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Cataract surgery today - advice please.

Brunneria said:
Glad it went well!

How soon will you know how good the new vision is?
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Thank you!

I take the patch off tomorrow morning. That's longer than normal, because I had a "block" as well as a local. The reason being that the intense light they use causes me to flinch away (not a good plan during eye surgery!) and the normal local anaesthetic doesn't stop pain in the deep interior of the eye, just in the outer part where they replace the lens. So having had the block, my eye takes a little longer to recover. But I am very optimistic!
 
The patch time is normal. My first op was done in the morning so the patch had to stay on until the following morning. 2nd op was an afternoon op and same thing patch on until the morning. Your block is the same for everyone. Eye drops for an hour beforehand then local in the eye then the needle goes in full of local anaesthetic.
 
Ah OK re the timing. But the block was special order. The menu at G&StT's is local, local and sedation, or GA. They don't routinely offer the block.
 
Glad you are home and the operation has been complete ....always a relief ....recovery now ...best wishes ..Kat
 
Spiker said:
Ah OK re the timing. But the block was special order. The menu at G&StT's is local, local and sedation, or GA. They don't routinely offer the block.
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The block is local as is GA and the sedation. The block lasts for a couple of days until it wears off. It the same thing as an epidural except it's in your eye. If it wasn't given then you would be in agony after the op and during it. The only reason the local goes in via drops is so they can inject the block.
 
No. They definitely were not giving the block to anyone else having local. The block was special order. A special procedure was set in motion, they had to verify it, go and get it, find someone to do it, etc. Maybe standard at your hospital, but not at mine.
 
I had injections for my first op at UCLH (2010) but only drops for my second at Moorfields (2013) - I guess it depends where you go.
 
I wish you a very speedy recovery, I'll be needing mine done eventually. I'm having a knee replacement first, as a christmas present LOL (scheduled for November 25th).
 
Glad it's all gone well, so far. Now then,

Do we need to do big writing?

Or little writing?

Just askin'
 
The block is given in the anaesthetic room so you would not know I never knew at the time of first op a block had been given. It was standard though where I went.
 
Oh no, I very much knew when they gave the block. They talked me through it. I felt it going in. I also temporarily lost vision in that eye, which they said was likely with the block, but they said does not happen with just local. They did the block in the theatre. Nothing happened in the anaesthesia room, as I wasn't having sedation, other than a quick chat with the anaesthetist to confirm I wasn't having the sedation and for him to say he definitely wasn't doing the block as he hadn't done one in years!
 
Is it off yet? (I might be more excited than you!)
 
It's off! My eye was puffy but I cleaned it off like they said and got the antibiotics in. My BG is driving upwards so I need to be vigilant with the antibiotic drops (every 4 waking hours) and watch my BG. I have the CGMS on for this very reason. Currently got temp basal rate on my pump at +40%.

And yes, I can see! The vision is definitely way better than my uncorrected vision was before. It's early days as it takes up to 6 weeks to stabilise apparently. At the moment the operated eye is very light sensitive. They said the pupil dilation from the drops could last 24 hrs. So I'm not using the operated eye much. But not only does the vision seem clearer, the eye itself looks different. Unless I'm imagining it, the eye itself looks clearer.

The main thing is, I can see, and without glasses! In a while I'm going to borrow non prescription sunglasses, and venture outside!

My eye still hurts when I am not laying on my back so I'm not walking around. Maybe I need to up the painkiller dose.
 
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