Cataract & Lens Replacement

[Roger Lee]

Understand but there are extra risks involved so would not opt for it until needed myself - but there may have been conditions that made it advisable other than there knowing there was no baht shortage. Now you will have to start travelling around again to see all you have missed before. Caution - the ladies do seem to look better with the new eyes.

Unfortunately we reflect a much less attractive image in the mirror.

i didn't really have big vision problems, only used +1.25 for PC and +1.75 for reading. but the vision of my right eye became blurred overnight and when i went for a check-up i was diagnosed with cataract. my first thought was "BS!" and i even got angry because the eye specialist told me "overnight impossible, cataract takes years to develop." my answer was "i'm not yet senile and i even know the date when the blurring occured. going to have a second opinion." the second opinion was only a little different as far as the percentage was concerned.

so i decided "surgery it is".

Mrs: yada yada yakety-yak not in Thailand but Germany like your heart surgery!

me: are we the Naams or the al-Sauds? just flights and hotel more than total cost in Pattaya!

Mrs: if not Germany then Singapore!

we then flew to Singapore, listened to a lot of confusing info, returned after three days, i made an appointment with BPH and got it done.

have a follow up in two weeks, will ask the surgeon about "positioning the lens" and then report.

present status, no glasses neither for reading nor for computer. colours much brighter but extreme light sensitivity. latter all my life very strong, now unbearable without sunglasses even when cloudy.

Sounds like your procedure was successful.

I was advised that due to the age of the lens capsule that laser surgery will probably have to be done as a follow-up in a year or two. There is one "floater" on the corrected eye, not a big deal but probably what she was referring to as a follow-up.

All I can report now is that I have no eye pain and great vision. Reading without glasses even though my untreated eye is 20/40 iirc is possible now. Definitely worth the cost even if the insurance company didn't anty up, but they did.

Three surgeries @ BPH and no complications, knock on wood.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Roger Lee

[lopburi3]

present status, no glasses neither for reading nor for computer. colours much brighter but extreme light sensitivity. latter all my life very strong, now unbearable without sunglasses even when cloudy.

That might be the reason they wanted to do the extra procedure soon - it is supposed to reduce glare issues. I have found much less problem from brightness after several months but still use sunglasses when out - did not do so when riding taxi in the past.

[Naam]

present status, no glasses neither for reading nor for computer. colours much brighter but extreme light sensitivity. latter all my life very strong, now unbearable without sunglasses even when cloudy.

That might be the reason they wanted to do the extra procedure soon - it is supposed to reduce glare issues. I have found much less problem from brightness after several months but still use sunglasses when out - did not do so when riding taxi in the past.

there was no mentioning of light sensitivity from my side during the consultation (after i made up my mind to have the surgery done). but at that time the surgeon suggested already "after cataract laser treatment two months after the lens implants" because that's what he is always doing. and compared to the THB 215k cost for the lenses the additional 9k do not justify the often used accusations that private hospitals are "milking" Farangs.

[lopburi3]

Expect the 100+ each you paid allowed plenty of profit margin - but hope there was a valid reason for the extra procedure - really do not believe it is normal here as sure was not at Vejthani for my wife or myself and have not seen any reports of it being so anywhere. Not sure if the special lens you have made any difference but have not seen reports from those getting multi focal type having extra procedure and would find it strange a reason was not provided (if I did not understand many doctors here expect those without MD degree to not have much understanding).

[Naam]

Expect the 100+ each you paid allowed plenty of profit margin

cost of Bangkok-Pattaya-Hospital matched in june ±3% the cost of Germany and Singapore. based on today's exchange rate Germany would be 6.5% more expensive (too lazy to compare Singapore). i am sure that there are places where the surgery would have been cheaper, e.g. the government hospital in Nakhon Nowhere where the surgeons are multilingual speaking Khmer, Lao and some sort of Thai but none of the languages i master.

another downside is that i can't reach Nakhon Nowhere or any other acceptable hospital within 15-20 minutes

[wpcoe]

i didn't really have big vision problems, only used +1.25 for PC and +1.75 for reading. but the vision of my right eye became blurred overnight and when i went for a check-up i was diagnosed with cataract. my first thought was "BS!" and i even got angry because the eye specialist told me "overnight impossible, cataract takes years to develop." my answer was "i'm not yet senile and i even know the date when the blurring occured. going to have a second opinion." the second opinion was only a little different as far as the percentage was concerned.

