Cataracts and other visual concerns!

[deserteagle71]

Don't you have to wear an eye patch for a couple days after surgery? ISTR that being the case when my wife had hers done a couple years ago. Not sure I'd want to be blindfolded for a couple days.
How bad was your astigmatism? I have it pretty bad in one eye (to the point of just barely being correctable with glasses), and I was told that cataract surgery would require a special procedure that was not typically covered by insurance. Fortunately, I have minimal cataracts so not really an issue right now.

I didn't have to wear a patch. I had to wear a clear plastic cup over the eye for a couple days...but that is just so you don't inadvertently touch the eye while it is healing from the surgery. As to the cataract surgery - I believe it is all the same. No special procedure. BUT...when they do the surgery you are given the option of having 3 different types of lenses implanted to replace your natural ones. A generic lens without any vision correction - and this is the only type of lens insurance will pay for. Then a lens that will correct your astigmatism and give you either perfect distance vision or perfect close-up vision. Your choice. That one you have to pay for (the lens itself, NOT the surgery). This is the option I chose and it cost me ~ $1500 per eye if memory serves me correctly. The third option I was offered was a lens that would give great vision both near and far but would cause flare with bright lights, especially at night. Since one of my main problems was flare this last option I didn't want.

I think this choice business is stupid. So the insurance will not pay to have lens inserted at the time of the surgery to give you perfect vision...but then they will have to pay for your glasses, so you can get sharp vision, for years???

By the way, the procedure to get correct lenses (that correct for astigmatism and nearsightedness and farsightedness) is amazing. If you choose that option you don't have to go through a whole bunch of tests to get the correct lenses. They sit you in front of a machine and in a few seconds it seems like you are done. The machine does a scan that provides the doctor with the measurements needed to grind the lens precisely to that eye.

 

[ultrarunner]

As procedures evolve the reimbursement or what is allowed is often set in stone.

I'm not a 100% on this anymore but we have had law enforcement and pilots with excellent coverage for the upgraded lens...

There are also a few that have multiple coverages and sometimes I hear you are all set... no payment due as your insurance picked it all up.

 

[shooterdon]

In my case, the "free" lens would have corrected vision but not astigmatism.

$1500 per eye corrects vision and addresses astigmatism. The option I chose.

BTW, corrected does not mean it will be 20/20 in every case. Mine are 20/30 and 20/40

IIRC the third option is $3000 per eye. It is about 80% success rate for both near and far but can give "halos" at night.

This was fall of 2023 in my area. YMMV

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I've been talking to my eye doctor for a couple of years now about lense replacement surgery. I have astigmatism, and my cataracts are just starting to develop.

We have decided to wait until medicare kicks in about a year from now to help cover the basic surgery cost. At that time, I will decide which option I will pay for. I'm leaning towards the highest cost option which will correct for all distances.

I'm not sure about the halo's at night. I'll have to do more research before I decide. I think the extra cost is about $3000 per eye, but I think the medicare will save me my $4000 deductible.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Don't you have to wear an eye patch for a couple days after surgery? ISTR that being the case when my wife had hers done a couple years ago. Not sure I'd want to be blindfolded for a couple days.
How bad was your astigmatism? I have it pretty bad in one eye (to the point of just barely being correctable with glasses), and I was told that cataract surgery would require a special procedure that was not typically covered by insurance. Fortunately, I have minimal cataracts so not really an issue right now.

It sounds like that doctor does not use the new approach where no stitches or glue is used, etc.

Even around here, it seems like all the high volume cataract clinics pretty much use the nearest technology.

My surgery was early on Wednesday afternoon and I had to go back to my optometrist at 9:00 the next morning and I drove the round trip of 80 miles and had no problems. Actually I was just monitoring the robot that did the driving.

I am 12 days post surgery and looking forward to getting the next eye done. Getting my night vision back is awesome because I always was able to get around in low lighting condition in the house and outside.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Late today but just before dark I was looking out at a white building and it was kind of flickering between white and yellow, white and yellow. Then I realized what my brain was doing was trying to pick which one it wanted to choose and that was my visual experience today with one eye having an old lens removed and the other eye still presurgy.

 

[Gem99ultra]

As procedures evolve the reimbursement or what is allowed is often set in stone.

I'm not a 100% on this anymore but we have had law enforcement and pilots with excellent coverage for the upgraded lens...

There are also a few that have multiple coverages and sometimes I hear you are all set... no payment due as your insurance picked it all up.

I had both lense replacements done on both eyes about 6 years ago. Between Medicare and Humana, the cost was 100% covered. BTW, I had then and still have after lense replacements 20/20 vision.

