lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I think mine would have to get worse for me to do that..
Vision problems after cataract surgery
- Thread starter lawman
- Start date
I think mine would have to get worse for me to do that..
Last edited:
HGTVFanatic
Recycles dryer sheets
I have been reading your thread with interest. I find this comment heartbreaking. I’m the opposite. I should have had my right eye done years ago but I’m terrified. I now have barely any vision in my right eye and I have to renew my drivers license in August. I will probably flunk. Although my BIL drove with one eye for years. Before the cataract issue, I had an optic nerve collapse about 20 years ago where it appears a spider is in my eye. Apparently, nothing to be done about that. I was told after it happened, that my brain would just start ignoring it but that never happened.
Don’t beat yourself up over your decision. It could have turned out great. You don’t know what you don’t know.
lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Was the optic nerve collapse in the right eye or left?
Lawman, sorry to hear of your troubles. While I am not an eye doctor I have worked in the field for over 24 years. You are at a crossroads. Often time getting the 2nd eye done with the same technology, essentially balancing your vision, will solve the issue, assuming the proper lens power was selected for the first eye. The other option that has been mentioned is explanting the current multifocal and going with a monofocal. Doing that creates a compromise in the range of vision you were seeking by going with the multifocal. Bottom line, only you can make the best decision for yourself in careful consultation with your surgeon. I wish you the best.
Multifocal and monovision (one contact lens for close-up vision, and one contact lens for distance vision) are two very different things. Previous experience with monovision is not a good predictor of success with multifocal lenses.
Gearhead Jim
Full time employment: Posting here.
DW will be needing cataract surgery soon, and is very conflicted about which type of lens to use. The surgery practice recommended by her optometrist wants her to use the LAL, but my own optometrist is cautious about the relatively new technology. It's been approved for a while, but the total number of patients is relatively small and there seem to be more dissatisfied customers than I would expect. She would need about 6+ visits total for two eyes, and the LAL group has a bad office situation- disorganized, multi-hour waits after appointment time, rude, rushed, etc. The number of LAL practices is limited.
It appears that the LAL are a fixed focus- no multi focus available, unless you go for slightly different distance corrections between the two eyes. Despite the hype, I suspect she would still need to wear readers. The LAL allows the lens to be fine tuned after installation, but I hear that occasionally your eye can shift slightly months after the LAL correction is locked in and then nothing more can be done. The LAL seems like a lot of extra time and money to get them, and the benefits over fixed lenses seem rather minor.
Your experiences please?
HGTVFanatic
Recycles dryer sheets
Right eye. Why do you ask?
Forgot to mention that when the EMTs showed up and I was hyperventilating because I couldn't remove it, they asked me what drugs I was taking.
lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
So as I understand have not done any cataract surgery yet, correct?Right eye. Why do you ask?
Forgot to mention that when the EMTs showed up and I was hyperventilating because I couldn't remove it, they asked me what drugs I was taking.
FiveDriver
Full time employment: Posting here.
Before I had my cataract surgery, the Doctor let me try out contact lenses for the near/far 'multifocal' vision. I quickly decided that was not the way I wanted to go. Each eye working separately was a difficult adjustment.
This Doctor did recommend a Toric lens to correct astigmatism in one eye (at a significant increase in cost). This was a mistake. Now I feel like my eyes are not working 'together' and I wish I had chosen to correct the astigmatism with glasses.
I post this as a cautionary tale. It's probably not a good idea to mix & match these lenses.
This Doctor did recommend a Toric lens to correct astigmatism in one eye (at a significant increase in cost). This was a mistake. Now I feel like my eyes are not working 'together' and I wish I had chosen to correct the astigmatism with glasses.
I post this as a cautionary tale. It's probably not a good idea to mix & match these lenses.
HGTVFanatic
Recycles dryer sheets
No.
lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I will not do the other eye as long as I can function..How long ago was your surgery? Has it improved any??
Turbo29
Full time employment: Posting here.
I have always worn glasses for astigmatism (and when I started requiring a reading correction, progressive lenses).
About 2.5yr ago, I had cataract surgery in my right eye. I chose a single focus distance correction along with a laser correction for my astigmatism in that eye. Surgery turned out with perfect distance vision in that eye and with fully corrected astigmatism.
What to do about glasses? My solution was sort of unorthodox: I went to Zenni and ordered a pair of progressives with my normal correction in my left eye; for my right eye I changed my correction to 0.00 Sph, 0.00 Cyl, and kept the progressive reading correction in both lenses. It worked and continues to work perfectly.
I told the ophthalmologist what I did at the next visit and they just laughed (they don't sell glasses at the practice so that kind of thing doesn't threaten them financially). At my most recent visit they tested my eyes and gave me a blessing to use the glasses for another year.
