OT: Cataract surgery

[rbny1]

I'm having cataract surgery in a month and am trying to choose between multi-focal and mono-focal lenses. Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with either type of lens? Any advice? Thanks.

 

[j66kicker]

I'm having cataract surgery in a month and am trying to choose between multi-focal and mono-focal lenses. Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with either type of lens? Any advice? Thanks.

I paid the extra for the multi-focal IOL's - my insurance only covered the plain lenses. I'm very glad I did. There is no conscious adjusting of the eyes to the different focal rings - they just learn it on their own, and it seemed to take no longer than 10 seconds. Just never noticed it. It's like having 20-year old eyes again - if I had known I would have considered the surgery even without having cataracts.

The only things I notice are...

1) "Halo" around oncoming headlights due to the focal rings. After the first 5 minutes you never notice this again unless you're looking for it.

2) You tend to position your head (eyes) a certain distance from a book or computer screen, due to the in-focus distance of the focal ring your eyes have chosen for that task. Again, you hardly notice it, if at all, but it might lead to posture issues.

You are going to be amazed with your new eyes.

 

[VA Huskie]

I'm having cataract surgery in a month and am trying to choose between multi-focal and mono-focal lenses. Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with either type of lens? Any advice? Thanks.

I had the surgery done a few years ago and my doctor strongly recommended the mono lense. Said their much more likely to be effective. Don’t know if things have changed since then.

 

[uconn1999]

I did mono but no matter which you choose, get ready to be shocked.
Nothing short of a miracle

 

[LasVegasYank]

I had both eyes done a couple of years apart. The second "exploded" on me and within a few days and it looked like someone smeared Vaseline on the eyeball.

When the second one was done, it was a new world for me.

I don't recall what "type" of lens was used but one was for distance and one was for close in. I can see great at distance and, in good light, can read anything without glasses. Eye exams have me at 20/20 since then.

I did have some cloudiness develop in both eyes which happens frequently according to the doctor. One visit and a laser treatment and they both cleared up. No problems since (four years now).

 

[j66kicker]

I did have some cloudiness develop in both eyes which happens frequently according to the doctor. One visit and a laser treatment and they both cleared up. No problems since (four years now).

I had the same thing. Routine 90-day laser cleanup of scar tissue that grows onto the lense as it is integrated into the eye.

 

[MilfordHusky]

My cataract surgeries were in 2011 and 2012. They followed LASIK in 2009, but some eye issues and surgeries led to cataracts. The cataract surgery recovery is quicker and easier than recovery from LASIK. The results of the surgery are similar—vastly improved vision immediately.

My choice was mono because of concern about possible dizziness or headaches from multiple focuses or doing the eyes differently. As it turned out, one eye is now close to 20-20. The other is more like 20-25 or slightly worse. But that combo allows me to read many things without reading glasses. For volume reading, small print, or dim lighting, my reading glasses are about 1.25 magnification.

There is slight opacity in the left eye, which may contribute to the 20-25 vision. For a year or so, it appeared that colors were slightly less vibrant in the left eye, but it’s not noticeable any longer.

BTW, my doc for both LASIK and cataracts was Mark Whitten, the guy who did LASIK on Tiger Woods. My golf game has improved.

 

[Shenandoah]

I'm having cataract surgery in a month and am trying to choose between multi-focal and mono-focal lenses. Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with either type of lens? Any advice? Thanks.

I have worn glasses since I was 2. Due to the radiation exposure I received over the years in the Cardiac Cath Lab, I needed cataract surgery at 59. 2 years ago. I went with the multifocal lenses, and they are truly AMAZING! I can see up close and distance with no problem, and only need glasses for a short distance (5 ft or so) when I'm training a software customer. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the multifocal lenses. The only downside, was my insurance did not cover the cost, just the surgery itself.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think I had my lenses longer than anyone. I developed cataracts early and fast; they are actually called Early Onset Cataracts. Too many soccer headers, significant steroid treatments in my 20s, and maybe too much booze. Anyway, 2004 both eyes. Mono, but one eye was set up to be my reading eye and the other my long vision eye. I came out no longer needing glasses. Time has me needing glasses to read any volume or in low light.

 

[JordyG]

My cataract surgeries were in 2011 and 2012. They followed LASIK in 2009, but some eye issues and surgeries led to cataracts. The cataract surgery recovery is quicker and easier than recovery from LASIK. The results of the surgery are similar—vastly improved vision immediately.

My choice was mono because of concern about possible dizziness or headaches from multiple focuses or doing the eyes differently. As it turned out, one eye is now close to 20-20. The other is more like 20-25 or slightly worse. But that combo allows me to read many things without reading glasses. For volume reading, small print, or dim lighting, my reading glasses are about 1.25 magnification.

There is slight opacity in the left eye, which may contribute to the 20-25 vision. For a year or so, it appeared that colors were slightly less vibrant in the left eye, but it’s not noticeable any longer.

BTW, my doc for both LASIK and cataracts was Mark Whitten, the guy who did LASIK on Tiger Woods. My golf game has improved.

Watch out for fire hydrants this Thanksgiving.

 

[tomcat]

MY wife had cataract surgery two years ago. The doctor sold us on something called a Toric lens, and the way he was setting up her eyes was that one would be for distance and the other for up-close. First he installed a lens that was too strong and then the surgery didn't completely take and he had to do laser surgery on each eye to break up the cataract. My wife still cannot see properly and is so disgusted with the process that she is reluctant to have anything more done. It has been our experience (from a small sample, admittedly) that the handful of eye surgeons we've seen are egotistical a$$h#&es who are dead certain they are right about whatever they prescribe. This characteristic is not true, in our experience, of ophthalmologists generally. Anyway, do what you think is best but do not do it just because the doc thinks it's a peachy idea. Make sure you are convinced that what you're going to do is the way to go. I'll probably need the surgery in a few years, and that's what I plan to do.

