Have You Ever Had An Eye Surgery or Procedure That You Regretted?

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
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USA
Has anyone here ever had an eye surgery or procedure that you regretted? Were any especially successful, and you were pleased with the results? My mother in law had cataract surgery in one eye many years ago, she was so disappointed, she never let them do the other eye.

My vision had gotten worse with age, and I suspect sometime in the future I may be told that I need some type of procedure or surgery.
 

SeaBreeze said:
Has anyone here ever had an eye surgery or procedure that you regretted? Were any especially successful, and you were pleased with the results? My mother in law had cataract surgery in one eye many years ago, she was so disappointed, she never let them do the other eye.

My vision had gotten worse with age, and I suspect sometime in the future I may be told that I need some type of procedure or surgery.
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I had a laser operation a few years ago. the problem persisted and they told me it could take up to a year before the operation took full effect. The problem has diminished but it's still there. It's like a shadow that comes and goes over my left eye. I can see but it is irritating. I think it's more of getting used to the thing rather than getting rid of it.
 
I have had laser surgery for diabetic retinopathy many times. It has helped me to retain some of my vision but I am still legally blind. In one session it pretty much took out the vision in the top part of my left eye which is actually the bottom part of my retina but it kept me from losing the little bit I did have in the bottom part which is the top part of my retina. My right eye has had less surgery so it is a little better. I like to say I am blind in one eye and cannot see out of the other...o_O

I can get around alright as far as walking. Cannot drive anymore. I had to or I should say my brain had to learn how to see words as pictures instead of individual letters. So I can read. I just have to do it a little slower than I used to. It is amazing how the brain compensates for vision loss. Bottom line is if I did not have the surgeries I would probably be completely blind. So I am fortunate...;)

Bottom line is keep tabs on your blood glucose levels. I did not when I was younger. It snuck up on me. I thought I just needed glasses but the damage was already in progress.
To Add: Do I regret the surgery? No but I do regret having to have it done.
 
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Eye surgery has come a long way. My late father-in-law had cataract surgery, way back before laser. He had to wear the wrap-around sunglasses for awhile.

Hubby had laser cataract surgery recently, and was driving the next day.
 
jujube said:
My only regret with cataract surgery was picking the wrong lens. I did not do enough due diligence and that was my fault.

I do regret the two retina surgeries I had on my right eye. Each surgery made the matter worse, leaving my right eye pretty much useless.
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jujube, which lens do you have and which did you wish you had picked, please?
 
I chose the Tecnis 1 Multifocal lens.


The doctor recommended it because I would no longer have to wear glasses except for very small print ( I do wear "readers" for reading by lamplight....in the sun, I can read just fine without them).

However, they made the glare at night much, much worse than it was before. I only drive at night now when I have no other choice and then only when it's a very familiar road. I can even see "halos" around light in broad daylight.

The sad thing is that I paid an extra $2,500 per eye for those over what Medicare paid.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have chosen the standard lens and continued to wear glasses. But hindsight is always bestsight.......
 
jujube said:
However, they made the glare at night much, much worse than it was before. I only drive at night now when I have no other choice and then only when it's a very familiar road. I can even see "halos" around light in broad daylight.

The sad thing is that I paid an extra $2,500 per eye for those over what Medicare paid.
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Exact same thing happened to me so it’s really really rare to catch me on the road after sundown…i keep a pair of those nighttime sunglasses in the car for ‘just in case’…and find that the sunglasses even help a LOT if caught on the road in a storm during daylight hours.
 
jujube said:
I chose the Tecnis 1 Multifocal lens.


The doctor recommended it because I would no longer have to wear glasses except for very small print ( I do wear "readers" for reading by lamplight....in the sun, I can read just fine without them).

However, they made the glare at night much, much worse than it was before. I only drive at night now when I have no other choice and then only when it's a very familiar road. I can even see "halos" around light in broad daylight.

The sad thing is that I paid an extra $2,500 per eye for those over what Medicare paid.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have chosen the standard lens and continued to wear glasses. But hindsight is always bestsight.......
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I am sorry you had trouble with the lens and the extra expense. I had multi focals, but still use reading glasses for very fine print. May have the other eye done later on.
 
