Eye Surgery

I went in on Monday for the first of my two cataract surgeries and thought I would comment on the process. In late May, I went in to have my eyes tested since it had been two years and I thought I might need new glasses. The Optometrist told me that I should see an Ophthalmologist. I followed his advice and three weeks later saw the Ophthalmologist who informed me that I had cataracts in both my eyes, my left one being worse than the right. As the Ophthalmologist, I saw did not do surgery he asked me which area of the lower mainland I wanted to be referred.

The choices I was given were Vancouver with over a year and a half waitlist, Surrey with about a year waitlist, or Abbotsford with a three-month waitlist. I chose Abbotsford but I did ask the Doctor. why people would choose the longer wait periods. He suggested that people felt the “experts” were in the bigger hospitals. He did say that he would refer any of his family to the Dr. that I was going to see. Two weeks later, I saw the second Ophthalmologist who scheduled my first surgery for Oct 3 and my second for October 14^th. From the time, my Optometrist told me to see the specialist until my first operation was about 5 months. 

I arrived to Chilliwack General Hospital about 15 minutes before the time I had been scheduled to arrive and made my way to the eye clinic. Upon arrival at the eye clinic, there were about 15 of us being prepared for surgery. It was a very smooth running assembly line. The Nurses, who were while experienced in their field, were still helpful, efficient, and caring. One of the people scheduled for surgery was a man who was deaf without his hearing aid. As I watched him he looked more and more agitated, his wife and the Nurses were trying to explain what was happening and what was going to happen, but I thought he is (like me) very nervous and had opted for .intravenous anaesthetic, and not just a local freezing.    

I don’t know what happened but when he went into have his eye done, but his wife was called in and he was taken out to the another operating room. There was only one anaesthetist scheduled for the eye clinic area. As I was being prepared in the procedure room, the anaesthetist left. The Nurse explained that they needed the anaesthetist in the other operating room for the previous patient.  

The Ophthalmologist came in and said to me that if I wanted the intravenous anaesthetic I could have it but I would have to wait another hour. I opted for continuing the procedure using just the local freezing. My friends, and my wife and others I had talked to had recommended that I have the procedure using just the local freezing but I had it into my head that I could not do it. I was wrong.  

The procedure was done quickly with no pain and no discomfort. When I came out, I had some water and the Nurse took my blood pressure and then wandered out. One of the people waiting asked me how it had gone. I told the truth and said the procedure had gone better than I had thought and that I had been really nervous but I should not have been. I could see the collective sigh of relief in the room.

It is interesting to me that the vision on my left eye although not yet 100% is slowly improving and when I close my right I and examine the world with my left eye, the colours are so much brighter, and soon my hope is they will be sharper. I am looking forward to not having to wear glasses after 50 years of wearing them.