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Cataract treatment

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Comments

  • Cataract Log for J.Rice

    Purpose
    The purpose of this log is to record my problems and solutions whilst living with developing cataracts in both eyes and trying to continue a normal life and job whilst waiting for the operation. The purpose of this log is to make clinicians aware of the problems people face whilst living with cataracts and the risks we put ourselves and others to whilst living with diminishing eyesight.

    My Letter to my GP at Clifton Medical Practice 27th June 2012-07-01

    Dear Dr.Poon,

    Earlier this year I thought it prudent to consult an ophthalmologist regarding a rapid deterioration of my eyesight and chose Specsavers in West Bridgford as they are comprehensively equipped with the newest eye testing equipment. They diagnosed cataracts in the centre of both of my eyes but stated that I needed “to wait until they were “ripe” enough for the surgeons to operate “ and to not drive home until I had been equipped with new glasses and specifically corrective lens Polaroid glasses, which after some weeks arrived and allowed me to drive again.

    Subsequent to this advice I researched the subject and found their advice to be baloney and a tactic employed by the local NHS trust aided and abetted by local Opticians to limit demand for surgery and sell more glasses.

    I wrote to Specsaver’s in West Bridgford and included the NHS reference material to not waiting for cataract ripening and asked them why they were advocating this course of treatment to their patients (customers) when current NHS advice was contrary? They invited me in for a further examination with an alternative ophthalmologist, whom I am informed, has written to you suggesting a referral to the hospital.

    To date I have not received an invitation to attend the hospital and wondered if you could check on progress? I am finding it very difficult to perform my regular duties as a managing director of a small technology company. It is taking me ages to compose and write letters, plus driving in sunny weather is difficult and Airport annunciators are impossible I was recently at Schiphol airport and was unable to read any flight information. I have a big workload scheduled this autumn with new business installations in the North East, Hertfordshire and Europe. The ability to Fly& drive, see computer screens and to walk down steps without difficulty is a prerequisite for my job.

    I have struggled hard to put this note together, my eyesight has deteriorated so markedly that I keep mistyping letters and emails and this is getting noticed by staff and customers. I would be grateful if you could update me on progress with my cataract hospital appointment.

    Yours Sincerely

    J.Rice Mr.


    Near Miss Log
    This details my near accidents associated with my declining vision and my brain’s interpretation of what it sees. Essentially the brain fills in the gaps which might not be there!

    Location Time Date Incident Description
    World Bank OIAS2 Conference Safari Park Hotel Nairobi Kenya 12.07pm 29th May 2012 Missed my footing on the steps leading to the conference building. Strong Overhead sunlight I was wearing my prescription Polaroid glasses. Just a stumble which I was able to recover from.
    Finca el cerrelo Hotel Canillas Spain 4.00pm 21st June Strong sunlight on white steps again I misjudged the steps whilst wearing my prescription sunglasses and with no balustrade ended up in the flower beds
  • coster
    coster Posts: 6 Forumite
    Joerice50 wrote: »
    Cataract Log for J.Rice

    Purpose
    The purpose of this log is to record my problems and solutions whilst living with developing cataracts in both eyes and trying to continue a normal life and job whilst waiting for the operation. The purpose of this log is to make clinicians aware of the problems people face whilst living with cataracts and the risks we put ourselves and others to whilst living with diminishing eyesight.

    My Letter to my GP at Clifton Medical Practice 27th June 2012-07-01

    Dear Dr.Poon,

    Earlier this year I thought it prudent to consult an ophthalmologist regarding a rapid deterioration of my eyesight and chose Specsavers in West Bridgford as they are comprehensively equipped with the newest eye testing equipment. They diagnosed cataracts in the centre of both of my eyes but stated that I needed “to wait until they were “ripe” enough for the surgeons to operate “ and to not drive home until I had been equipped with new glasses and specifically corrective lens Polaroid glasses, which after some weeks arrived and allowed me to drive again.

