"Painting & Cataracts" Topic

At my annual physical, my doctor reminded me that I have cataracts. Not at the stage where anything needs to be done, my vision is only impaired currently in low-light situations, but eventually (if I live long enough!) I'll need cataract surgery.

I'm not worried about the surgery itself, as I witnessed when my wife had cataract surgery decades ago, and I know it's a fairly routine operation.

However, I know that the natural lens of the eye is replaced by an artificial lens, and it's something of an art to get the lens strength correct. So I might go from having excellent close vision to having something else.

Just curious to hear from anyone who has had cataract surgery, and how it affected their miniature painting.

Bill,
I had my cataract surgery 2 years ago next month. I had to choose between seeing without glasses close (reading) or far (driving). I chose no glasses when I drove because I wore glasses all my life and hated needing prescription sunglasses and switching all the time with driving.
I had to deal with moderate astigmatism. This required a special lens and keeping it perfectly as placed as it healed. Accomplished this for left eye, but had problems (mine not doctors) with right eye and right eye vision is slightly off. It is mild enough I can deal with it without glasses.
When you have the surgery and look at your existing painted figures (and flowers and other beautiful sights) you will marvel at how bright the colors are! Suddenly everything is so colorful and beautiful and you feel as though you went from Kansas to Oz!
To paint now I wear reading glasses (2.5X, in my case) and add my Optivisor as I did with my old bifocal glasses. Works great.
Best advice I can offer is find a good specialist and follow orders TO THE LETTER. Then it is great! I am 74 years old now, btw.

I've had my left eye done, Bill, and am waiting for a slot to get the right eye done. It will depend upon two things- what sort of lens they put in (close vision or distant) and how good your optometrist is, so your glasses suit your needs (and you will need glasses).

It hasn't made much difference for me, but I was never a good painter. I do find that using a head-band magnifier helps a fair bit, but the extra effort required to hold the miniature at the right distance-I always instinctively want to bring it closer to see better, which doesn't work- and correcting mistakes mean my motivation to paint is really lacking.

PS rustymusket beat me to it, but I'll amplify what he said about following doctor's orders, mate. A co-worker helped me in a major way by not using the eye drops correctly, rubbing her eyes, etc, and had some real problems- a great object lesson for when I got mine done!

Bill,

I had both lenses replaced over three years ago. My distance vision is almost perfect but my close up vision wasn't significantly improved. I still wear bifocals but only really need them for the close-up lenses as the distance portion of the lens is almost unmodified. I've noticed no decrement in my painting since then.

Jim

I was just told a couple of weeks ago that I had cataracts in both eyes. Very much looking forward to getting the fix made: not enjoying my painting time right now. I'm 71 and have been wearing glasses since I was 6. I'm wearing trifocals right now. I don't know what options I'll be offered or how much those will cost, but right now I just want to get past this!

Rustymusket and Dal Gavan +1

The first time I drove at night after the surgery I kept thinking "why does everyone have their high-beams on?"

Get the surgery. You won't regret it.

I told the opthamologist to set both eyes for distance--optimum for driving and depth perception generally. Reading glasses can be purchased cheap in any Walmart, and Amazon sells me 5/0 and 6/0 glasses for figure painting. Still cranking out 6mm and 2mm units.

As rusty says, follow doctor's orders to the letter, and good luck!

I've not had the surgery, but my mom (currently aged 92) did; her vision was corrected to 20/20 although she had worn corrective lenses since childhood. Definitely a great improvement.

During my last visit to the optometrist, I was told that cataracts were starting to develop, and in a few years, I would have to do something about it. I suspect many others on TMP are in a similar situation.

So, Bill, please let us know what decisions you make, and how the whole thing goes, because many of us are coming up on this.

Best of luck with the surgery.

Grelber

I had lens replacement in both my eyes back in 2019. My sight was affected in that I will always require glasses now for reading and anykind of up close work like painting. Just need basic cheater reader glasses so lucky in that regard. Also have to have the magnifiers to see the tiny details but that's just because I'm getting up in years.

Had both eyes done about 20 years ago. Wore glasses my entire life. I just wear cheaters now for close in and low light work. It has been awesome. LOve being able to see. Also, when the light hits my eyes just right, other people can see the new lenses. When deployed to the sandbox, soldiers commented on the odd reflections in my eyes. I just told them they were a military experiment to put optical targeting systems on my eyes to better shoot targets. Some laughed and some believed me.

Yeah my last eye exam the Dr told me 2-3 years and I'll need the same. Low light makes reading and painting difficult as it is.

It's been about two years since I had both eyes done. Mini painting is much better. Watch TV and read without glasses. Do it. It really is a miracle.

My brother opted for a new type of lens, which he had to pay several thousands of Dollars for, out of pocket: it allows for both close-up, and distance vision, which means it is more flexible than the standard lenses used. He said it was worth every penny. He wore eyeglasses from childhood until his surgery, last year, so around 55+ years.

Talk with your doctor to see what options are available to you, as well as out-of-pocket costs for each option. Cheers!

Had my Eyes done three years ago, two years ago I developed somewhat pronounced black floaters. I went to another ophthalmologist who said that sometimes happens as a result of laser surgery. Since that time several folks have told me about similar problems. I do see better. And at night I don't seem to be bother by them. but as I write this in the late afternoon with the sun coming in the window, it's distracting.

My wife had her 1st cataract surgery when she took an eye test and discovered she could not see from the one eye, only light. She was farsighted and only began wearing reading glasses later before the surgery. As noted by others, there are some options you need to learn about. My wife and I both are happy we had it done. What most negatively affects my painting now is my hand shaking at times. It began before the surgery. As previously requested, please let us know how things go.

A very helpful thread, thanks everyone!

Yes, very helpful. Am 61 and have had cataracts developing for a few years. Still see well enough just hard to read small details despite trifocals. Good to know when I do the procedure the outcome will be mostly positive.

I am in my late 70s and had cataracts removed about 18months ago. I do have glasses for very close work, such as painting detail on 10mm figures, but generally manage without them .
The difference in colour perception was incredible, Mine were done about 6 months apart, so I was able to appreciate just what I had been missing in terms of colour vision. Everything is so much brighter than it was.