94% of Cataract Patients Are AWAKE During Surgery - Here's What They Actually Feel

Comments · 60

• ER

  @eriknystrom5839 · 2 months ago

  79 yo in Stockholm. I had cataract surgery on both eyes in April this year. Left eye on Tuesday and the right eye on Friday the same week. 30 min  before surgery I got a pill to swallow just to calm me down and also eye drops for anesthesia and to widen the pupil. I wasn’t nervous at all , because everything had been in detail explained to me at the pre-surgery visits at the clinic. I remember the surgery procedure in detail, I was fully conscious. It didn’t hurt at all, as mention in the video, much easier than a dental visit. I got to and from the clinic using public transportation. No problem as the left eye ( which had a more severe cataract) was done first, so my vision was good enough on one eye after both surgeries. They didn’t cover the operated eye after surgery, I just used sunglasses. I did drive my car in the dark already on Sunday evening 2 days after the surgery my right eye . By the way I got toric Eyhance on both eyes. At the post surgery check my vision is perfect at long distance and at arm length’s distance, and I use + 1.0 D for reading. There will be a final check in September.

  13

• CA

  @cathleen6104 · 2 months ago (edited)

  Today at the surgical clinic, I was awake but chill as can be while my surgeon and the anesthesiologist chatted about Box Turtles, gardens, snakes at their houses.  Under the drape (with only my eye exposed) I was desperate to join the conversation but knew not to do so since my mouth and head would probably move.  I felt no pain or major discomfort.  I saw a lot of interesting lights and colors.  It's amazing how calm I felt.

  7

• CA

  @catherinewydner9158 · 2 months ago

  I was having cataract surgery a few days ago. After they gave me the shot I didn't feel any results from it. My lower arm tingling for a few minutes was all I felt. I was aware of where I was and what they were doing. They moved me to a different room, bright lights. He washed my eye area, brows too. Then covered my eye with a tissue. Started to lift my eye lid. I felt everything. No numbness. I told them to stop. When they took me back to the first room I got out of the bed. They made me use a wheelchair to go to the waiting area. Against the nurses advice I got out of the wheelchair and sat beside my friend who had came with me. I walked to the restroom and washed my face. No sedation effects. I walked out of the office on my own. No assistance.

  2

• BO

  @bob2cleo2 · 2 months ago

  Had a LAL inserted on Monday. AWAKE.

  2

• RO

  @robertr1096 · 3 months ago

  I don't believe I was given any sedative when I had my first eye done last week. The nurse was unable to establish an IV in my arm after poking me numerous times.  I didn't see any marks on either of my arms or hands afterward. I was not nervous, my eye was numbed, and the worst part was the bright light.

  3

• ES

  @esthertaylor798 · 3 months ago

  I had cataract surgery in May (right eye) and this month (June left eye).  I did not experience any pain during the surgery. And I saw colors and shapes that reminded me of a psychedelic kaleidoscope; it was kind of cool.  However, I did remember each procedure and still do remember most of each one.  Overall, it was a positive experience for me and my distance vision has much improved.

  4

• ML

  @mljefferson9429 · 3 months ago

  I had &nbsp;my &nbsp;cataracts removed in Washington state &nbsp; because they did &nbsp;not offer only topical drops in South Dakota. Very pleased &nbsp;with &nbsp;my &nbsp;choice and results<br><br>s

  2

• FI

  @Fireneedsair · 2 months ago

  4 words lol . U r the best btw

  3

• RW

  @rw5460 · 2 months ago

  Awake, and well explained

  1

• SA

  @sandypribyllamberg8089 · 2 months ago

  Your video really helped relieve any anxiety about the cataract surgery I had last week. &nbsp;I was offered liquid Versed which would give me conscious sedation, but didn&apos;t feel the need for it. &nbsp;I&apos;m a retired nurse and was curious about the proceedure, so asked the surgeon if he would give me a play by play of what he was doing. &nbsp;He was glad to do so. &nbsp;I was in and out of the building within an hour! &nbsp;I will have my 2nd eye done next month. &nbsp;I scheduled them a month apart, because I wasn&apos;t sure I wanted the second eye done right away. &nbsp;But with the first eye done, things are more yellow and less clear with my unoperated eye, so I know I will go through with it. &nbsp;THANK YOU for this very well done video!