    Subsequent to this advice I researched the subject and found their advice to be baloney and a tactic employed by the local NHS trust aided and abetted by local Opticians to limit demand for surgery and sell more glasses.

    I wrote to Specsaver’s in West Bridgford and included the NHS reference material to not waiting for cataract ripening and asked them why they were advocating this course of treatment to their patients (customers) when current NHS advice was contrary? They invited me in for a further examination with an alternative ophthalmologist, whom I am informed, has written to you suggesting a referral to the hospital.

    To date I have not received an invitation to attend the hospital and wondered if you could check on progress? I am finding it very difficult to perform my regular duties as a managing director of a small technology company. It is taking me ages to compose and write letters, plus driving in sunny weather is difficult and Airport annunciators are impossible I was recently at Schiphol airport and was unable to read any flight information. I have a big workload scheduled this autumn with new business installations in the North East, Hertfordshire and Europe. The ability to Fly& drive, see computer screens and to walk down steps without difficulty is a prerequisite for my job.

    I have struggled hard to put this note together, my eyesight has deteriorated so markedly that I keep mistyping letters and emails and this is getting noticed by staff and customers. I would be grateful if you could update me on progress with my cataract hospital appointment.

    Yours Sincerely

    J.Rice Mr.


    Near Miss Log
    This details my near accidents associated with my declining vision and my brain’s interpretation of what it sees. Essentially the brain fills in the gaps which might not be there!

    Location Time Date Incident Description
    World Bank OIAS2 Conference Safari Park Hotel Nairobi Kenya 12.07pm 29th May 2012 Missed my footing on the steps leading to the conference building. Strong Overhead sunlight I was wearing my prescription Polaroid glasses. Just a stumble which I was able to recover from.
    Finca el cerrelo Hotel Canillas Spain 4.00pm 21st June Strong sunlight on white steps again I misjudged the steps whilst wearing my prescription sunglasses and with no balustrade ended up in the flower beds


    Joe,

    Just about to watch the big match but would just like to make a couple of comments on your very insightful post.

    I also went for my initial eye test at my local specsavers. Although they were magnificent in doing the eye tests (took a good hour) I did have to push to get them to refer me to the hospital. I do feel that there is a slight ambiguity here. Their job is really to sell glasses and you have to think there may be a natural reluctance to invest a lot of time with a customer who then goes off to the hospital without buying any (as I did).

    Secondly, the waiting list for an appointment with the NHS is rather long, six months in my case, and you do wonder what people who are really desperate for help do to cope while they are waiting for their appointment.

    Thirdly, I am glad you introduced the concept of risks and possible injuries to ones safety caused by falls and etc. It is not simply a "quality of life" issue but also a significant safety issue. I myself have fallen twice and I understand that misjudging steps and distances is a fairly common symptom of cataracts.
  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere Posts: 752 Forumite
    My mother-in-law had her second cateract op done this spring - the first was last autumn. The NHS must have thought it was worth doing - despite her being 93, and having age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma! So I don't think they have any excuse for trying to postpone operations on younger folks whose life is being restricted because of cateract.

    I vaguely remember having to help her fill in a form from the NHS with questions about how her life had been affected by her poor eyesight, and we emphasised how mentally alert she is and how frustrated she was because her eyesight prevented her doing many things she could still enjoy. When the time had passed for her to get an appointment for the second op with no word from the hospital we rang them up to remind them! So I think polite assertiveness is the key to a reasionably speedy treatment.
  • margaretclare
    margaretclare Posts: 10,789 Forumite
    Thirdly, I am glad you introduced the concept of risks and possible injuries to ones safety caused by falls and etc. It is not simply a "quality of life" issue but also a significant safety issue. I myself have fallen twice and I understand that misjudging steps and distances is a fairly common symptom of cataracts.
    Now you come to mention it, on two occasions before I had the cataracts done, must have been while they were developing, I fell and sustained injury. Once was in 1999 (I had them done in 2007), I tripped on a pavement and fractured plus dislocated my left elbow - this needed surgery and time to heal. Another time was in 2006 when I tripped on a granite sett at a petrol station, fell backwards and fractured the anterior part of my pelvis. This required 8 weeks on crutches until healing.

