[Leica] IMGS: Cataract Surgery

[pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)]

Hi everyone!  I'm feeling better today, no more "Noctilux Pupil 
Syndrome" this morning. Still some sensitivity to bright light and 
sometimes a sense of shimmering or vibration in the new eye. I remember 
this from last time, it should pass in a few days.  I can see really 
well in the distance with my "new" eye. It's bright and vivid, and 
"white balance" is distinctly more bluish than my other eye, which was 
done two years ago.

So now I just have to be good, not rub the eye, don't bend, lift heavy 
objects, or play the bassoon for a few days, and put three different eye 
drops in three times per day.

Tina, those pictures were "too much information" when I got home from 
surgery, but I looked at them in the evening, and they are fascinating. 
The way it's done now, they make a smaller incision, fold the new 
implant (lens) in half, and let it unfold within the eye itself.  Less 
invasive and a shorter recovery time.

Every time I see medical photos, I'm struck by how modern medicine is 
both a miracle and a bit of Frankenstein.  We have to get over our fear 
of the latter and embrace the former. This is a good time to be alive.  
I got these cataracts a bit younger than most.  I was thinking how if 
I'd been born 100 years ago, I'd most likely have been nearly blind by 
my mid-60s.

I was thinking about color photographs of surgery vs. the B&Ws in Ted's 
books. The B&W in more abstract, and somehow doesn't gross me out. The 
full color sometimes does--it's much easier to imagine yourself in the 
same situation, and something in the brain reacts like we're about to be 
eaten by a saber-toothed tiger on the ancient steppes.  Maybe that's 
also why I love the old horror films in black and white, but not so much 
in color!  :-)

Oh, and Ted, you'll be happy to know that I made sure I was on "empty" 
before proceeding to the O.R. :-)   And indeed I did see pretty colors 
and funny blobby shapes during the procedure.

--Peter


 > Tina Manley OFFERED:
 > Subject: [Leica] IMGS: Cataract Surgery
 >
 >
 >  > I thought you might like to see what happens during cataract surgery.
 > > These are from 2001 so techniques and equipment might have changed.
 > >
 > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/image/149497480
 > >
 > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/image/149497481
 > >
 > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/image/149497490
 > >
 > > Don't look if needles in eyes make you squeemish!
 >

Ted Grant wrote:

 > Hi Tina,
 > Well it doesn't matter what surgery one photographs, or watches. It 
usually
 > looks worse than what you feel. I've never felt squeamish in the OR 
at any
 > time as I'm always in awe of what these "medical magicians" :-) do in 
saving
 > our lives in so many situations and fixin' us when we're broke!
 >
 > I don't know about in the earlier days of cataract surgery. But both 
of my
 > eyes were fixed at separate times as it's rare both eyes are done at the
 > same time, even though I'm near blind in the right eye.. And I was 
awake and
 > talking with the surgeon all the time. Fascinating !!! :-) It's 
almost as
 > interesting as shooting the medical team pop a new  heart valve in after
 > taking the old one out! Or knee replacement. Hips are really cool, 
man it's
 > wild when the surgeon is basically using a sledge hammer and whacking a
 > chisel sometimes! :-)
 >
 > If you haven't shot any medical OR photography and are concerned 
about how
 > you will feel........... DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND MERELY
 > RE-ACT TO THE "IMAGE RELATIONSHIP!" Put all thoughts out of your head 
that
 > it's a human being under the covering sheets! You are the photographer!
 > ERGO!  Act like one and take the picture moments!
 >
 > Many on the LUG have copies of my coffee table size medical books that
 > illustrate what using a Leica is all about, via available light with 
nary a
 > thought than..........."when the little red light comes on you go 
"click!"
 > :-) Of course it has to obviously look like a cool image. If not the 
books,
 > there are some samples on my webpage TEDGRANTPHOTO.COM so you can  
have a
 > peek! :-)
 >
 > cheers,
 > Dr.ted :-)
 >
 >