Cataract Surgery

[n3437d]

Open question to 170 group -- just diagnosed with mild cataract conditon, stronger in one eye than the other - with the modern advancements in medicine this procedure is a relatively quick in and out ( about 1/2hr) with rapid return to "normal" vision. The procedure is a removal of cornea and replacement with plastic lens the get inserted in eye instead of original bio lens. In almost all cases patient does not need glasses for distance reading but will need "cheeters" for close up.

Questions is this and I know its a delicate one so please read between the lines #1 Have any of you undergone this operation? #2 What was recovery period? #3 What was vision like afterwards? And now the real toughy #4 What were/are thoughts on reporting this to your FAA Dr.? Yes, I am aware of my obligations.

Joel
No N number

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Fulfill your obligation.

[GAHorn]

Our own Member, Dr. Kevin West has presented two "personal maintenance" seminars at our last two conventions and he has offered to help any member who needs consultation regarding flight physicals. He has personal relationships with the FAA medical types in OKC and is a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon.

He is very helpful and He is listed in the Directory, and he has a username that can be used for PMs: Kevin West

[bsdunek]

I have had both eyes done. The operation consists of removing the existing lens (not the cornea) and inserting a plastic lens. The problem is, being a plastic lens, it will no longer focus at different distances. I had mine set for 20/40. I felt that with this I could function without glasses in most cases. At 20/20, near vision would be a problem. I then got progressive lens glasses (Verilux) which correct from infinity to about 18 inches. This gives me great overall vision. I can see better than I could when I was 10 years old!
I had no problem getting through my medical. The FAA wants you to submit a form 8500-7 which I obtained from the AOPA, http://www.aopa.org/members/files/medical/eye_eval.pdf
There were no problems. Just get your eye doctor to fill out the form, give it to your AME to include with your medical application. Yes, you need to let the FAA know, as this is a major operation.
I say, if you need it, go for it. Be sure you have a doctor that has experience in this field. My first operation was a dud. The doctor got the lens off center. I could see the edge of the lens, and he also calculated the wrong lens. I ended up needing -10 dioptor glasses. When I calculated what lens he should have put in, he was insulted. I want to another doctor with a better reputation. He replaced the first lens, and then, later, did the other eye. Everything is great!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Bruce that is interesting. It appears by your choice of the 20/40 lens and by the rest of your statement that you are wearing glasses all the time but perhaps could get away without them for distance but with degraded vision.

I'm puzzled. Why would you choose a course which required glasses all the time when you could have had 20/20 and only used reading glasses some time? Perhaps you always wore glasses and were comfortable with them and 20/40 was an improvement.

[n3437d]

Bruce,

That was an awesom eresponse, completer with a link to the paper work. As I type the form is printing. Your post has relieved a lot of angst. The DR. I have has been around town for many years and has a great reputation. Its the thought of someone carving on my eyeball with a scalpel. After a discussion about what choice in lense I decided to go for distant vision. The Dr said that my vision would be perfect.
I currently wear tri-focals and have never really adjusted to wearing glasses. So I am thrilled to ditch them - I will after the operation, need only reading glasses - those cheapie Drug store Cheaters.

I'll post more after the operation.

Again, thanks

Joel
N3437D

[rupertjl]

Joel,

I'm not sure if your doc has told you this, but there is a chance of a detached retina with the surgery in like .01% of patients, and my uncle just went through it and is now recovering after surgery to reattach it. But this was caused from cataract surgery the month before. Not trying to scare you, but something to keep in the back of your mind. He will regain sight, but degraded in that eye. I think for my family, if we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have luck at all, so you should be ok.

v/r,
Jud

[bsdunek]

Bruce that is interesting. It appears by your choice of the 20/40 lens and by the rest of your statement that you are wearing glasses all the time but perhaps could get away without them for distance but with degraded vision.

I'm puzzled. Why would you choose a course which required glasses all the time when you could have had 20/20 and only used reading glasses some time? Perhaps you always wore glasses and were comfortable with them and 20/40 was an improvement.

I guess I spent so many years with really poor vision, I lived in fear of losing my glasses. I could not function without them. I was afraid, with the plastic implants, I would not be able to read without glasses, thus my compromise.
Understand that the selection of an implant lens is an inexact science - you may only get near what you want. Or, like my first implant, be far off.
In any case, each person should evaluate what they want and discuss it with their doctor.
rupertjl - that is a possibility, and a risk to be considered. It does not happen often, fortunately.

[cessna170bdriver]

Joel,

I'm not sure if your doc has told you this, but there is a chance of a detached retina with the surgery in like .01% of patients, and my uncle just went through it and is now recovering after surgery to reattach it. But this was caused from cataract surgery the month before. Not trying to scare you, but something to keep in the back of your mind. He will regain sight, but degraded in that eye. I think for my family, if we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have luck at all, so you should be ok.

v/r,
Jud

IF .01% is the right number, that's one chance in ten thousand that you will have a problem. That's MUCH better odds of having good vision that not having the surgery. If it were me, I'd find a good surgeon and go for it.

Miles

[rupertjl]

Miles, that was the number my uncle gave me, I think just to illustrate how unlucky he is. But it is a hazard with the surgery albeit very small.

v/r,
Jud

[captainpat]

Go for it! I'm a 67 year old retired airline pilot and for the past few years my eye doctor has been telling me that I had
probably start thinking about cataract surgery. This year he told me that it was time to quit thinking about it and have it done. I had IOLs made by ALCON implanted. They are a multifocal implant called "RESTOR".

I had the procedure done in August; first eye on the 11th and other eye on the 27th.

I now have 20/15 near and 20/20 distance in both eyes.

My surgery was done in Fredericksburg, VA. by Dr. Binoy Jani.

The multifocal lenses are more expensive than single focus implants but IMHO they are worth it; I haven't worn glasses or contacts since August 27th.

Pat

[blueldr]

I had both of my eyes done about two months apart when I was maybe seventy eight or eighty years old. It was really great. Colors were brighter,vision was incredably improved, and recovery was a breeze. I didn't tell the FAA diddly.

[Iceman07]

FWIW

I just had my left eye done last Wednesday (10/22/2008) Though I am only 52, my optomitrist was not able to get my left eye to correct to 20/20, so he sent me to the opthomologist, who found the cataract.

The surgery was quite easy, and the process went very smoothly.

I opted to go for 20/20, and because I also had astigmatism, I opted to have a "Toric" lens implanted, so not only does it correct the cataract/vision, it also corrects the astigmitism:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/acrysof-toric/

The Toric lens did cost more, but man-o-man, what an incredible change! I now have at least 20/20 in my left eye.

I also down-loaded the FAA form from the AOPA website, and the next time I go for the physical, I just take the completed form with me.

I was driving the next day (Thursday), and I flew on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The vision is so good, I asked the Dr. during the followup "How about doing the right eye?"