Coping with temporary sight imbalance after cataract surgery

DH has had both his done very recently. Optician at Specsavers referred him on Thursday and by the time he walked back home his phone was ringing. He was offered a consultant assessment on the Tuesday and had op Thurs of the same week. Specsavers checked the operated eye and again referred for cataract op which he had the next day!!!! He then had to wait 4wks for his new prescription glasses. This was all done on nhs.

It’s a long time since I had my cataracts done. I was very shortsighted from an early age. After the first operation I had a contact lens for the other eye and also had the lens in my glasses replaced with plain glass. This worked quite well for me. It’s surprising how quickly you adapt. The only slight downside was that I got headaches for the first few days especially in sunlight. Paracetamol helped a lot. Good luck!

Thank you all for your encouraging messages with advice and practical suggestions from your own experience.
It is really helpful to know that I can get a lens removed from my specs, for example, to help cope with the imbalance better.

I had my cataract done in my right eye a couple of years ago, my left eye cannot be done because the retina is scarred by an ulcer that I’ve got in that eye also a few years ago.
I do wish I had the option of having the left eye done because it really detracts from the vision of my right eye and there’s nothing really that could be done about it…

Mr Retroladywriting is in the middle of waiting for his second eye to be done at the moment. He seems to manage ok, usually by peering over the top of his specs, like a slightly mad Professor!! He says the vision in the 'done' eye is amazing - better than it's been since he started wearing specs for shortsight about 20 years ago. Soon it'll be my turn ... he's been my test case!

I was very short sighted and wore varifocals. After my first cataract op, I sent my husband to the optician to have the glass removed in the operated side. Worked a treat!

I was previously extremely shortsighted from the age of seven, and wore contact lenses. After the first cataract was done I wore one contact lens in the other eye for four weeks. If you wear glasses you can do as my husband did recently and remove the “good eye” lens from your glasses until the second is done. I hope you’re as delighted as we both are with the result. I now have very good distance vision and wear glasses only for reading, and I don’t have to reach for my specs before getting out of bed!

The eyes have a way of corrcting your vision with one good, one bad eye. I went back to work pretty soon after and was driving ok- but often with one eye shut! Same when reading. It is a bit annoying but when both eyes are clear you will be so glad you had it done1

I had a cataract surgery on my right eye a few years ago,and had no problem at all . Hubby had his replaced too last year, no problems either, his left eye is very bad now and optician has made an appointment to get it done, but says the waiting list is 40 weeks

I worried about this last year when I was in exactly the same position. As it turned out, all was well. I had distance lens fitted in my operated eye so I couldn't read. I then got very cheap reading glasses from Amazon and managed well after that.
I know it's daft but I found it so interesting to shut the good new eye then open it again. The difference between the two eyes really underlined the necessity of having cataract surgery.
Needless to say the second op was fine too. The ops themselves weren't nearly as scary as I'd feared. Over in about 15 minutes. I had a cover over my face. All I was aware of was dancing colours in the eye being operated on. Obviously, anaesthetic eye drops were administered before the op.
Try not to worry.

I have no experience of cataract ops, so someone else will come along with more relevant advice, but I would think that you will adjust faster than you expect, after the first few days.

You currently probably have glasses that suit the current short-sightedness in both eyes. If it would help, maybe you could get very cheap temporary specs to suit the two different strengths for the 4 weeks? Ask your optician/optometrist.