 

[SallyH]

My husband paid an extra 1K to have his astigmatism corrected (not covered by insurance). Since I didn't need glasses until my 40s, I went for distance lenses and use dime store cheaters. If you have worn contacts one for distance and one for reading your brain is used to that. My opthamologist advised me that I was not a good candidate for that.

 

[YellwJcket999]

-----------Ok-------------
I think you guys have a little more experience in life. I will file this away.

 

[rbny1]

Thanks, everybody, for your comments and suggestions. I'll check out the pros and cons of mono-focal versus multi-focal a little more before deciding, but am leaning toward multi-focal.

 

[mdakota]

I had cataracts removed from both eyes 3 years ago... I had the distance lenses installed (lmao) I mean implanted. When I first looked around outside, it was if color's were new to me... everything was suddenly so vibrant... I felt like everything before that was in black and white... like my TV... lol. I wish you a well and speedy recovery.

 

[CL82]

Thanks, everybody, for your comments and suggestions. I'll check out the pros and cons of mono-focal versus multi-focal a little more before deciding, but am leaning toward multi-focal.

Let us know how it works out.

I've worn glasses since middle school and used contacts on and off in my adult life. I recently went to mono vision contacts and, though not perfect (probably due to astigmatism), I was happy with the result. I guess I'd lean toward mono vision for me, since I am used to it, but the mult-focus sound good. I guess a full progressive lens isn't an option?

 

[8893]

I had mono-vision done and have been very happy, but multi-focal wasn't an option when I had cataract surgery. For reasons not relevant to this query I had to go back to wearing glasses as well and I have progressive lenses in those, which took a little while to get used to and I definitely noticed the positioning issue j66kicker notes above. Bottom line, your brain should be able to adjust to either, but if I was getting it done now I would probably lean toward multi-focal provided that my doctor assured me that the technology was good enough and likely to eliminate the need for glasses forever. If you are still likely to need glasses down the road, I'd go with monovision for your cataract lenses.

 

[rhozen1223]

I highly recommend the multi focus lens. Mine was done 5 years ago with great results. The focusing seems totally natural. I haven't put on a pair of glasses since. I have a friend that got mono and is always putting on and taking off his glasses.

BTW, it is quick, without any pain and you vision will be good almost immediately and continue to improve over the following month. It is a miracle.

 

[uconnfan68]

MY wife had cataract surgery two years ago. The doctor sold us on something called a Toric lens, and the way he was setting up her eyes was that one would be for distance and the other for up-close. First he installed a lens that was too strong and then the surgery didn't completely take and he had to do laser surgery on each eye to break up the cataract. My wife still cannot see properly and is so disgusted with the process that she is reluctant to have anything more done. It has been our experience (from a small sample, admittedly) that the handful of eye surgeons we've seen are egotistical a$$h#&es who are dead certain they are right about whatever they prescribe. This characteristic is not true, in our experience, of ophthalmologists generally. Anyway, do what you think is best but do not do it just because the doc thinks it's a peachy idea. Make sure you are convinced that what you're going to do is the way to go. I'll probably need the surgery in a few years, and that's what I plan to do.

Have to like some of that. Had mine done a few years ago, but was expecting 20-20, and was more like 20-150. So disgusted I didn’t want to do the 2nd eye. Doctor finally convinced me after saying second would be 20-20. It wasn’t. So I still wear glasses, and can’t see close up without them, and only at 6-8” with them. My vision from 2-5’ is decent, where it as a blur after 2’ before. Only real plus was night vision for driving. Sucks to get old.

 

[CL82]

If you are still likely to need glasses down the road, I'd go with monovision for your cataract lenses.

Why?

 

[8893]

Why?

Granted, I got my medical degree at law school; but my (potentially flawed) thinking is this:

You are removing your anatomical lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens.

If you wear corrective lenses, this may be an opportunity to obviate them by making the correction(s) with intraocular lenses.

I believe multifocal lenses are the functional equivalent of progressive lenses, which is essentially a three-zone lens, with the middle zone being the narrowest; it is my understanding that progressive lens ranges are shaped like an hour glass, with wider fields of view at the top and bottom, which are the distance and reading fields, respectively. The middle range is basically the dashboard/computer/phone field, which is increasingly important for many people.

If you put a multifocal lens inside your eyes and your prescription changes, you will once again need corrective lenses. To my thinking, correcting a multifocal lens with a progressive lens creates an exponential increase in the spectrum of vision along which you will need adjustments, with a narrower margin for error and a correspondingly greater chance for screwing something up.

Bottom line imo: monovision = fewer variables = lower risk of complications.

 

[CL82]

Granted, I got my medical degree at law school;

Well you are a Juris Doctor so...

Interesting take. I'm not sure about the concluding paragraph, but I understand your point. I'll look into in more detail when the time comes.

Good post 88.

 

[8893]

Well you are a Juris Doctor so...

Interesting take. I'm not sure about the concluding paragraph, but I understand your point. I'll look into in more detail when the time comes.

Good post 88.

Yeah, I'm not sure about the conclusion either. But the head alignment thing with progressive lenses is real, and I can't help but think that putting a progressive lens over a multifocal lens will create narrower fields of view and require more adjustments.

But that may also be a function of the limits of my understanding of the science and technology.

One thing I have learned, however: medicine remains more of an art and less of an exact science than we would like to believe.