Cataracts, a Fact of Life

Here I am over sixty-five and five years ago I had my first cataract removed. I recently had my second one removed. As you age a large percentage of people can expect to experience cataracts. It is just a part of the aging process. As you get older your body parts just don't function like they used to and start to wear out. What causes cataracts? Professionals say that there may be a variety of causes. In my case I speculate that I have lived most of my life in the Denver area and the altitude exposes you to more ultraviolet radiation than lower altitudes. Also, when I was a youngster, eye protection was not that common. All summer we ran around with no sunglasses and no shirt. Now, I am starting to pay for this unawareness of the dangers of sunshine. I have had two cataracts removed and one suspicious spot on my nose has been removed. My back looks like the moon surface and my doctor has told me to keep a close eye on my back and call him if I notice any changes in those craters. What you do in the past starts to catch up with you sooner or later.

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens in the eye. When I first started to notice them my sight started to show a tint of yellow. Driving at night becomes difficult because the oncoming headlights start to sparkle brightly and a lot of your view is lost. After a period of time it becomes intolerable and you know it is time to have something done.

Fortunately, cataract surgery is relative simple now. I remember in the late fifties my uncle came from Meeker Colorado and had cataract surgery. We went to see him in the hospital and he was laying there with sandbags placed on both sides of his head to immobilize his movement and he was in a lot of pain. He spent a week in the hospital. In those days they didn't have implants and he had to wear big thick glasses to replace the cloudy lenses.

The surgery now is an outpatient procedure. The whole procedure shouldn't take more than four hours. This consists of pre-op and post-op time. The surgery probably doesn't take over twenty minutes. The procedure five years ago was very similar to the recent procedure. Infection is the main concern. I started antibiotics in the affected eye the day before and continued them a week after surgery. You are sedated and your eye is numbed up. However, you are awake and aware of what is going on around you. You do have an IV in your arm and can be put under immediately if needed. You also are fitted with oxygen apparatus just in case. They put this fabric type material over your face and cut a hole in it over your eye. This exposes your eye to the surgeon. I speculate that somehow you eyelid is secured so you can't blink. Your eye is numbed and you can't feel anything. The surgeon does his thing and the most annoying thing is the bright light in your eye. Your cataract lens is removed and a replacement lens is inserted. The incision is so small that no stitches are normally needed. Surgery is over and you may spend forty-five minutes in post-op. You are ready to go home and you need someone to drive you home.

On the first surgery, I experienced clear vision the first time I opened my eye. This time I was not as fortunate. It took about a week for my vision to clear up. Now it is clear and I have to be fitted for new prescription glasses. I am just amazed how technology has progressed and how in just fifty years a complicated procedure has become a simple common event. Finally, if you live to be over sixty, you will more than likely have to experience cataract surgery. I am confident it will become simpler and simpler as time goes by.