I had cataract surgery on both eyes 3 months apart back in 2004 when there was just one kind of lens, so I’m wearing trifocals ever since. No problems at all. It happened that he was one of the leading eye specialists in this part of the country. I followed all the directions carefully both before and after. I get an annual eye exam every year from an MD , no problems except need to use eye moisturizer drops here in the dry desert.I don’t drive at night any more but I did when needed up to a few years ago.
Hope everyone here does as well!
 
I had both cataract surgeries. I had to have them, I couldn't even read the print on the TV during the news.

I still need glasses. The second surgery didn't go as well as I don't think the IV was in right and all the medication did not go into my blood stream but the surrounding tissue.

I went for my final six month appointment about six weeks ago. I'm never going back to that group again.
 
I had cataract surgery on both eyes and the outcome was good. However, I occasionally get Transient Monocular Blindness in one eye, usually the right, where I cannot see from 1 to 8 hours. It is caused by blood clots in the Carotid arteries. If the blindness lasted for 24 hours, I could die since blood supply to the brain would be cut off. There is no cure and, since I am 86, I am doomed to death from some cause in the near future.

I use Thera Tears to keep my eyes moistened and, if I get an infection in my eye lids, I use Gatifloxacin drops twice per day for 7 days. I am using them now.
 
In the 'success' column: Had both cataracts removed and corneal implants installed in 2014.

i have a genetic corneal dystrophy (called Fuchs' Dystrophy) that basically is early onset of natural degeneration of the corneal cells. (Natural degeneration is what causes floaters). My symptoms started in my late 40's but it took till i was over 50 to get a proper diagnosis. They were able to monitor for years and i took every step i could to slow the progression of the disease process. They the two surgeries (for cataracts and for implants) in one outpatient procedure on left eye in June 2014 and right in December. Stayed the night in hotel across the street (having to stay laying down except to get up for bathroom), each time (the hospital is next door to my Corneal Specialist and across street from hotel if emergency arose, DD was with me.

i really lucked out because the implant procedure was labeled quite risky when i was first diagnosed, but turned out the corneal specialist when i moved to NM had studied under the doc that devised the new and improved procedures for it. He talked to me beforehand about whether i wanted my vision in general corrected to 20/20. But i opted for not cause i never could adjust to bifocals when i'd had them, so he just corrected so i only need glasses for driving and TV. Which has been a blessing after wearing glasses all day since i was 11.

My insurance is a medicare maintenance plan so medical providers only have to submit to one place and the co-pay, while it sometimes shifts up or down in any given year, is quite reasonable. i paid $100 before each of my surgeries, on surgeries that ran a bit over $1000 each. Had frequent follow ups first year, then twice a year and last 3 years only once a year. Everything still fine. i put a steroidal eye drop in each eye every morning to deter rejection of the grafts.


i'm thrilled. As i said i lucked out but if you need major surgery do some research in your area as to the best docs (both with your regular eye doc and maybe with whatever board governs them in your locale. Eye surgery is a delicate thing, so i doubt many eye surgeons have 100% success rate, But if i were looking again i'd check on not just number of complaints but type: i can excuse a little brusqueness or arrogance if the doc takes time to answer questions, give full explanations, and the procedures are generally successful. i often make lists before any medical visit of issues i want to address and questions.
 
My second cataract surgery didn’t turn out well. This was done just before the fancy replacement equipment was being installed in the hospital. It’s like a cloud floating across my eye every time I blink. I always referred to it as my bad eye. Now it’s known as my good eye because my retinal surgeries on the other eye failed.
Alligatorob said:
My mother had a failed surgery to treat her detached retina. Made things worse for the rest of her life.
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Sounds like me.
 
in 2005 I had cataract and glaucoma surgery at the same time...first on the right eye. It was kind of freaky to be awake while someone was operating on my eye. I was very nervous and asked if I could bring my iPod so I could listen to relaxing music. I had sterilized it so she said yes. I was pleasantly surprised when my specialist said she changed the shape of my eyeball to correct the astigmatism and for the first time since I was about 8, I had perfect vision in that eye (after it healed, of course). It was challenging though because my left eye didn't get done for several months and my brain could not reconcile the differences in the vision. After the left eye was done, I had 20/20 vision and just had to start wearing glasses again about 4 or 5 years ago. I also had laser surgeries in both eyes after the cutting surgeries. I was very pleased with the outcomes.
 

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