 

[ArlyA]

I need this surgery done. Gosh I hate my vision with cataracts .

 

[ultrarunner]

Good news is the options and outcomes are so much better now and as I write… 22 on this mornings schedule and most are back for the other eye and more than ready based on the first eye experience.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I'm 18 days post surgery for my left eye and my vision is getting more clearer and I'm seeing better at the distance I wanted to unaided for reading and smart phone usage. I have been told it'll be about 30 days out when we know exactly what the visual acuity will be for the long-term so far. I'm happy and looking forward to in about a month getting the right eye done. Well I can still see good with it. It is bugging the heck out of me not being as clear as the left eye. Everything looking more yellow than instead of nice and sharp clear color.

Thankfully I'm not living in the good old days.

 

[two_bit_score]

I'd rather pay more and get my health care when I actually need it, not some time in the distant future!

IF you are still alive to need it.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Right eye surgery is to be some time May 7 determined on May 6th. Hoping for 20/20 again but at least 20/40 then tweak with glasses.

 

[ponytug]

Good luck! Thanks for starting this thread; I have learned lots.

All the best, Peter

 

[deserteagle71]

Right eye surgery is to be some time May 7 determined on May 6th. Hoping for 20/20 again but at least 20/40 then tweak with glasses.

Before I had my cataract surgeries I talked to a lot of people who'd had the procedure done. Not ONE was unhappy with the results. And for sure I'm more than pleased with my new eyeballs! So I think you'll be fine.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Before I had my cataract surgeries I talked to a lot of people who'd had the procedure done. Not ONE was unhappy with the results. And for sure I'm more than pleased with my new eyeballs! So I think you'll be fine.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Right eye surgery is to be some time May 7 determined on May 6th. Hoping for 20/20 again but at least 20/40 then tweak with glasses.

Beware - all is not gold. There's a chance that you may or may not have corrected 20/20 nearsight and farsight vision even after the surgery. Some people do, so don't. And there will surely be a little discomfort in night driving, but with tinted yellow thow-away glasses, that's easily overcome.
Either way, you're going to be very pleased with the improvement.

 

[Williy]

aI got stuck in a hospital for 3 days and only received
IV's and what else they added. My bill for the 3 days
$9,000 because of my insurance they dropped it to
$3,000

willy

 

[Torvy]

Wife is only 58 and has had glaucoma since age 21 or so. Part of the reason we worked to retire early. She knows she will be blind when we are old.

She's had all kinds of eye issues. Laser surgery many times. Tore her retina a couple of times. Doc for that was excellent (Duke med + Johns Hopkins eye). Our insurance was good when working.

Now she needs cataracts done. They can also put in a stent for the glaucoma. Doc is 'in network', but surgical center isn't. They can make an exception, but her primary care doc has to do the paperwork. It is a hot mess. This "cheap" plan she found is garbage.

 

[mapper]

I was nearsighted and had worn glasses since grade school. I was diagnosed with Fuchs dystrophy about 12 years ago. Fuchs is a disease of the endothelial layer of the cornea that results in the growth of little fingers of tissue on the inner side of the cornea and the failure of the endothelial layer to pump water out of the cornea resulting in edema of the cornea. 9 years ago my eye doctor referred me to Deavers Eye Institute in Portland Oregon. They did an operation (DMEC) to replace the diseased endothelial tissue with healthy donor tissue.
At the same time cataract surgery was done to reduce the risk to the transplant tissue by doing it later, I had what was described as "age appropriate cataracts" at that time. I chose do get distance vision lenses at that time. My distance vision is 20/25 now. I have to wear reading glasses for close up vision now, I have prescription glasses for that as I found that dime store readers gave me a headache.
Recovery time was a bit longer than routine cataract surgery as there was a gas bubble placed under the cornea to hold the donar tissue in place, about a week laying on my back to properly position the bubble.
In conclusion, I would do this again in a heartbeat if it was necessary, I was eager to get the second one done!

 

[ultrarunner]

Wife is only 58 and has had glaucoma since age 21 or so. Part of the reason we worked to retire early. She knows she will be blind when we are old.

She's had all kinds of eye issues. Laser surgery many times. Tore her retina a couple of times. Doc for that was excellent (Duke med + Johns Hopkins eye). Our insurance was good when working.

Now she needs cataracts done. They can also put in a stent for the glaucoma. Doc is 'in network', but surgical center isn't. They can make an exception, but her primary care doc has to do the paperwork. It is a hot mess. This "cheap" plan she found is garbage.

A doc that is high volume and or a partner has some pull.

One of our docs would do training for other docs with big screen set up or news crews… those patients paid nothing as the lens was free, the doc and facility also no cost.