    So many older people are known to fall over and may occasion serious injury. In fact, one time when DH had a hospital appointment he was asked 'how many times have you had a fall in the past year?' His response was 'I haven't fallen over at all in the past year!' He was a bit surprised that the question was put that way, as if it was a given that he must have fallen down at some time or other!

    I completely agree with Elsewhere above.
    [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Æ[/FONT]r ic wisdom funde, [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]æ[/FONT]r wear[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]ð[/FONT] ic eald.
    Before I found wisdom, I became old.
  • slopemaster
    slopemaster Posts: 1,581 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Good point about the accidents and near misses caused by cataracts.
    I also walked straight into the side of a black car in bright sunshine, before having my first one done.

    I had my first cataract done a couple of years ago - it was getting to the point it wasn't safe for me to drive at night because of glare. (I was seeing quadruple lights!) The surgeon was great, and actually wanted to book me in for the second eye but FOOLISHLY I decided to wait as it wasn't bad. Now the second eye is bad, the first one is going cloudy again, and the NHS have moved the goalposts (since the change of government) so I am struggling to get an appointment.

    And, as others have said, really struggling to get the two eyes working together as I'm long-sighted in one and short-sighted in the other - and blurry in both!

    Thank goodness for computers where you can adjust the print size.

    Also just wanted to say to the OP not to be scared of the procedure itself - I was pretty terrified, as having surgery on your eye is a scary idea, but really it was less bad than a filling at the dentist.

    Terrible tale about specsavers!
    The ophthalmo that I see at a small independent opticians has been great. I never buy glasses from them, just get checked out in case of glaucoma etc.
    (But they do get paid by NHS for the eye testing)
    She told me I had small cataracts developing, but with both eyes they suddenly started to get rapidly worse so I went back, and she then referred me, with a strongly-worded letter about how it was affecting my quality of life etc so I wouldn't get fobbed off.
    (Mind you, I am "young" - 50 when I had the first one done.)
  • nedmundo
    nedmundo Posts: 1,160 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Joerice50 wrote: »
    Cataract Log for J.Rice

    Purpose
    The purpose of this log is to record my problems and solutions whilst living with developing cataracts in both eyes and trying to continue a normal life and job whilst waiting for the operation. The purpose of this log is to make clinicians aware of the problems people face whilst living with cataracts and the risks we put ourselves and others to whilst living with diminishing eyesight.

    My Letter to my GP at Clifton Medical Practice 27th June 2012-07-01

    Dear Dr.Poon,

    Earlier this year I thought it prudent to consult an ophthalmologist regarding a rapid deterioration of my eyesight and chose Specsavers in West Bridgford as they are comprehensively equipped with the newest eye testing equipment. They diagnosed cataracts in the centre of both of my eyes but stated that I needed “to wait until they were “ripe” enough for the surgeons to operate “ and to not drive home until I had been equipped with new glasses and specifically corrective lens Polaroid glasses, which after some weeks arrived and allowed me to drive again.

    Subsequent to this advice I researched the subject and found their advice to be baloney and a tactic employed by the local NHS trust aided and abetted by local Opticians to limit demand for surgery and sell more glasses.

    I wrote to Specsaver’s in West Bridgford and included the NHS reference material to not waiting for cataract ripening and asked them why they were advocating this course of treatment to their patients (customers) when current NHS advice was contrary? They invited me in for a further examination with an alternative ophthalmologist, whom I am informed, has written to you suggesting a referral to the hospital.

    To date I have not received an invitation to attend the hospital and wondered if you could check on progress? I am finding it very difficult to perform my regular duties as a managing director of a small technology company. It is taking me ages to compose and write letters, plus driving in sunny weather is difficult and Airport annunciators are impossible I was recently at Schiphol airport and was unable to read any flight information. I have a big workload scheduled this autumn with new business installations in the North East, Hertfordshire and Europe. The ability to Fly& drive, see computer screens and to walk down steps without difficulty is a prerequisite for my job.

