Cataract surgery: a cautionary tale
What a blessing! Millions have been helped to see — a miracle of modern times. The dictionary describes it as a clouding of eye causing partial or total blindness. So you see, it is truly a miracle.
However, there is a downside to this type of surgery in many cases. It is a delicate operation and sometimes there are “mishaps.” It is a very lucrative field for doctors. They are paid for this surgery regardless.
Doctors who don’t have extensive experience or great expertise will do cataract surgery. If problems arise you might lose the sight the eye afflicted and they will send you to a specialist, trained in problems relating to the retina. The new doctor, after evaluating the situation, will try to repair the damage, if possible.
My experience has not been a favorable or pleasant one. My eyesight was actually good prior to this surgery. My ophthalmologist recommended that maybe it was time to have cataract surgery. I had been experiencing double vision and some distortion and was told that this surgery would greatly improve my eyesight. Of course, I believed them. Glasses may have corrected this problem.
The initial surgery took place in late January 2015. It began with many eye drops — and a very long wait. There were other patients waiting too. Up in the day, my surgery began but unfortunately it did not go well. I was now blind in that eye. The lens had dropped and broken in the eye. They assured me that “problem could be fixed.” They were sending me to a specialist the next morning. The eye was a mess!
The retina specialist saw me the next day and said he could not do any surgery until some of the swelling had gone down. I was experiencing an intense headache and pain due to pressure build up in that eye which he relieved by draining by needle. Several days later, the retina specialist performed surgery to remove the cataract and a all debris in the eye and repair the damage. After surgery, I had to wait another week for the eye to heal enough before the surgeon could put a lens in –more waiting while experiencing great stress and worry and fear of complete loss of vision.
I was told to be patient and wait while my eye healed which is very difficult. I had periodic check ups with the specialist and things were looking good until — one day! Something wasn’t quite right, so here we go back again to the specialist. As it turned out, the lens titled for some reason, so, our retina specialist sent us to a cornea specialist.
The cornea specialist could not have been kinder and more encouraging. He believed he could correct the problem. He was so experienced and a cataract specialist! A date was set for surgery to adjust the lens but unfortunately on the day of the surgery — it was canceled due to my heart beating so irregularly. I was sent to a heart specialist to be checked out and to give the go ahead for my eye surgery. He gave the approval and we rescheduled surgery.
The surgery was successful in getting the lens in the proper place. My eye has experienced much trauma and I have been told that my eye needs to heal. I can not say enough good about this cornea specialist and I believe that I would have had a better initial outcome if he had been the doctor that I started with. My peripheral vision of the right eye (the afflicted eye) is gone forever. The sinus was damaged during the first surgery. My depth perceptions is poor at this point — so is my balance. I have glaucoma symptoms and must take eye drops every day.
Choose your eye surgeon carefully!
It is important to do good research prior to such a serious surgery. If the surgeon fails to answer questions, run for the nearest exit. Throughly check out the surgeon’s background to include training and actual experience. Check patient reviews and recommendations if possible. Many go through this surgery with no problem but I have experienced great pain, stress and worry along with changes in my life which affect my driving, painting, activities with friends and just doing everything. Things that we often take for granted.
J.C. Brown
Flowood
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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