Cataract Surgery Outcomes?

[Kevin1951]

Interesting to read about everyone’s stories. I’m scheduled for my first surgery (non-dominant left eye) on 3/23 through VA. I’m hopeful that I have the same good results that many of you have had. Currently the glare during night driving is so bad I‘m following the right solid stripe. Looking forward to regaining my distance because I can’t follow a golf ball further than 75 - 100 yards and for firearms, I haven’t been able to see the front sight in years.

 

[Phil75070]

Interesting to read about everyone’s stories. I’m scheduled for my first surgery (non-dominant left eye) on 3/23 through VA. I’m hopeful that I have the same good results that many of you have had. Currently the glare during night driving is so bad I‘m following the right solid stripe. Looking forward to regaining my distance because I can’t follow a golf ball further than 75 - 100 yards and for firearms, I haven’t been able to see the front sight in years.

What type of lens have you chosen?

It is interesting that you and others have mentioned that you are having your non-dominant eye done first. I assume it was the doctor's choice? In my case, I went with my ophthalmologist's choice to do the dominant eye first. I don't know if that is always the case or if there is criteria they use to determine which to do first.

Good luck! Hope your procedures exceed your greatest expectations!

 

[Kevin1951]

What type of lens have you chosen?

It is interesting that you and others have mentioned that you are having your non-dominant eye done first. I assume it was the doctor's choice? In my case, I went with my ophthalmologist's choice to do the dominant eye first. I don't know if that is always the case or if there is criteria they use to determine which to do first.

Good luck! Hope your procedures exceed your greatest expectations!

Honestly, I’m leaving the choice up to the Ophthalmologist regarding lens type, but he said he had a “good” one in mind. He did recommend a monfocal lens over multi focal and suggested I may need to use readers for distances less than dashboard distance. If they are anything like my hearing aids, they don’t scrimp on quality. I was a little surprised that he chose my non-dominant eye as well, but I‘m content to let him make the decision. Maybe if the non-dominant eye isn’t successful, he’ll learn from his mistake, lol.

 

[Reframmellator]

I'm scheduled for my first eye April 27 with a monofocal replacement lens because, he said, my cataracts are congenital.

Question for those who have had the surgery - did you go with the conventional or laser procedure? Why did you choose that option? Any procedural complications? Are you happy with your choice?

In my case, the laser may offer more of an opportunity to correct my astigmatism without corrective lenses, but it's also $1700/eye that is not covered by insurance. So the comparative complication rates are of interest to me, but I am leaning towards the conventional procedure until I develop a more definitive opinion on the two options.

 

[razaar]

I'm scheduled for my first eye April 27 with a monofocal replacement lens because, he said, my cataracts are congenital.

Question for those who have had the surgery - did you go with the conventional or laser procedure? Why did you choose that option? Any procedural complications? Are you happy with your choice?

In my case, the laser may offer more of an opportunity to correct my astigmatism without corrective lenses, but it's also $1700/eye that is not covered by insurance. So the comparative complication rates are of interest to me, but I am leaning towards the conventional procedure until I develop a more definitive opinion on the two options.

I went conventional and had the distance lense inserted in both eyes. It is just over a week since my second eye was done. For the first time in several years I can see the golf ball in flight and where it lands. I told the eye specialist that I needed to see the golf ball in play and he fixed the problem.

 

[Buckeyegolfnut]

I had my surgeries 14 days apart, and everything went as well as I could have hoped. As others have said, I walked out of the facility after both procedures with no eye coverings, bandages, or anything else! You walk out with your eyes open, and seeing quite well!

In fact, after my first operation, fixing my right eye, I stupidly stuck my glasses on my face! I could NOT see! I had to take them off to make sense of things around me. My corrected eye kind of took over. After the operation on my left eye, my buddy was driving me back and remarked, "You keep looking out the window like you can see stuff!" I told him it as because I could see stuff!

My distance vision has been corrected to 20/20 despite the fact that my eyeballs are shaped like eggs! Yes, I need readers for close stuff, but big whoop! This stuff is semi-miraculous! I now know why my Mom was so joyful on having this done!

 

[Phil75070]

I went with the laser assisted surgery. The laser was used to break up the old lenses and was done by another doctor/technician, not the surgeon who did the actual lens replacement. It was also used to correct astigmatism in my right eye (first eye done) as it was mild enough. The astigmatism in my left eye has been corrected with the use of a Toric lens. I have a mild case of dry eye in my right eye, not uncommon for someone who previously had Lasik done. Use of preservative free eye drops addresses that.

I went with "premium" lenses that give me 20/20 vision at both distance and mid-range (arm's length or less) and only the need for readers for fine print. I wanted to be able to drive without glasses, see the dashboard clearly and be able to use my golf watch (Shot Scope V3) on the course unaided.

The thing that drove me to have my cataracts evaluated was the glare from oncoming headlights that would basically blind me. The lens I chose (Vivity by Alcon) uses a different technology than most multifocal lenses to minimize that. I still have some halo effect around lights driving in the dark, but oncoming headlights no longer blind me. From what I have read, that halo effect may eventually go away as well.