So I just had my right eye done Wednesday. seeing better than I have for decades as cataracts developed. Left eye is scheduled in about 2 weeks, however I'm considering not having it done. If done, both eyes will be corrected for distance only so glasses will still be required for lots of work that I do. Is this a bad idea and why? Any experience from fire members and particularly some of our Eye Docs would be appreciated.

It’s gonna tax your brain for a while, a few weeks, might get some headaches.

Then, maybe not.


Going through this with my daughter.

You could get the other eye done with a close lens, univision or something they called it for me.

Would have worked great, except I had a "bleeder" inside my eye, 3rd one in 17 years according to my Doc. Eventually, that led (or might have, of course they don't want to say for sure) to a detached retina and inflammation I am still dealing with 3+ years later. Outside of that issue, I can read pretty good except for really small stuff.

But the first cataract surgery and lens is a great success.

Good luck with it all.

I had both eyes corrected to distance and love it. Yes, need readers, but you get used to them. My correction is great for anything out of doors, except tying fishing knots! Would do the same again!
Jim

Had my left eye done a couple of weeks ago and the right scheduled for Tuesday. I can not stand being able to see pretty well out of one eye and like crap out of the other. I too will need some corrective lenses for my astigmatism. I want them both fixed though.

for the first 50years or so i was so near sighted, blind as a bat. so i had both corrected to far sighted about 15 years ago.
costgo provided some cheap non prescription reading glasses. I don't use them half the time.
no issues

Strange to hear both eyes are corrected for distance only . I had three very elderly Relatives ( in their 80s ) who had both eyes done ( at different times ) and did not require Glasses for Reading Or for Long Distance . The one who made out best went to a Surgeon who invented the Sutureless Cataract Procedure at Robert Packer Hospital in Pa. and then taught it all over the world for many years . I went with her to the Pre-Op. Eye Tests and they were really detailed . Computer Programs then were used to Produce the Lenses . They were all amazed they could read the Newspaper ....... remember those ?

Had both eyes done in January of 2018. Best lenses I could get. Vision is a little better than 20/20. Just had a follow up with opthamologist this week and everything is good.

Didn't seriously consider leaving one eye as is when I had my eyes done two years ago. I was very near sighted and used contact lenses before. Now 20 20 or better in both eyes. Big relief not to have to use contacts anymore, and one contact is 90% the trouble of two.

Our eldest daughter just had one eye done Tuesday. She had a checkup to day, back to work this afternoon.

She is secluded for the other eye next Tuesday. She is doing well.

Had both done for distance plus fixed astigmatism. Went with the laser removal because of the shape of my eyeballs they were concerned about some possible complications. Cost me some bucks for the procedure and the extra cost of lens.
Wish I could have done it 30 years ago. 20-15 distance! Dollar store readers and I'm good to go.

Wife had both of hers done about 2 years ago, they got the scrip wrong in the first eye but since she could read with it she opted to leave it alone. Got the other one done at 20/20. And can still pass eye exams with the Mono Vision she got for no extra charge.

Had mine done a few years ago and opted for monovision. The assistant screwed up and did not note that. My eyes wound up 20/20 2nd 20/15. The doc was not happy with her and told me he would correct this with a laser if I wanted, once it was healed. I only need readers very seldom and have not opted for the correction. I really enjoy my distance vision.

Just saw another eye doc today for second opinion. I'm having close-up, distance, and stigmatism corrected. Supposed to not need any glasses after that. Surgery on first eye in a couple weeks. Second one 2 weeks later. Looking forward to being done.

About $5700 out of pocket counting doctor, corrective lenses, and surgical center. This is with good insurance. Geebus.

Don't do it! I hear it's directly related to your nutsack getting bigger and your weenie shrinking!

...or maybe it's just getting old in general?

Damn that doesn't sound like very good insurance to me, We paid a total of 600.00 out of pocket for the entire deal including annual followups.

The surgeon I referred my cataract patients to when I was still practicing recently explained to me the new multifocal IOLs do well providing both clear near and far vision.

I'm still leaning toward getting both eyes eventually fixed to be about 1.25 D myopic. That's my normal refractive error and I can get good near vision without a near spec Rx or multifocals. I can also get by with slightly blurred distance vision with my naked eyes but typically wear light weight multifocal specs for the clearest vision, near and far.

AFAIC any cataract surgeon who does not explain and offer all these options to patients is shortchanging them. Unfortunately, too many drs worship at the idol of 20/20 distant vision and are not aware that post OP patients with single vision IOLs have better depth of focus than a natural eye does that is slightly myopic.

Many of the patients treated by me and one of the surgeons I practiced with, years before multifocal were available, were purposefully made about 4-5 steps myopic so they could see fairly well at far and at near.

We were amazed for some time by patients insisting after surgery that they didnt even want a spectacle Rx as they could see well enough to read and drive as they were.

Many of those patients proved they could see 20/30 at far and near without glasses.

I prefer the clearest sight possible as a hunter, so am at somewhat of a quandry as to whether to go slightly myopic and wear weak specs at times or try the multifocal IOL in my non dominant left eye first.

If the optics in that lens isnt quite as sharp as I would expect, due to multifocal imperfections, I could get the single vision lens in my rt eye.

Even if a great job is done with the multifocal eyes do change over time and many patients still end up getting a weak multifocal spec Rx for their driving, hunting, ball games or fine detail reading.

Good fortune.

Ah, the Cadillac plan not covered by Medicare. Docs do have to push multifocal IOLs and astigmatism to make enough money to make doing surgery worthwhile.