In a "misery loves company" sort of way, I'm relieved to read that your eye blurred overnight. My right eye did, also. My ophthalmologist (in Mexico) wasn't dismissive about the suddenness of the blurring, and after a thorough exam, reassured me that nothing tragic had happened to my eye. When the blurriness suddenly appeared, I also acquired occasional light flashes around the periphery and was convinced I had a torn retina.

[Naam]

i didn't really have big vision problems, only used +1.25 for PC and +1.75 for reading. but the vision of my right eye became blurred overnight and when i went for a check-up i was diagnosed with cataract. my first thought was "BS!" and i even got angry because the eye specialist told me "overnight impossible, cataract takes years to develop." my answer was "i'm not yet senile and i even know the date when the blurring occured. going to have a second opinion." the second opinion was only a little different as far as the percentage was concerned.

In a "misery loves company" sort of way, I'm relieved to read that your eye blurred overnight. My right eye did, also. My ophthalmologist (in Mexico) wasn't dismissive about the suddenness of the blurring, and after a thorough exam, reassured me that nothing tragic had happened to my eye. When the blurriness suddenly appeared, I also acquired occasional light flashes around the periphery and was convinced I had a torn retina.

and what was the correct diagnosis?

[wpcoe]

Beginning of a cataract. There was also some indication of broken (I don't know the name of the things, but "strings" that run through the vitreous contents of the eyeball), which is not unusual, apparently, especially the older a person is.

To do the investigation he numbed my eyes, diluted the pupils, and placed some observation device (like a specialized loupe) directly on the eyeball and moved it around quite a bit to look at every possible part of the inside of my eyeballs. I'm squeamish with my eyes and it was not pleasant, even with the numbing.

[thaibeachlovers]

present status, no glasses neither for reading nor for computer. colours much brighter but extreme light sensitivity. latter all my life very strong, now unbearable without sunglasses even when cloudy.

That might be the reason they wanted to do the extra procedure soon - it is supposed to reduce glare issues. I have found much less problem from brightness after several months but still use sunglasses when out - did not do so when riding taxi in the past.

there was no mentioning of light sensitivity from my side during the consultation (after i made up my mind to have the surgery done). but at that time the surgeon suggested already "after cataract laser treatment two months after the lens implants" because that's what he is always doing. and compared to the THB 215k cost for the lenses the additional 9k do not justify the often used accusations that private hospitals are "milking" Farangs.

IMO there is no justification for doing a laser treatment as a routine procedure. Any procedure should only be done if necessary.

[Naam]

IMO there is no justification for doing a laser treatment as a routine procedure. Any procedure should only be done if necessary.

well, i did it and i am happy with the result that proved it was indeed a necessary procedure. any further discussions are irrelevant seen from my perspective, especially as the money spent on the laser treatment could not even buy 75 grams of top quality Caspian caviar

seven years ago i had to make a choice between having set stents (recovery period a couple of days, fraction of the price) or open-heart surgery quadruple coronary and single aorta bypasses (recovery period three months).

heard the same "why unnecessary surgery when stents are the easy and cheaper way?" i opted for surgery and i am happy with the result.

[Naam]

Expect the 100+ each you paid allowed plenty of profit margin - but hope there was a valid reason for the extra procedure - really do not believe it is normal here as sure was not at Vejthani for my wife or myself and have not seen any reports of it being so anywhere. Not sure if the special lens you have made any difference but have not seen reports from those getting multi focal type having extra procedure and would find it strange a reason was not provided (if I did not understand many doctors here expect those without MD degree to not have much understanding).

the Mrs just called from BPH where she went for an eye check. same diagnosis like mine, cataract both eyes, cost estimate for multifocal lenses exactly like mine 10k cheaper at 95,000 Baht per eye.

ladies discount?