As for my left eye, the surgeon had told me before my surgery that my left eye would also need cataract surgery before the year was out. He was wrong, it hasn't progressed to the point where Medicare would pay even 2.5 yr later. If and when I do need it in my left eye, I will need a toric lens as my astigmatism in that eye is more severe than my right eye was and cannot be corrected completely with the laser.
About 2.5yr ago, I had cataract surgery in my right eye. I chose a single focus distance correction along with a laser correction for my astigmatism in that eye. Surgery turned out with perfect distance vision in that eye and with fully corrected astigmatism.
What to do about glasses? My solution was sort of unorthodox: I went to Zenni and ordered a pair of progressives with my normal correction in my left eye; for my right eye I changed my correction to 0.00 Sph, 0.00 Cyl, and kept the progressive reading correction in both lenses. It worked and continues to work perfectly.
I told the ophthalmologist what I did at the next visit and they just laughed (they don't sell glasses at the practice so that kind of thing doesn't threaten them financially). At my most recent visit they tested my eyes and gave me a blessing to use the glasses for another year.
As for my left eye, the surgeon had told me before my surgery that my left eye would also need cataract surgery before the year was out. He was wrong, it hasn't progressed to the point where Medicare would pay even 2.5 yr later. If and when I do need it in my left eye, I will need a toric lens as my astigmatism in that eye is more severe than my right eye was and cannot be corrected completely with the laser.
lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Turbo29;3053645eft eye said:
When I went for a regular eye checkup and replacement glasses 2.5 years ago, the Optometrist told me I had glaucoma and cataracts, referring me to a local Ophthalmologist. Instead, I saw the Ophthalmologist at my VA clinic who, after a lengthy exam, told me I did not have glaucoma but did have mild cataracts in both eyes.
He has been seeing me annually since then with my last visit on Feb 14. He keeps questioning me on how I am doing on daily activities which as I told him, I have no problems with right now. He said he keeps asking because if my quality of life starts to be effected by my cataracts, he will authorize the surgery on my eyes, all I need to do is call him to get it set up. I'm in no hurry as I really don't notice any vision issues right now. I have +3.5 for astigmatism in both eyes and have worn glasses since grade school so just readers would be heaven at this point as I am currently 70.
Still, surgery is surgery and no surgery comes without some level of risk so I am grateful nobody is pushing me towards acting before I am ready. Not sure of my lens options anyway with the VA so may even go with a regular eye surgeon when the time comes.
I did mention to the VA Ophthalmologist that my only real concern was passing my eye exam for my drivers license renewal in the next two years. He told me that should be no problem at all with my current corrected eyesight and if it was, he would sign off the paperwork for the DMV. That's all I needed to hear. So I am somewhat torn between the risk of surgery and the desire to reduce my dependency on eyeglasses.
He has been seeing me annually since then with my last visit on Feb 14. He keeps questioning me on how I am doing on daily activities which as I told him, I have no problems with right now. He said he keeps asking because if my quality of life starts to be effected by my cataracts, he will authorize the surgery on my eyes, all I need to do is call him to get it set up. I'm in no hurry as I really don't notice any vision issues right now. I have +3.5 for astigmatism in both eyes and have worn glasses since grade school so just readers would be heaven at this point as I am currently 70.
Still, surgery is surgery and no surgery comes without some level of risk so I am grateful nobody is pushing me towards acting before I am ready. Not sure of my lens options anyway with the VA so may even go with a regular eye surgeon when the time comes.
I did mention to the VA Ophthalmologist that my only real concern was passing my eye exam for my drivers license renewal in the next two years. He told me that should be no problem at all with my current corrected eyesight and if it was, he would sign off the paperwork for the DMV. That's all I needed to hear. So I am somewhat torn between the risk of surgery and the desire to reduce my dependency on eyeglasses.
lawman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Keep the eyeglasses
target2019
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
This is not a rare story, unfortunately.
You may have quite a while until your ophthalmologist says it's time for cataract removal. It sounds like the VA doc is the one to lean on.
I can't say that I disagree with you on the VA doc. He has been very straightforward with me in the short 2.5 years I have been seeing him. He did offer free glasses via the VA but said my prescription hasn't really changed enough to bother unless I needed another pair. I'm in no hurry for eye surgery at this point.
Personally, I would have thought my vision would need to be more deteriorated to qualify for cataract surgery. Maybe the VA has lesser criteria.
Then again, maybe I have low standards.
stephenson
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Lots of videos on youtube discussing LAL IOL, and a significant library of written material.
Here's an informative Mayo Clinic video on LAL ... https://medprofvideos.mayoclinic.or...hat-every-ophthalmologist-should-know-webinar
LAL+ available soon, supposedly.
Here's an informative Mayo Clinic video on LAL ... https://medprofvideos.mayoclinic.or...hat-every-ophthalmologist-should-know-webinar
LAL+ available soon, supposedly.
