up, street striping and curbs wiggle and move, as do cars and pedestrians the closer they are. A single pedestrian looks like 2 people super imposed on top of each other at slightly different planes up and down and side to side, same for facial distortion. Reading is difficult because the 2 letters to the left of the center of a word become one. Example, a stop sign will either be SOP or TOP, and bounce back and forth between the 2. What used to be floaters have become little twinkling lights. A couple of sever blind spots are new. Last, instead of the dark fog of cataracts, I'm now in a bright white light fog, like looking through frosted glass. Been back to doctor 3 times with nothing but new glasses prescriptions that do nothing. Will be seeing a retinol specialist soon.
I was not advised that there were lenses options.
I'm so sorry you've been having issues after cataract surgery. It sounds like there might be something else going on with your eyes besides the cataract, and I'm glad you are going to see a retinal specialist. Best of luck!
You’re describing exactly what I have; after detached retina and vitero surgery. I’m told the freezing of one of my muscles controlling movement was damaged so vision in one eye is not aligned to the other . I’m told it gets better 9 months later it’s got worse
@@AustralianQldDad I'm so sorry. I stopped going to the surgeon because all I got " it will get better". But its not better. Went to a regular eyeglass place and he gave me a referral to the retinol specialist, he said he could see "wrinkles"in the sense sac. Now I have to find a ride because they won't let me drive myself.
Best wishes to both of us.
@@AustralianQldDad I'm so sorry you had to go through this - a detached retina and a frozen eye muscle are both devastating by themselves and having both issues must be so frustrating. I hope things get better for you eventually!
Why can't you use the laser treatment initially to clean up the cataract if it is similar to scar tissue?
That’s a great question. Right after or during cataract surgery it is not a good idea to make an opening because the lens is not scarred enough and we worry about it being dislocated. Most will wait at least 3 months before performing laser. Hope that helps!
@@MicheleLeeMD Thanks for the response. I didn't realize i was asking two questions at the same time. On the other hand can you not try to clean the back of the lens with laser treatment before a lens replacement to see if that has any consequential benefits. Thanks
@@EdwardAmesCastellano That's another great question. The way we "clean up" scar tissue is cutting it out with a laser, and doing that before cataract surgery would be very dangerous. During eye surgery, we try to polish the back of the bag but that scar tissue can still form.
Hope that helps!
@@MicheleLeeMD Ah.. okay I think I get it. So that's a procedure done only if needed and only after lens replacement? Thanks for your response.
@@EdwardAmesCastellano Yes that sounds correct. Best of luck!
Dr Lee, Could you do a video on the various “cataract dissolve” eye drops available? We really need doctors who tell “both sides of the story.”
Hi there, I can certainly address eye drops for cataracts.
The short answer is that we do not have an eye drop that is known to completely cure or prevent cataracts. There are some interesting chemicals that show promise but it may take a while before we have more data. Most of the data out that "prove" that eye drops work for cataracts there are sponsored by the companies that produce these chemicals, are case reports or low-powered studies, or are basic science experiements performed on animals. I'm hopeful that we will have something soon!
Do you mean cineraria maritima, the homeopatic eyedrops?
Check out "Can-C" eye drops, don't go for copycat products.
I had cataract surgery a week ago and doctor is not happy with placement of lens and would like to redo. I have a slight positive glare on inside of eye. Should I let him redo this surgery or is it too risky?
Dr.Lee I'm an ophthalmologist too doing volume surgeries.Cataract surgery is life changing & if some one dev cataract there's no other options except surgery & as a surgeon with known complications we do it right.
Dr Lee, Thank you for being very honest for telling all the side effects that may incurred from the cataract surgery that most other doctors won't tell. I had my left eye done 5 years ago and have developed many problems ever since including both negative and positive dysphotopsia, the eye floaters, secondary-cataract and severe dry eye. I wished the doctor who did the surgery for me had told me what could possibly happen after the surgery.
Hi Bonnie, I'm so sorry that you have experienced side effects from your cataract surgery. While the dysphotopsias and floaters typically settle down but may not completely disappear (at least I hope you can get used to it!) ,the secondary cataracts and dry eye might be treated. Have you discussed these issues with your eye doctor?
Thanks for sharing your experience, and I hope you get relief soon!
Yes Exactly much research is suppressed because there is alot of money in cataract surgery and its high qudos
Should've left the cataract in. Life would be even more enjoyable not being able to see with the cataracts still in your eyes, right?
Thanks Bonnie, me too. Permanent lines in my vision for the last six years. Good luck with your problems. 🌈
You probably didn't notice the floaters when you had the cataracts and now your brain has a hard time ignoring them.
about half-way through the video and I'm wondering who on earth would risk all these defects?
Thanks for your question! If your cataracts are affecting your vision and/or quality of life enough, then it would be worth it to pursue cataract surgery knowing there may be some risks and side effectsi. It is all about weighing pros and cons.
Because it’s annoying to see the world thru a cotton haze that’s tinted yellow🍋
@@elizabethwestlake8896 Also somewhat dangerous if one is still driving, and working with horses as I do 🤗
I know far more people who have had no serious after effect than ones who did.
How much do you like looking out and seeing the world?
Since my cataract surgery I can not drive a car in the evening when is dark. Reflections of light are huge and obstruct my view. I do have floats as well. When I saw a doctor 2 months ago he told me that as soon as I see flash lights to go to emergency room.
I have not been warned about side effects before surgery. I had a cataract surgery in 2015 and I have been using eye drops for dry eyes since then. In addition my eyes are always reddish.
Thanks for sharing your experience after cataract surgery. I'm so sorry to hear about your dry eyes, floaters, and red eyes - have you asked your eye doctor if you would benefit from a prescription-strength treatment for dry eyes? I hope things get better for you!
Thank you, Dr. Lee. I had cataract surgery in both eyes about a year and a-half ago and have done well overall. I experienced one painless incidence of what I found online to be called "kaleidoscope migraine" which seemed to be triggered by looking at a bright computer screen with first a bright, bright light in my vision, both eyes, then a series of moving colors. That lasted for what seemed like a long time, close to an hour. I told my ophthalmologist but he didn't comment one way or the other. I never experienced that before surgery and have not since that one time.
Thanks for sharing! Hopefully it is nothing but definitely let your eye doctor know if this keeps happening with increasing frequency.
@@MicheleLeeMD Okay, thank you.
Thank your for this informative video! So much to think about!
You are so welcome!