My ultimate nightmare came true

@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
February 19, 2016 1:02pm CST
As some members will already know I visited the hospital today to have the result of my recent cataract operation assessed. This was expected to be a formality and a date set for my other eye, but it seems that complications have developed. According to the surgeon, during a cataract operation the container that houses the lens is cut to allow removal and a new artificial one inserted. A space is also left in the bag itself to allow light to pass through. For some unknown reason mine has grown over again, causing a rather opaque covering on the lens. Now I shall have to return to the Royal Eye Hospital to have a piece of the covering cut away to create a space for me to see through. Instead of returning for the cataract operation on my left eye, which is a procedure that I am now aware of, I shall be undergoing a totally different operation on my right eye first. This morning I was feeling that everything was going fine, whereas now the universe has turned against me yet again.
37 people like this
37 responses
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Feb 16
Oh I'm so sorry I wish this wasn't an issue. Hopefully it will go smoothly and be a success.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
Whatever the ultimate outcome, it has certainly been a serious jolt.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 Only the past couple of days, which I assumed was due to not having a prescription for my right eye and the resultant strain.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Feb 16
@Asylum Have you noticed a drop in your eyesight
3 people like this
@rebelann (110762)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Feb 16
I am so sorry that happened to you, I hope the correction surgery will go much better and that this time you will heal as is intended. I'll put you in my prayers.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
It is not only the fact that complications occurred, but the nature of those complications that concern me. When they punctured the sack in the eye to remove the cataract coated lens, they left a gap in the sack for light to pass through. This gap closed due to the tissue regenerating. Now they shall operate on the eye again in order to remove a section of the tissue, but how do I know that it will not regenerate again? The surgeon claimed that this was extremely rare and he had only ever known it with young children who were still developing, so there are no guarantees whatsoever. Right now I would prefer to have my cataract back.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
@rebelann It is not just the vision, but the potential of constant ongoing operations that makes me reluctant.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110762)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Feb 16
I can imagine how horrifying that must be @Asylum to me nothing could be worse than to have my vision compromised as I already have vision problems and have worn glasses since I was 2 yrs old.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
21 Feb 16
i am so sorry to read about this happening to you and, from reading through the comments, I can understyand that you are now no longer in a hurry to have the other eye done. They told you that this happens rarely so presumably it is almost impossible that after you have it corrected it would return again?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
@mysdianait Oh no, that has naturally been delayed due to the current issue.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
It was almost impossible to happen in the first instance, so those odds do not eradicate my concern.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
21 Feb 16
@Asylum I was thining that, as it is doubtful that will happen again, the operation on your other eye is not so far away after all. Any idea when you will be doing this one?
1 person likes this
@rosekiss (30380)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Feb 16
It sounds like they didn't get it all in the first place, but there is a scondary cataract that forms, where all the do is use a laser and pop it off. It is ashame, when surgery isn't done right. I have never had that, as I can see better now, than I used to. I think it all depends on the doctor too, as some really don't care. I will say though, the one I had, took great pains to make sure he got it all, and it took time, but he did get it all, as I haven't had any problems seeing, and I have had it checked since the syrgery, and nothing has come back, thank goodness.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
If a small piece had been left behind then laser surgery would have been sufficient. However, the problem in my case is that a film had grown across the eye and completely deprived access to light.
1 person likes this
@rosekiss (30380)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Feb 16
@Asylum I have never heard of that happening after cataract surgery. It sounds like he didn't do it right to begin with, and it covered up your lens. I hope that the nxt time, he does it properly, as I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Now, they do leave the capsule that the lns sits in, and it can cloud the lens, after a time after cataract surgery, and the just take a laser amd pop it off. Fortunately for me, I never had that happen an it doesn't happen to everyone.
