Cataract info

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#2079466 26-Aug-2018 20:19

Yes, well...

They replace the cataract with a new lense because thats the correct thing to do. In the dim past they couldnt replace the lense so they removed them so light could enter again but you need cataract glasses which were huge thick things.

Like in the past they would remove the hip joint and fuse it all together leaving you with no hip movement. Now we replace the hip joint.

robcreid

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#2079551 27-Aug-2018 10:02

My mother had one of hers done a couple of years ago. She is in her 70's.

Her optometrist referred her to a specialist but it was going to be over 6 months wait just to see someone. That was not on the waiting list for the procedure, it was the wait to see someone to get put on the waiting list which may have been another 6 months.

Because the DHBs are rated on their waiting list times they seem to restrict the waiting list by rationing the ability to get on the list.

Her eyesight was deteriorating fairly quickly and she was going to have to stop driving which would have been a major loss of independence for her.

In the end she paid to go private and saw the same specialist and got the procedure sorted in under a month.

Procedure wise it was very straight forward.

Expect lots of eye-drops multiple times per day for a couple of weeks after.

We helped her with them initially and then the once the frequency of drops reduced she was able to do them herself. The pharmacy gave her some sort of glasses frame that help with self application.

End result was that her eyesight is better then it had been for years. Second eye will probably need doing in a year or so.

Rikkitic

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#2079570 27-Aug-2018 10:34

Thanks for the info. That is the kind of thing I am looking for. It gives me a better sense of what to expect.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

frankv

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#2079597 27-Aug-2018 11:07

robcreid:

Because the DHBs are rated on their waiting list times they seem to restrict the waiting list by rationing the ability to get on the list.

Correct. Criteria are set for being referred to a specialist. If you don't meet the criteria, you don't get a referral. This does mean that if you meet the criteria, you will be fairly certain of getting an appointment within 3 months.

It's possible that there might be different criteria in different DHBs.

kingdragonfly

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#2080260 28-Aug-2018 12:57

If you have it done publicly, you'll be restricted to one type of lens, a monofocal lens. You can not upgrade it in the public system, by paying the difference in cost.

Monofocal is fine, and used by most patients in most of the world.

Private will give your doctor more choices in lens, such as multifocal lens, and will let you skip the queue.

I would strongly recommended Thorndon Eye Clinic in Wellington. I've been told Wellington has a better than usual number of good eye surgeons.

Fred99

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#2080343 28-Aug-2018 16:21

FWIW, I just took my octogenarian FIL for checkup/consultation today.

He'd been given an OK by his GP - but only just - for driving, with the comment that at the rate his eyesight was deteriorating, he'd probably not pass next year. It was also affecting his ability to read the newspaper and text on TV, use a cellphone etc.

Eye examination was thorough, about 90 minutes total, mainly with technicians, followed by a brief examination/consultation with the surgeon.

Confirmed there were no other issues going on (glaucoma, macular degeneration etc), all good, both eyes need cataract surgery. Cost $3350 per eye (monofocal), plus $300 for the consultation today. I'll take him in next week to get the first eye done.

I'll see if I can talk him into giving up smoking - (again) LOL - that probably costs him $7k a year - and giving up might improve the odds of him enjoying his sparkly new eyesight long enough for a reasonable return on investment.

I'm told that those prices are low - others are charging up to $4500 per eye.

But it's still $7000, which I'm sure would be financially crippling for many older people.

His eyesight wasn't yet poor enough to qualify for referral/treatment in the public system. Eye tests by the opthamologist actually showed his eyesight was better than assessed by his GP - so he could have been waiting a very long time if not going private. That's not good - his eyesight is pretty bad from any practical POV - starting to affect his ability to look after himself, not just "enjoy life".

afe66

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#2080375 28-Aug-2018 18:33

There maybe also an anaesthesia fee, which might be included in that quote of the surgeon knows what their anaesthetist charges.

