http://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-eye-conditions-z-eye-conditions/cataracts-laser-treatment-following-cataract-surgery
I wish I'd read this very good web page before I had this procedure last Tuesday. I wasn't in the least concerned or anxious, but I did think I was having the simplest version which is "a doctor can make a hole in part of the back of your lens capsule so that the light can once again pass directly to the retina".
My experience was a bit different because the 2 doctors seemed to have some trouble getting the cloudy tissue to detach. So I had to sit completely still in the frame which supports your head for a very long time. That probably wouldn't have been a problem for most people, but if you have arthritis & fibromyalgia it is quite painful. You can't speak because speaking makes your jaw move up & down & presumably would result in the laser hitting the wrong spot. My procedure required a huge number of laser bursts. It seemed interminable.
My point about this is that no one actually explained anything. No one asked me if I had any issues with what was about to happen. No one asked if I wanted a break during the lengthy process. I felt that I was just one of many on a conveyor belt, not an individual.
I appreciate that the NHS & the medical staff are under considerable pressure. I can understand that if you are repeatedly doing a relatively simple & efficacious procedure it might be difficult to empathise with the different responses of patients. However I do think that medical staff should be trained in individual patient communication.
We are so lucky to have a health service which is free at the point of need. We do take it for granted. I think it's time we had a proper consultation about what the NHS can & should provide. It can't go on as it is, breaking point seems very close to me. It is underfunded in comparison with other comparable countries, but it does waste huge sums of money, it is very hierarchical & it doesn't communicate & diseminate good practice effectively.
The bottom line is that I am very grateful to have my sight restored though. Not everyone is as lucky. http://www.cureblindness.org/cause
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