  1

• SA

  @sarahmika4322 · 1 month ago

  I had cataract surgery done on my left eye two years ago when I was 42. I&apos;d never had any anesthesia and I have a history of antibiotic allergies. I wasn&apos;t prepped for what to expect the day of surgery at all. I arrived with my Gram and was almost immediately taken to the back which looked like a hospital ER with beds separated by curtains. The lights were incredibly bright. The nurses insisted on taking my purse, phone, and glasses away immediately. The one in charge was grumpy when I was hesitant (I can&apos;t see at all without my glasses). I asked if someone could tell my Gram I wouldn&apos;t be out until after surgery since now I couldn&apos;t text her and they wouldn&apos;t let her sit back there with me. They did. <br><br>They put dilating drops in my eye but didn&apos;t turn off the lights. Turning off the lights was the sign I was ready for surgery. They&apos;d taken my hat and put a cap over my hair so I had to lay there with my eyes covered because the lights were so bright. I was trembling like I always do when I&apos;m really nervous until the anesthesiologist came. I told him about my drug allergies. He thought Valium would be okay. After I took that and the nurses piled blankets on me I stopped shaking, but was still fully aware of everything. They marked my eye and confirmed which eye was having surgery a couple times. Finally they turned out the light when my eye was dilated. The nurses at the nursing station were chatting about the Netflix show Nobody Wants This. The anesthesiologist came to see the patient next to me. She was a doctor herself and nervous and he also gave her Valium. I think they&apos;d worked together in the past.<br><br>My surgical nurse came and had me transfer to a wheelchair. She took me to the OR, which was tiled and intimidating, from what I could see. I started trembling again immediately. I said the Valium had worn off (about 40 min had passed), so they said they&apos;d give me a cocktail in my bloodstream, I think more Valium and an opioid. My nurse put in the IV, then strapped my wrists down with soft restraints to the bedrails on each side. That scared me, because I&apos;m claustrophobic. I also told her I can&apos;t breathe lying flat, so she propped my head up. My nurse cleaned around my eyes and plucked out a fiber or eyelash. My doctor came in and told me the surgery wouldn&apos;t be long. He didn&apos;t like where I was positioned on the bed and seemed kind of mad at the nurse when he told her I needed to move over. They put a little tent over my eye in no time at all. <br><br>I don&apos;t remember hearing the phaco, or anyone speaking during the surgery. All I saw the whole time was a square red light, which felt like something out of a horror movie. I felt the same kind of digging pressure (but no pain) I&apos;ve felt getting a tooth pulled. I was trying to shrink inside myself but there was no getting away from it. I was grateful the surgery only took about 3 minutes. I was so happy when the surgeon said it was done. <br><br>I was immediately expected to stand up and get back in the wheelchair. My surgical nurse was pregnant and told me they do 20-30 cataract surgeries a day, I was wheeled back to the recovery area (just one of the curtained bed spaces) with the lights off. My gram was waiting in a chair. The nurse or aide (not my surgical nurse) who was with her expected me to leave immediately. I could tell my gram was shocked because she asked me if I wanted water. Only because she asked, the nurse grudgingly gave me a bottle. Then she told my Gram to pull the car around and immediately wheeled me to the front door while I was still drinking. I was in the car just a few minutes after the surgery. Luckily I&apos;d make chocolate chip muffins the night before and brought one with me in case I was hungry after the surgery. I took a nap for a few hours after the surgery. The opioid must have worked well because I had no headaches or knee pain for at least 4 days afterward.<br><br>My doctor said I didn&apos;t need a toric IOL even though I&apos;ve worn toric contact lenses since I was 15. &nbsp;I can&apos;t see distance without a toric contact lens in. I can&apos;t read unless I take the contact out. I also see rays of light from overhead lights and concentric circles from headlights on the side or behind me in the car. I cancelled my right eye surgery because I didn&apos;t want the same dysphotopsias in that eye. I recently found out about Extended Depth of Focus IOLs (they have low rates of visual disturbances) and I&apos;m hoping I can find a doctor that will do a lens exchange for me.

• PI

  @pierclaud · 3 months ago

  This video is very accurate and informative. &nbsp;I &apos;ve done &nbsp;cataract three days ago. &nbsp;Very happy of results. I confirm &nbsp;all the informations of this video.

  1