Posted on 10/23/2023 5:03:28 PM PDT by TNoldman
I am 88 and need Cataract Surgery. I am very active and want to continue to wear glasses for eye protection for my varies hobbies (Carpentry, auto repair, etc).
I am nearsighted and have always worn glasses. I prefer single focus Lenses - should go for "Near" new Lens them adjust with new glasses or "Far" then adjust with new glasses.
...or give your best recommendations that you have from your own experience!
Talk to your Ophthalmologist. The interocular lens available are remarkable. I have a friend who is 20/20 with out glasses after his cataract surgery. What works for one person might not be right for you. This is very individual choice.
Driving...My doctor filled out some certificate for the state...to get “glasses” off my license.
Agree...that’s what I did, too.
Worked well for me, too.
Near vision for reading and using this computer was easily done with 1.5 cheaters.
p.s. We used to call it "Cadillac" surgery, for the eye surgeons who make the moneys.
Some new implantable lens tech coming pretty soon (if you can wait):
https://youtu.be/cEO5vUUYM2I?si=59gR8us646YSAIvg
Advice on the “older” tech lenses:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Y7LYIEtfW5Y?si=L1Lh4IbNIzrnd_yc
Medicare only pays for “single-vision” lens implants I think...I hear that the “progressive” implant lenses (look like “Fresnel” lenses) cause “halos” at night around lights.
Before the surgery, I had to take my glasses off in order to be able to read a book. If I wore my glasses while reading, then my vision was blurry when I wanted to watch TV or use my computer. I now have 20/20 vision distance, but I can't see $hit up close. If I want to make sure my glasses are cleaned properly, I have to put on a pair of reading glasses while cleaning them.
The other problem I was recently told about by my eye doctor, is that 2/3rd's of people who have cataract surgery done, end up with cells developing within the lens sack they insert. They will eventually affect your vision. He told me I have those cells, and that if I notice my vision blurring, or problems with glare occurring, I would need to have a laser treatment during an office visit. Apparently the laser destroys the cells, and according to my eye doctor, they don't come back. You'd think that in this day and age, crap like that wouldn't be happening.
“I always had my contact lenses prescribed for left eye near, right eye far. Had the same done for the cataracts and have never looked back. From what I hear the near/far solution is not for everyone.”
Did the same, long ago - can use computer and read acceptably without glasses, can also drive acceptably without glasses. But I do have glasses which get BOTH eyes good for reading, computer, and driving - so if I’m doing something for a long time, I wear them.
Lots of prescription glasses for the above, but $7 each from Zenni from China (probably the same factory that most of the ‘discount’ retailers use, they just don’t tell you), so no big cost, and like every conservative, I have a lot of backups.
Very, very, glad I did my eyes that way.
I’m a good bit younger, so I got lenses that let me drive without glasses, and wear weak reading glasses for (surprise) reading and for computer work. I got an expensive lens for astigmatism in one eye, and got by with a standard one for the other eye.
“always had my contact lenses prescribed for left eye near, right eye far. Had the same done for the cataracts and have never looked back.”
I’ve had my eyes set up using monovision also, since LASIK in 1999. Using my phone right now I’m actually using both eyes with no glasses. When I get cataract surgery I’ll stick with the scheme.
I’m not sure what you mean but if it’s what I think you’re talking about, one set can be taken care of by Medicare and the other type is about 25 grand more. I used that to make my decision. Anybody that needs cataract surgery should get it. It makes a big difference in your life. I’m freaked out over the difference it made in mine.
Be careful I went with the far focused lenses. So I need reading glasses and really glasses for anything under about 6 feet. It is so phenomenal to have crystal clear, distant vision.
I got the multi focal lenses implanted, and I LOVE them. I can see teeny tiny anything, mid range, and far (driving distance) without any further correction. I am much younger than you, but to not have to wear glasses for the rest of my years has been life-changing for me. When working with things where I want eye protection, I wear regular non-prescription eye wear.
I know this choice isn’t feasible for everyone, but I am very grateful that this happened for me.
When I had cataract lens replacement surgery, my ophthalmologist used the ‘monovision’ approach: one eye was corrected for distance vision, while the other eye was corrected for reading. It’s surprising, but somehow the brain combines these inputs seamlessly. This approach presumably isn’t for everyone, but it has worked extremely well for me, as I haven’t needed glasses since my surgery — under any conditions!
This is not an endorsement - just what I did.
I had one lens set for near vision and the other for far vision. Now I do not need glasses at all. I still have better 3-D than I expected, but it is not great. And I passed my driving visual exam.
I am very pleased with the results.
I need glasses for all distances. I bought very expensive Varilux progressive lenses. They are fantastic. Easy to transition to any distance you need to focus on.
Don’t know where you’re located, but my advice is this. Make sure you are comfortable with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery. I think my doc is the best in the country. He’s so smart and so skilled. I don’t trust my eyes to just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. If you’re anywhere near Indianapolis, send me a PM. This guy is worth it.
I know this is not what you want, but I had my eyes done a year ago and the right eye is set for distance in the left is set for reading, and I don’t need glasses at all. When I wore contact lenses, I had the same thing for 35 years. So I’m quite used to it. There is no blurring. There is no dizziness. the brain put it all together and it works. But they won’t do it for patients who have not had the contact lenses set up that way, which is called mono vision for some reason.
I had standard lenses which gave me very good distant vision. I use progressive lenses to correct the slight astigmatism and for reading. Very happy with results. Lenses that correct for both distant and close vision weren’t available at the time (mine was in 2014). Highly recommend aiming for distant vision without glasses. I had Lasik in 2000 and having good records from that surgery was critical for a good result with my cataract surgery. If anyone has had Lasik, be sure to get complete records of that surgery before you need cataract surgery.
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