Iirc when I left the multidoc surgery center, due to Zero care and Medicare cutbacks making medical eyecare a losingproposition, the surgeons were only getting about $300 to do cat surgery and IOL implantation on a Medicare patients eye. Crap. It's not worth his time, nurses, lens calculation equipment and obligated postoperative care.

Some docs like zerocare as they work for companies and provide poor medical care and it's the only way they can get patients referred to them. Ex ? Diddler.

Jag, thanks for info. my surgeon told me the new lens would probably bring me from -5.50D to about - 0.25 D. so far best vision I've had since teens.

Doc, this is what I'm doing.

In my case, it's my non-dominant right eye.

Good fortune, LD.

Thanks, Doc.

Medicare and United American.

Did you opt for the multi-focal lenses, laser procedure, and stigmatism correction done at a surgical center?

I am getting shots in my right eye for retina problems. First injection helped so much, I may need only one or two more and cataract surgery may not be needed.

Getting a needle in your eyeball is interesting...

Yep, Medicare and Ins dont cover the added expense of astigmatic correction or multifocal IOLs.

My Dad flew in the Air Force from 1955 to 1975, and charters for a few years after that, was a Depression farm kid prior so his corneas were pretty much cooked early. My Mom failed her eye test when she was 78. Both had pretty good results afterward, Dad can still see 20/12 distant in both eyes on the chart, which tells you what a freak of nature he is, and why he flew fighters.

I am starting to have trouble with my night vision, too much flaring which is taking the fun out of night driving. I'm 60. Always wore shades or goggles, but still, lots of snow time. Always nearsighted, but corrected to 20/15 both sides. My issue is, I have always been astigmatic and I can't be corrected properly any more with eyeglasses, so I'm thinking I should go ahead and get rid of the original, maybe end up mildly nearsighted but no longer astigmatic. Glasses are good for eye protection anyway and I spend a lot of time around power tools anyway. Anyone know if I will get 20 years out of implants before they need to be replaced?

Don't you love Obama care...

They dont wear out Pal. You will be long gone before they need to be replaced.

I've been putting up with blurry / fuzzy vision for quite awhile but last Friday my opthomologist told me AGAIN that I didn't need new glasses but that I needed cataract surgery.....she highly recommended a gal and I went to see her Tuesday.

After the exam and a long talk with the surgeon I'm scheduled to have one eye done 6-22 and the other 7-6 using what she called 'light IV sedation'......she said that I'll still need to wear reading glasses afterwards but that my distance vision will be much improved.

Someone messing with my eyes really spooks me and I'm honestly not looking forward to it but it has needed to be done for awhile so I guess it's time I put on my big boy pants and get it done.

IKE, I've had it done and have actually had rougher haircuts. Seriously. You will regret wasting so much worry. ;-{>8

I think I'm out about 8k, ins didn't pay for the laser removal or toric lens. Might be some copay in that as well.
So far its money well spent. I thought about pulling the focus back some or multi focus lens but neither would keep me from wearing glasses for all tasks so I went with perfect distance and deal with readers. My job requires some small close up work so I got a set of occupational lens so I could see things up close overhead and down with 0 in the middle.

Smart move.

We paid for the trifocal lenses. Left eye was done last Tuesday, pistol sights are crisp for the first time in many years. I can read without readers ok, when the right eye is done I’ll be good without readers.
Im a complete freak about anybody touching my eyes but the surgery was perfect and I can’t wait to get the other one done

I was very myopic before and the time between surgeries was terrible, the uncorrected eye, even with contact lens, image was about 8% smaller than the fixed eye. Very disorienting and fugged up depth perception. That and I was afraid the hospital would stop that kind of surgery due to the lung funk.

Doc, had the first eye done today. Got to surgical center at 5:45 am and was on my way home by 8:45. The procedures took very little time. About 5-10 mins for the laser, 15-20 for the cataract removal and install of IOL.

FYI- the IOL the doc put in is a Tecnis Symfony ZXR00, Diopter +23.50, by Johnson & Johnson.

I believe this is the standard technology right now unless you go to something like the Zeiss Tri-focal.

I hope you do well. Let us know how sharp your visual acuity is after a few weeks.

i don't relate well to doctors, and i was scared sh*tless about the operation. on the first eye laying on the gurney, they were trying to sedate me enough to allow the operation without knocking me out. i was holding on to one of the rails on the gurney and actually bent it i was so wired.
they later told me they gave me enough junk to knock a horse out. second operation was much easier on my psyche.

I had both eyes done a couple years ago and was pretty thrilled with the results. I could drive without glasses and vision was pretty close to 20/20. 2 years later, and my left eye (my shooting eye) is like my eyeball is smeared with vaseline. I can still shoot with a scope but iron sights are virtually impossible. I'm hoping this is fixable. My right eye is still great. If it was the other way around, I wouldn't mind so much. GD

You have possibly developed Elshnigs Pearls (after -cataract) clouding of the posterior capsule of your old natural lens easily cleared by in office laser treatment.
OTOH, you could be developing a retinal condition. Due to that possibility I'd get checked sooner than later.

Me too. Had the option of both close, both distance or one each.

Compromises often don't work, so I went both far. Wore specs for 50 years, so needing cheap reading glasses was a good tradeoff for me.

Between my wife's and my insurance, OOP expense was just the deductables., which may have already been met by then, as it was July.


Problem is, I often find myself wanting three powers - one for arms's length, one mid distance, one real close.....

That eye differential between surgeries was real fun!

The first shot helped a whole bunch. After three weeks I got the second needle a week ago Monday. So far just a slight improvement. Go back in mid July for round three.

The three weeks between surgeries was hard on my old head!
It's been about 4 months and I wouldn't change anything. Distance is better than 20 20. Had some progressive glasses made for work and computer use, got some cheap readers and safety glasses for the shop/reloading.