 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2010-07-16 21:54
Have any members of the forum had Cataract surgery?
If yes, what type of Lens did you choose? Mono - Multi - etc.
How did lens selection facilitate or hinder your playing?
And how long did you have to wait to play Oboe again?
I am thinking of getting Crytalens - which has good intermediate and distant vision.
All information appreciated.
Mark
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2010-07-16 22:05
Mary RN here: I used to work on a hospital eye unit.
You'll not be able to play for awhile. Cataract surgery is a work of art, but anything that increases intra-ocular pressure would be a no-no.
So let the doctor know that you play and follow his/her recommendations literally. And when you do play again, enter the oboe world slowly!
GoodWinds
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Author: hautbois
Date: 2010-07-17 00:14
Mark -- I recently had surgery. As my playing days are in the past, I cannot speak to your query about resuming playing, other than that I was generally instructed to refrain from exertion for awhile (no lifting or bending over, for example) until the opening through which the new lens is inserted is healed.
My investigation of lenses led me to choose a single distance lens -- my choice was for an intermediate distance -- the distance of a cumputer screen, more or less. It seemed to me that while a multi-focus lens is a nifty idea, those multi-distance lenses have yet to be perfected, and also that there is often a halo in the vision with them. I also chose a lens which blocks UV. The surgery itself was totally uneventful. Complete clarity of vision was attained in a day or so, and there were no surgical complications. I will need a laser treatment to puncture a fold in the back of the sac which holds the lens. It is not an uncommon problem, and the solution is very simple, I am told, not even requiring that I find another driver to take me to and from the surgical center.
One of the things which had annoyed me so much during the last years of my playing was the difficulty I had distinguishing a sharp from a natural sign on my music, because, as you probably know, with cataracts, vision cannot be fully corrected. With my cataract now removed it is incredible to me that I ever navigated my way through music at all. Also, driving home from rehearsal late at night with all the additional glare which a cataract creates was an unnecessary difficulty and hazard.
Best of luck.
Elizabeth
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Author: lbarton
Date: 2010-07-17 16:41
Hi Mark,
About two years ago I had cataracts removed from both eyes within a 3 month period. Since I have astigmatism I was advised to implant one of the older, proven lens , at fixed focus. I must still wear glasses and find a very carefully measured and well made trifocal quite satisfactory for all applications, close, intermediate for computer and music stand , and distance. The division line in the trifocal must be very carefully positioned but they work well. Since I am a musician and a librarian, sharp focus is absolutely necessary.
Nothing will be quite perfect for reading small numbers on the library books on the bottom shelf tho! My opthalmaologist preferred not to use the relatively untested newer lens but progress may have been made since then. The implants were for intermediate distance, and although I can walk around the house comfortably with no glasses, I cannot read print on prescriptions bottles up close, or distant road signs, without my glasses. I don't remember exactly but I think I was able to resume playing oboe in about 6 weeks or less. Lois Barton
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2010-07-19 05:50
No cataract surgery but 13 brain surgeries HAVE affected my eyesight. Hope you are able to find a comfortable solution to your vision problems!
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Author: Wes
Date: 2010-07-23 08:37
Hi!
Yes, I have the Crystallens in both eyes. I'm very happy with the result but it didn't work out as well as my Doctor expected. He said that I might eliminate the need for glasses completely. While I can focus both eyes, far vision requires prescription lenses in order to read street signs.
I can only speculate that the prescription of the Crystallens' was not optimum but I don't know why. I can read up close without glasses but I prefer to wear music reading glasses when playing so I can see a little clearer without trying to focus the Crystallens. Perhaps focussing the Crystallens takes some attention away from reading music????
Since I buy prescription glasses online from Zenni Optical with very great results at rock bottom prices, I carry three glasses in the car, including $18 prescription sunglasses, distance glasses, and music reading glasses.
At home, I have distance glasses and music reading glasses, all very inexpensive.
Colors are a little different after surgery and light is brighter. What you thought were black socks turn out to be purple in some cases.
I also had post operation lasic to try to improve vision by blasting away the membrane in the center of the back of the lens area. I don't recall that it made and improvement in the prescription but it let a tiny bit more light in to the retina. Good Luck!
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2010-07-24 00:34
Wes:
Color changes is interesting. Do you have cataracts because of long term use of immunosuppressants like prednisnone, or simply due to age ?
Sooner or later, I will probably need to do cataract surgery. So, I am a little worried, if the side effects will be more extreme for me. Color changes for me, I would hate to think if it resulted in color blindess. Right now, some see as black on a black cloth, I see as a navy blue or dark purple, but this is without surgery. Like as if I am seeing more light in blacks. For now, the notes are still black to me.
Oh my.........what a future to look forward to !
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Author: Wes
Date: 2010-07-24 06:25
Hi!
The cataracts were most probably due to aging and many of my aged friends have had them. They appear very slowly but eventually they dim the sight.
Please don't think that the very slight color change made any difference to me. Some or all of it could be the result of a slight yellowing of the natural lens. The slight color change I noted may just be a return to my original color sense.
Also, don't worry about the operations as they are done so expertly now. It's possible that you will not need them. I read music just fine now, by the way and played a little solo with the LAPD Concert Band recently at the Kennedy Center Stage, no big thing. Good Wishes.
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Author: lbarton
Date: 2010-07-24 18:21
I had no particular loss of color vision before cataract surgery and it remains the same after. The good news is that several elderly friends report a large improvement in the perception of color after the surgery. One said it was delightful to see colors look so beautiful--his loss before the surgery had been so gradual he had never noticed it until everything looked so nice after his implants.
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