Of course I have used Google. I was wondering if anyone here had personal experiences or information to share.

One of my parents had it done. They do one at a time, which can be over a long period of time. It was done on the public system. I don't think it is anything to worry about. Obviously there are risks etc though, but that is the same with anything.

Mine are just the old age type. From what I have researched and been told by the optometrist, the lenses need replacing. I have a good idea what the surgery entails but I was wondering if anyone here had gone through it and could share their experience. I was also wondering what was involved (bureaucratically) in getting it done on the public system. I am aware that there are no differences as far as the procedure itself is concerned. This is just something I am confronting in the near future and I am trying to gather as much information as possible. Google has lots of detail on the procedures but I am also interested in personal experiences from the patient point of view. I realise it is a fairly routine procedure these days but it never hurts to be informed.

Its a routine minor operation done under local anaesthetic, often a sub tenon eye block and takes about 20-40 minutes.

Its tolerated remarkably well and done in some very frail people.

Usually do one eye at a time as it can take some time for the vision to settle completely and if you do both eyes at the same time, you might not be able to see.

Not sure what you mean by "what is involved bureaucratically"

You see a Ophthalmologist, they work out your points, you go on a waiting list and when you get to the top of the list you get your operation.

The list night be shorter in private but you pay for it.

In regards to risks: my mother had cataracts dealt to when she was in her 70s; they did them one eye at a time, which was lucky as after the first eye they discovered she had a genetic condition that resulted in her initially losing much of the sight in that eye. The solution was a cornea replacement, which didn't come cheap. Unsurprisingly, the same thing happened to the other eye (but at least she went into it the second time knowing it was very likely). The surgery had to be done in Auckland, so involved multiple trips for pre- and post-surgery checkups as well as the main events. All up I can imagine it was a decent pile of dosh.

Sorry, I don't recall the name of the condition that led to this, but I can see if I can find it if you're interested. I recall there were big concerns from the family as to the information the cataract surgeon had provided my mother in relation to explaining the risks prior (basically said after it happened that he wasn't surprised it had - but didn't explain this prior).

That is thoroughly alarming but thanks for the info. I just have to hope that there are no complications in my case, which seems to be how it usually happens. I am not looking forward to this at all, but I really have little choice. I live a long way from town, no public transport, and I can't pass the driver license eye exam again. My optometrist signed off for another 12 months to give me time for the surgery but that is it. 

My mother had both eyes done in her mid-late seventies. They put in prescription lenses so she only needs glasses for reading. She had it done privately as her insurance paid. I know a couple of other people who have had cataract surgery and I believe I can now spot those that have, as I can see a distinctive refractive twinkle in their pupils!

I'd be quite happy to get cataracts myself - and get new lenses on my insurance instead of having to fork out for Lasik or similar.

Yeah, it's reported as typically being one of the lower-risk surgeries, so I'm sure you'll be fine - and I can understand the desire to get it all sorted!

A bit of googling and I've come up with the name of the condition my mother had - it's called Fuchs Distrophy, and reading through that it seems it's most commonly known of before someone has cataract surgery, so they can plan for this at the time (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/conditions/Fuchs/treatment/fuchs_cataracts.html) ; in my mother's case, it appears the initial surgeon picked this up prior to the surgery but didn't fully inform my mother of the risks (if at all) - which we thought amounted to negligence and warranted a complaint to the H&DC. But my parents - common to many of that generation - weren't ones to make a fuss... 

andrewNZ: I have one eye that glints now. Makes people stop and look strangely sometimes.

One major downside is the eye no longer filters UV meaning I have a tough time without sunglasses on bright days.

That is the kind of thing you can only get from a patient perspective. Both points.

afe66: Lense is always replaced because a cataract is an opaque/cloudy lense. .

Actually the lenses are replaced now, because they can.

But originally you had the old one removed and that was it.

A side effect of not having the lens anymore was the ability to then see ultraviolet.

Usually the do one at a time. My mum had a 3 week wait for the first then a 3 day wait for the second.