Cataracts

I just had a needed eye exam as I needed new lens in my glasses. I was told I have beginning cataracts. I'm 53, and a few years ago I started noticing that the lower right quadrant of my right eye often seems like I need to clean my glasses, but they are clean. My father had cataract surgery in both eyes in early 70's.

I would like to hear anyone's informed, experienced, or even uninformed comments (identify them as such) on how this will affect astronomical viewing for me. Currently it doesn't seem to.
Thank you,
Steven

Attached Image:

Steven,

I am 52 and have had cataract surgery in both eyes. My left eye was done about 4 years ago and just recently my right eye. The biggest thing you notice right away is that what you thought was white...is really yellowed by the aging of your natural lens. When I had the left eye done I was amazed at the difference in the color between the new lens and my right eye with my natural lens. Since I am right eye dominant, I dreaded the day when I might need to have it done. Well...I am happy to report that my vision at the eyepiece is better than it has been for years and I did not even realize it. I am much more sensitive to colors (especially blue) and found that false color was much easier to detect. My latest "new lens" is acrylic and seems to be much sharper than the lens inserted 4 years ago (silicon). My surgeon told me that they have made some excellent improvements in the implants over the past few years and my experience sure bears that out.

In a nutshell....there is no alternative to the surgery. If you are noting the blur now..it does not take long for it to take over. 1 week after the surgery I was back at the eyepiece and although I still had a reddish (blood)tint the sharpness was already returning. I had a slight double image until the swelling went down. I also had to be very careful not to bump the healing eye. If you have any specific questions or would like to discuss this with me off line you can contact me through my web site at www.jbastro.com

Hope that helps some and good luck

John

Steven,
I don't have right or left eye dominance, and I had cataracts in both eyes. Finally, two years ago at age 59, I had cataract surgery on my left eye, which was the worst, and it made all the difference in the world. Now I use it almost exclusively at the eyepiece. I second what John says about the difference in color, and the rapidity with which I recovered. The procedure itself is almost a non-event -- nothing like it was for you father in the 70s. I was in the OR maybe 20 minutes, max, and the procedure itself took maybe 10 minutes, with no discomfort beyond my initial anxiety. Two days after surgery I had a followup exam, and measured 20-20. About six months later, there was a slight growth of protein between the prosthetic lens and the lens sack, which occurs about 1/3 to 1/2 the time in most patients. They deal with that with laser surgery which burns a clear hole thru the sack without damaging the new lens or the inner eye.

Curiously, as I bring my eyes down on an eyepiece that's focused on a bright extended object, such as a planet, I can see the cataract in my right eye, or the hole thru the lens sack in my left eye, reflected in the eyepiece. For me, cataracts are more like an occlusion rather than a blurring. Across the field of view there's a discontinuity rather like looking at a broken mirror. Images in my "bionic" eye are sharp, however. Given everything, cataract surgery, while not restoring my vision to pristine, youthful quality, was a very good choice. I'm looking at having the other one done soon.

A retired optometrist friend of mine told me the only bad news in all this is that as a natural consequence of aging and exposure to UV, sooner or later everyone will develop cataracts if they live long enough. Given that, I believe it's better to have them corrected while your health is good and your chances for improved quality of life are high.