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Fred99

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#2080586 29-Aug-2018 08:41

As I understand it, there's probably no fee as there's no anaesthetist. I think part of that preop examination was to determine if the patient was going to be okay with just some benzos to calm them down, and eye-drops as local topical anaesthetic - or if an anaesthetist is needed. It would truly suck if the clinic didn't tell the patient of an additional cost at the time of booking them in - even if they didn't know the exact cost.

kryptonjohn

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#2080597 29-Aug-2018 08:51

My brother's an anesthetist. The one job he hates doing is eyes.

Batman

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#2080671 29-Aug-2018 10:04

kryptonjohn:
My brother's an anesthetist. The one job he hates doing is eyes.

One man's meat ...

Geektastic

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#2080681 29-Aug-2018 10:34

Rikkitic:

I just learned that I need to have cataract surgery within the next year. What can anyone tell me about this, both publlc and private?

I can tell you that the surgeon who did my LASIK is a specialist in cataract surgery as well. He's based in Wellington and his name is Mr Reece Hall.

He seems very competent and is a very nice man to boot, which always helps. Obviously I can't specifically comment on his cataract surgery skills but I would be confident in consulting with him were I in your position.

afe66

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#2080732 29-Aug-2018 11:49

Some ophthalmologist get anaesthetists to do the eye blocks (nerve injections) because they can do more Operations in the same amount of time compared with doing blocks themselves.

Doesn't apply if surgeon happy doing the cataract on just eye drops. Some patients can't keep eyes fixed in one direction or blink lots.

kingdragonfly

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#2080764 29-Aug-2018 13:02

I see several misconceptions in the posts above.

Lasik is nothing like cataracts surgery. I've had both types of surgery.

Lasik uses a laser which tracks the eyes many times a second, hence no need to paralyze eye muscles, or prevent blinking. The laser is simply reacts faster than a even a blink.

First cataract surgery is the most common surgery in the world, so not to worry. recovery is also fast, with some people literally driving home unattended the same day (not recommended).

With cataract surgery, the surgeon sucks out the lens with a small vacuum and two tiny incisions (but not the aqueous humour, the "eyeball juice"). You can see the surgery on Youtube, if you're not squeamish. Personally I found it less stressful to see what would happen.

I'd recommend avoiding general anaesthesia, being "knocked out" if you're not a child, or have mental problems. Ignoring the fact that it's more expensive than local "you're awake" anaesthesia, there's a small chance of dying while knocked out, which happened to a friend of mine.

Your eye muscles are paralyzed, and the lids are kept open with a device, that looks like something from the movie "Mechanical Orange." While it looks unpleasant, it's painless.

Costs also seem off. I paid private 3,480.70 which included a more expensive multifocal lens, the Comfort MF20 Intraocular Lens. It did not include the anaesthesiologist. An eye scan cost $200, and the anaesthesiologist cost $460, for a total of $4,140.70 for one eye

http://www.oculentis.com/lentis-mplus-x.html

In my case, surgery went wrong, through no fault of the surgeon. I was in the 0.01% of people who had multiple complications; someone has to have bad luck. When the surgeon detect a problem, he stopped. I was still under topical anaesthesia, and we discussed how to move forward. Everything worked out in the end.

I won't name the surgeon, because as I say, it wasn't his skills; it was my genetics.

The upside of being under topical anaesthesia is he continued the operation, which only took about 20 minutes longer than the usual 30 minutes.

Batman

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#2080773 29-Aug-2018 13:17

Why did you have an anaesthesiologist when you were awake and had topical drops?

jarledb

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#2080796 29-Aug-2018 13:36

There are people that don't have cataract that change their lenses now to use trifocal lenses

Would probably be a good thing for me, since I am getting to the stage where I need multifocals anyway.

Been trying to get my mom to look at that, not sure how easy its to get those kind of lenses when its a medical condition and you don't pay for it all yourself.

More about the different lenses they can put it.

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