Cataract surgery with no worsening of dry eye problems

[libralady]

HI EVERYONE
i SUFFER FROM DRY EYES AND AS I HAVE CATARACTS AS WELL, I WILL SHORTLY NEED SURGERY FOR THEM. SO MUCH IS SAID ABOUT NOT HAVING SURGERY UNTIL REALLY NECESSARY AND MAKING SURE YOUR EYES ARE AT THEIR BEST BEFORE SURGERY. I SEE THAT SOME PATIENTS HAVE EVEN WORSE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR DRY EYES AFTER CATARACT SURGERY. MY QUESTION IS THIS IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT HAS HAD SUCCESSFUL CATARACT SURGERY AND NOT WORSENING OF DRY EYES. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR OF OTHERS EXPERIENCES, ALSO DO/DID OTHERS FIND THAT VISION PROBLEMS FROM DRY EYES MAKE CATARACTS APPEAR WORSE. LOOK FORWARD TO ANY ANSWERS. THANKS

[abbygirl]

libralady- My advice to you is to be sure your dry eyes are under control before you have the cataract surgery. The drops that you will have to take all have BAK in them and can make issues worse plus the surgery can cause more dryness. Communicate your concerns to your doctor and make sure they take you seriously!!! Use lots of preservative free drops afterwards (with doctors OK) and you should be OK!! Good luck!!
PS Dry eye can make your vision worse but the doctor can SEE if you have cataracts!!

[libralady]

Hello abbygirl, Thank you for your advice. I have now been back to the eye hospital and they said they will
not do the cataract surgery (which I really do need now) until the dry eyes are much better controlled. I thought I was doing a good job but apparently no so. It has been difficult of late not only because of not being able to see so well but because of a broken wrist recently out of plaster which has made it difficult to do the scrubs. I would be very grateful for any tips re hot compresses and scrubs which work for them
At the moment I use a flannel soaked in hot water and cotton buds and baby shampoo. Also is there a
correct way to massage the glands after the compresses. They said I have oily glands. Any advice would be lovely.

[abbygirl]

libralady-sorry to hear you have to wait on your cataract surgery but it sounds like the right decision to get your dry eye under control first.

I have been following the same routine now for about 1 year and it seems to be improving my MGD. Here goes: I only wash my face (am and pm) with Cetaphil liquid soap. I do wear eye make-up but am very good at taking it off every night. I use a fresh washcloth every am and just clean my eyes with nice cool water. No scrubs in the am. I also use cold compresses if my lids are puffy or after instilling my glaucoma drop. In the pm I use a very warm washcloth (not too warm) and hold over my eyes for 2 minutes or so then I use my index finger and press my lower lid against my eyeball until I see the clear oil coming out of the glands. The uppers are a little more challenging!! I use a very clean eye mascara brush....be VERY careful!!! That way I had my lashes back and press against my eyeball in the same manner. I then use Ocusoft eye scrub pads, another wash with the washcloth and a vial of Refresh Tears.
I hope this helps..please ask any questions!!

[libralady]

Thank you I did wonder about expressing oil but not sure if I could do it safely as I find in hard to see and also hold up lid with my bad hand which wont fully turn yet. I too use cold compresses if my eyes are sore
usually of an evening. I am a glaucoma suspect and they did try xalatan drops but it caused my asthma to flare up so it was decided to leave them off and I will see what they say when I next go in August. I might try the ocusoft eye scrub pads. They said my glands were oily. Do you know if that means they are too thick or too much oil? I gave up wearing eye makeup a while back but would like to use it again at least for going out. Thank you for your advice

[hirentherock]

Hi
i have very severe eye problems and i had recently a cataract surgery done in my 1 and only WORKINGG eye, other eye being of no use for vision.

It went through well.
Some points u need to keep in mind
1-Go to experienced surgeon.Who has done such cases before and has confidence to handle such cases.
2-Discuss very deeply all the technical things about surgery,
3-Be supportive to all tests and pre operative checkups.The more u will support, the more u will be able to give accurate ocular boimetric statistics.We as dry eye sufferes face a lot of problem while we are at pre operative check ups and technicians do not understand our dryeyes problem and keep yelling us to BE SUPPORTIVE.
4-Explore google.There r many LINKS available for CATARACT SURGERY IN COMPLICATED / COMPROMISED CORNEA.
5-Keep intake of omega capsules and (after discussing with surgeon), doxy 1/2 week course would also help.I had done it on my own.
6-After surgery take care of eyes a lot.Wash hands always before touching anywhere even near nose.
7-Have self confidence.It fixes many things inside our body.

[magoo]

libralady, I hope you will be able to have your surgery soon. I had my right eye done about 3 months ago and I have noticed no increase in dryness at all. The incision is very tiny, I had no stitches and my eye was not even red afterwards! Perhaps because of the tiny incision that is done now, there was little damage to the nerves? I'm not sure, but wanted to tell you of my good outcome.

I have noticed an improvement after adding flax oil capsules to my routine. I have taken fish oil for several years, but started adding the flax oil about 6-8 months ago.

[libralady]

Magoo thankyou that is encouraging. All I have heard up to now is how difficult the surgery would be for dry eye sufferers and patients stories about the difficulties they have encountered. Like you I take fish oil but have been considering flax oil Is it best to take the oil or capsules and do you know what dose I should take. Thankyou.

[magoo]

I take a tablespoon of Barlean's Omega Swirl fish oil each day. Can't take the capsules, I get awful fish burps. The flax oil I take is Barlean's Organic Oils High Lignan Flax Oil capsules. Three a day. I get both from Amazon on their Subscribe & Save, that way it's delivered automatically. Very handy and it seems the price is good.
I really don't know for sure if I'm taking the right amount, I have never been able to figure out just how much is just right. I'm seeing my ophthalmologist next week to set up my surgery for the other eye. He is great with cataracts, but useless and condescending about dry eye. Sigh. I'm stuck with him for now as I'm in an HMO.

[libralady]

Magoo Thanks for your advice on flax oil. I share your frustration re. ophthalmologists and gps as well when in comes to treating dry eyes. Hope your 2nd surgery goes well for you.