1 person likes this
@rosekiss (30380)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Feb 16
@Asylum That was fast, as if they are going to grwo back, it take time. I am sorry you have had complications with your surgery, but I hope the secnd time around for that eye, will go much better, and you won''t have that problem again, and you will be able to see like you used to.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
19 Feb 16
That does not sound like fun. I am not into having eye surgery. I would cringe at anything coming close to my eyes. I know I would jump off the table. Good luck with this who eye surgery.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
The cataract operation rather horrified me too, but the thought of a follow-up operation seems worse. I have now reached a stage which gives me no option.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
20 Feb 16
@Asylum I can only imagine how you feel right now. I know I would be a nervous wreck over that. But looking at the positive, once this gets done your one eye will be good to go.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
@inertia4 That I am unsure of. My comcern now is that if the slit can grow over this time then it may do again.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118204)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Feb 16
Sorry to hear about your predicament Barry. Hope the doctors are able to get everything fixed for you. Hang in there.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
They are scheduling an appointment for another operation, but my concern now is how many operations will I end up with. One operation per eye is more than enough for me.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
@moffittjc You must have been horrified when you had the first operation and discovered that another was required, which is how I feel right now. I cannot even guess at how long this may continue.
@moffittjc (118204)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Feb 16
@Asylum I've had five surgeries on my left eye to try and relieve pressure off my optic nerve from where an artery somehow got tangled with it.It caused damaged to my retina, which they've been working on to correct. I had lost my vision in my left eye for a while, but they've now been able to retire it almost back to normal.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
22 Feb 16
I do not know why this is happening to you. Honestly I have known of so many people who have gone through this procedure and they are all fine Now I am beginning to think whether India has taken over.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
It seemed to be a great surprise to the surgeon as well. Rare or not it is still a very worrying situation.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
@allknowing The surgeon came to examine me himself once he was notified of the situation and is performing the next operation as well. I have no cause to be dissatisfied with the attention he has given the situation, but sadly I still cannot see out of my right eye.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
22 Feb 16
@Asylum I am sure your surgeon will take extra interest and may be even write a thesis on it. Saw?
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
24 Feb 16
So how was the operation on your right eye , my friend ? I hope your right eye is okay now .
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
I am still waiting to be contacted by the hospital. Originally I was told that it would probably be today, but so far nobody has given me a definite appointment.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
@SIMPLYD Hopefully it shall not be too long.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
24 Feb 16
@Asylum I hope and pray you can be called soon and your right eye be given its due treatment .
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
21 Feb 16
That is a rare complication but it is not untreatable. You will soon be back 100%. It is a hiccup Barry. Don't get too despondent because it will be well worth it in the end.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
It was the worst news I could have imagined.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
@garymarsh6 I am more concerned about being delayed for my next one.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
21 Feb 16
@Asylum I know I bet your heart sank. So sorry to hear that Barry. Just start thinking of all your holidays you will be able to go on practically glasses free!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 16
I hope the first procedure goes well, so you can get on with the second one.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
It will certainly be a while before I can feel confident that the problem is not due to recur.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
@TheHorse I have no choice but continue as my current level of sight in the right eye is zero.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 16
@Asylum Yeah, that would scare me as well. But I guess you just have to keep on plugging until it's done.
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
19 Feb 16
Wishing you the best of luck with these surgeries! My grandfather had cataracts. The surgeon attempted to remove them but was unsuccessful. This was back in the early 1900s. There were no lasers then, of course, and scalpels were used. There, don't you feel better now? Keep us posted as well as you can. Where should we send flowers and cards to wish you a speedy recovery?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
No, I do not feel much better because my surgery was a catastrophe despite modern equipment.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
@blitzfrick That is my current concern. The surgeon will plucking the cover over the lens in order to gain access and cut out a section of the film that covers the lens. My concern now is that if my metabolism chose to regrow the cover the first time, then it may do the very same again. This would result in the same operation every 4 or 5 weeks indefinitely.
