The Eyes Have It

Several years ago while driving to work in the dark early morning hours; I observed two bright green traffic lights up ahead. As I approached the intersection, the two lights merged into one. I observed this phenomenon as I passed each intersection. A check of each eye individually indicated that only the left eye was affected. I had a hunch what was happening, but unless I was consciously thinking about it, the affect was not noticeable during normal activities. I had to concentrate on a bright point of light to notice anything. All else appeared normal.

As time marched along, the affect increased to observing three traffic lights. As I approached the intersection, the three lights would slowly merge into one. It was becoming noticeable in daylight as well. A trip to the optometrist confirmed my suspicions; a cataract. A few appointments with ophthalmologists and retinologists seconded the diagnosis. It was now up to me to decide when to do something about it. The right eye unconsciously compensated for the left, so I wasn’t disabled or anything.

In time the three lights increased to five lights connected by a halo. The eye was getting pretty much useless. Since our company was switching to a much better medical plan in a couple months, I stuck it out for a bit longer.

Finally the day had come to pop in a new lens. The local facility which performs these operations was nothing short of outstanding. Thursdays are surgery days. It’s an assembly line process with patients streaming through all day long. They maintain a slightly party atmosphere by providing drinks and snacks for all your friends and relatives. As a bonus, your guests get to watch the surgery live!

Preparation time takes about two hours and one guest is allowed to accompany you along the way. (Annette loves this stuff, so she was right there!). The patients are covered in flimsy yellow gowns and booties. A series of drops are applied over the course of a couple hours to numb things up a bit. The only part which “pinched” a bit was when the eye is put to sleep. This involved a two inch curved needle, which is inserted between the eyeball and lower eyelid and then maneuvered behind the eye to deliver the anesthetic. (Annette was up close and personal watching this procedure).

Next step is to soften the eye. They use a contraption that attaches to the head and squishes a tennis ball against the eye. At this point there were about six of us in the final line sitting around in yellow gowns with tennis balls strapped to our faces. Definitely a surreal moment.

Just before my turn, the nurse asked if I minded if the doctor said a prayer before the surgery. I said, “Sure!” I’m not that religious, but if it helps the doctor, then I’m all for it. I did give him a hearty "Amen!" The doctor came in and led me through the dimly lit room to the operating table. At the same time, the facility’s hostess led my wife and daughter to the observation area. They watched the live show behind glass while the hostess narrated the procedure. A video tape is made for those who want souvenirs.

The surgery itself only takes 6 minutes. From my point of view it was the most amazing light show I had ever seen. Vibrant aqua green colors, swirling lights, and "like totally psychedelic, man”. This is probably not too unusual for a dilated eye without a lens.

When the procedure was done, a patch was applied and they sent me home. I removed the patch after four hours and could see again (a side benefit is 20-20 vision in the eye). Two weeks of drops and a follow up completed the activities.


Warning: The following images may be disturbing to some of our viewers (such as weenies, wussies and wimps). Viewer discretion is advised.


Initial Cut



Breaking The Old Lens



Sucking Out The Chunks



Installing The New Lens



Mission Accomplished