    I have struggled hard to put this note together, my eyesight has deteriorated so markedly that I keep mistyping letters and emails and this is getting noticed by staff and customers. I would be grateful if you could update me on progress with my cataract hospital appointment.

    Yours Sincerely

    J.Rice Mr.


    Near Miss Log
    This details my near accidents associated with my declining vision and my brain’s interpretation of what it sees. Essentially the brain fills in the gaps which might not be there!

    Location Time Date Incident Description
    World Bank OIAS2 Conference Safari Park Hotel Nairobi Kenya 12.07pm 29th May 2012 Missed my footing on the steps leading to the conference building. Strong Overhead sunlight I was wearing my prescription Polaroid glasses. Just a stumble which I was able to recover from.
    Finca el cerrelo Hotel Canillas Spain 4.00pm 21st June Strong sunlight on white steps again I misjudged the steps whilst wearing my prescription sunglasses and with no balustrade ended up in the flower beds

    Joe - to be absolutely fair, the PCT in each area sets strict vsual criteria, at which they will fund cataract surgery. Instructions are given to Optometrists in that area not to refer any patients that fail to meet that criteria as the hospital will reject the referral any way.

    In that situation, my priority would be to ensure the patients vision is as good as possible, until such time they do meet the criteria.

    Hope that makes sense.
    Beware the character seeking personal gain masquerading as a moral crusader.
    :beer:
  • Managed to find the referral guidelines! Basically, if you don't fall into one of these categories, you'll initially get knocked back, but as you can see, they are open to interpretation, so it's always worth taking your case up with the PCT. Highlighting is mine BTW. Hope this helps anyone who's struggling to get their operation.

    Cataract Referral Criteria
    Referrals for cataracts should meet one of the following criteria:
    Reduced visual acuity to be 6/12 or worse in the affected eye (corrected) and 6/9 or worse in the other eye AND impairment of lifestyle such as, the patient is at significant risk of falls.
    The patient's vision is affecting their ability to drive.
    The patient's vision is substantially affecting their ability to work.
    The patient's vision is substantially affecting their ability to undertake leisure activities such as reading, watching television or recognising faces.
    "Most of the people ... were unhappy... Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy." -- Douglas Adams
  • My Mum had hers done last year at the ripe old age of 87 ! She said it was uncomfy for a few mins only. Second eye was done a few weeks later and it took another few weeks before she noticed an appreciable improvement. She can now read for hours and is back to doing her cross-stitch which is a real achievement for anyone of 88. I've also noticed than when we are driving around, she sees things in the distance or on hoardings etc, something she hadn't been able to do for years.

    I agree with the need to be assertive, but polite and go prepared to ask relevant questions and persevere until you get feasible answers. Mum is of the generation who think that the doctor is always right and you should never query what he says/doesn't say. I try to go in to any doctor's appts with her now and I'm pushy if I have to be, to the point where I will challenge if needed.

    Good luck.

    Miss H
  • beedeedee
    beedeedee Posts: 991 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 2 July 2012 at 8:15AM
    As an aside - had cataracts done 3 years ago with a month between each eye, then last year developed a secondary "cataract" on the plastic lens of one of them! It was a quick fix with a laser to get it sorted, but had to wait months for that appointment, whereas the original cataracts had been done almost straightaway. If you do notice a cloudiness again, sometime after your cataract op - get it checked out at the hospital.
  • nedmundo
    nedmundo Posts: 1,160 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    In the area I practice, it's 6/12 for the 1st eye and 6/18 for the 2nd - no ifs or buts (apart from clinical necessity). In the neighbouring county it's 6/18 for 1st or 2nd, which is shocking.
    Beware the character seeking personal gain masquerading as a moral crusader.
    :beer:
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