• United States
20 Feb 16
@Asylum But still fixable, right? ::fingers crossed::
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15489)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 16
Sorry to hear that. I've no idea what it must be like to have a bad eye but remember when my mate had metal in his eye and I saw it removed with a needle Hopefully you'll get things sorted out soon
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
It was bad enough having to undergo an operation to remove the cataract and insert an artificial lens, but now I need to have the eye punctured again so that they can cut away the skin that grew over the lens. This was the worse news that I could possibly receive.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
@Mike197602 Precisely what went through my mind.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15489)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 16
@Asylum sounds bloody horrible
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26163)
• Singapore
22 Feb 16
Sorry to hear this development - hopefully the new procedure fixes the issue without much ado - siva
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
Even if that proves to be true I will still be very apprehensive about the operation on my other eye.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
@Shiva49 That would not really make a big difference.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26163)
• Singapore
22 Feb 16
@Asylum Another reason for me to pause for surgery on the other eye! I think you should take a second opinion why this occurred - siva
1 person likes this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
24 Feb 16
Normally a cataract operation does not have much complications but this is shocking. Hope your operation goes well. My prayers are with you.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
Iwas told that such complications arte extremely rare, but that is little consolation since I am one of those rare incidents.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 Feb 16
@Scindhia That is my main concern at the moment. The surgeon said that he would telephone me on Monday and probably arrange the operation for today, but so far I have heard nothing. Now I have no idea what is happening or why.
1 person likes this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
24 Feb 16
@Asylum When is your surgery scheduled?
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14921)
• Malaysia
20 Feb 16
It really doesn't sound good. I am sorry that you have to go through the trouble. Hope the suggestion from the surgeon will really solve the problem. Would it be possible or better to seek for a second opinion from another surgeon?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
That would not really help because the problem that developed could not have been predicted.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
23 Feb 16
@kaka135 I expected to have heard from the Hospital by now, but nobody has telephoned so far.
@kaka135 (14921)
• Malaysia
23 Feb 16
@Asylum Sorry to hear that. I really hope the problem will be fixed very soon, and you will be well soon.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
21 Feb 16
I am so sorry about the bad news. I hope all goes well and you are soon able to get the other eye done.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
I am not too eager to have the other done now. If I have ended up with another operation on this eye due to the tissue regenerating, then I fear that the same result would occur with the left eye. To have an operation on the eye is quite unnerving, but to have a second operation on the same eye feels catastrophic.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
@BelleStarr Directly after the cataract operation the sight in my right eye improved immensely. Now that the tissue has grown back over the lens my right eye has become completely ornamental. This leaves me with very little alternative.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
21 Feb 16
@Asylum I can understand your reluctant but I imagine there is not much of an alternative.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
19 Feb 16
So sorry to read this. But take heart, like someone said below, there is at least a solution.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
Yes, but will it be a permanent solution or the beginning of a n ongoing nightmare?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
@marlina This is obviously what I would prefer, although only time will tell.
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
20 Feb 16
@Asylum I am voting for the permanent solution.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Feb 16
What a bummer, so sorry you have to go thru that. Let's hope they get it right this time.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
It seems that it is more a case of how my body reacts to the operation rather than the operation itself. My sight was greatly improved after the cataract operation, but about 5 weeks later when the4 tissue regenerated my sight became far worse. Now I cannot see anything through my right eye.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Feb 16
@AbbyGreenhill I have to make do with my left eye all day, so it will suffice for the computer.
• United States
21 Feb 16
@Asylum I don't know how you can enjoy being on the computer in that condition.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
19 Feb 16
The 'ole peepers seem to be a bit of a bugger when they start to go wrong. Alas! You have to put your trust in the staff at the clinic, and it can take quite a leap of faith... All the best for getting the 2nd op soon!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
I no longer want the second eye operation to be soon. I need to ensure that the operation on my right eye is satisfactory first. Since the lens healed over this time, I have no guarantee that it will not do so again. If that happens then I shall not risk having the left eye cataract removed. It would be better to struggle with one eye plus a cataract than risk both having new lenses that seal over. In this event I would be genuinely blind.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
19 Feb 16
@Asylum Scary. And they say cataract operations are so life-changing... Something sounds odd somewhere.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Feb 16
@pgntwo It has certainly caused a major change to my life.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Feb 16
Oh no @Asylum . So many things can go wrong and you just never know when. I hope this gets resolved for you darn it.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
I have little choice but just to wait and see, but I will not rely on a good result.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Feb 16
@nanette64 So do I, but all I can do is wait for the ultimate outcome.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Feb 16
@Asylum I sincerely hope you'll be okay.
1 person likes this