Cataract Surgery

Looks like it's time to get my cataracts fixed. There's been a small one in my right eye for five or six years and nothing in the left. In the last six months vision in my right has gone down the tubes. The doctor says I now have three in the right eye and the left is almost ready too. I've been nearsighted (-5.5/-3.5) all my life.

Any suggestins for the implant? Implant for distance and do reading glasses, or stay nearsighted and do distance lenses? My first impulse is to go for distance since I would still need safety glasses for most of what I do.

Of course the glasses will come from Zenni 8:)

Reply to
kabowers
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Have you investigated the new models coming out IIRC with some type of variable correction system?

dennis in nca

Reply to
rigger

My wife just had both eyes done and opted fo the distance with reading glasses. She has been wearing glasss for most of her life (like me ) and still looks odd without them. :-) ...lew...

Reply to
Lew Hartswick

The evaluation visit to the surgeon is in a couple of weeks, I'll need to ask a lot of questions.

Reply to
kabowers

Not variable, multi-focal. You see multiple superimposed images of the world, each focused at a different distance. Of course, and this what they will try not to tell you, you also see just as many multiple superimposed UNfocused images. The idea is that your perception can sort out the focused and unfocused information and selectively perceiving the focused information and ignoring the unfocused. This is kind of like seeing through a cataract to start with, where you have a focused image but superimposed with a hazy glare, and you try to make the best of it.

Thus the multi-focal principle sacrifices acuity for convenience.

One also has to be skeptical as these are patented products being heavily promoted at a multiple of the price of conventional IOLs.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 13:52:57 -0700 (PDT), the infamous rigger scrawled the following:

Varilux? RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY! If you look straight ahead, they work just fine. If you use any of your peripheral vision, turn your head at all, move around, change focus a lot, or drive, they suck the big one.

80% of the lens is totally uncorrected. I fought them for two weeks and made the optical office make REAL bifocals for me.

Varilux? JUST SAY NO!

Reply to
Larry Jaques

He's asking about intra-ocular implant lenses to replace his cataracted natural ones. Not eyeglasses.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

"Richard J Kinch" wrote: He's asking about intra-ocular implant lenses to replace his cataracted

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Furthermore, the progressive focus eyeglasses work very well for most people. My son says it took about a week to get used to them.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Hmmm, I've been pretty much as nearsighted as you all my life as well (-4.5/-5.somethingorother -- so better in the bad eye, not so good in the good), and I've hit the Age of the Reading Glasses. I'm not looking at cataract surgery, but the cost of lasik has come down far enough, and the price of contact lenses has gone up enough recently, that lasik is looking good to me. Anyway, speaking only for myself, no question: if I have surgery, I want Distance Vision. For that matter, I have them make my contacts for distance, and use glasses for close up.

Reply to
Joe Pfeiffer

This strikes me as a prescription (get it?) for a headache. No way.

Reply to
Joe Pfeiffer

My wife had hers done within last two years. She has distance with glassess for computer and reading (bifocals). She seems very happy. Moreover, she is very glad she had the surgery when she did.

Good luck.

Reply to
Michael Koblic

I was extremely nearsighted (~ -10) when I had mine done two years ago. The ophthalmologist said he aims for 20/20 distance, but tries not to overcorrect, since a little nearsightedness is useful, if not perfect vision. (Farsightedness is mostly inconvenient all the time.)

Two years ago, the surgeon recommended NOT getting the multifocal implants. The group had done some at patients requests, but some patients weren't satisfied with the outcome. The optometrist who makes my glasses said that he'd had some of those patients after surgery and making glasses for them to see better was problematic. My recollection was that they worked OK for people whose goal was only to see well enough to read a book and distances well enough to play golf, but for anything requiring sharp vision, they didn't work very well.

Discuss the variable lens implants with your surgeon. Maybe they've improved, but do a lot of reading and checking to see if they've improved.

About a year after the cataracts I got a deal on laser surgery (Lasek, not Lasik) and had that done to bring my vision to 20/20 and get rid of the astygmatism. Very worthwhile and a big improvement. I haven't seen like this since I was 12 years old - except I need reading glasses to see up close - but hey - only $3 a pair at the local bargain store and I've got them scattered all over the house.

1.25x for the computer 1.50x for desk work 3.0x for close bench work and small parts

RWL

Reply to
GeoLane at PTD dot NET

On Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:13:43 -0500, the infamous Richard J Kinch scrawled the following:

Oops. I thought the thread had drifted to (or back to) glasses.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

They're not variable. They're multifocal. It is a holographic lens with two fixed focal points. This is a genuinely novel device in optics, whether or not it is a good thing for an implant. Think of a Fresnel lens where the alternate rings focus at alternate focal points instead of the same focal point. This is unlike any other lens made by forming a simple curved surface.

That's 1.25D, not x. The number is the power in diopters. It's not a magnification.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

I've had both eyes done; the left one just a year ago and the right one in March. I had extreme long sight before the surgery and needed glasses for everything: varifocals for normal use (driving, reading, walking, etc), and special high-power ones for close-up work (I make jewellery). I used contacts for sports and tried both types of multi-focal in a vain effort not to wear glasses. I couldn't get on with either type: the contrast with the refraction/diffraction type was too low, and the toroidal type was just bad - for me. There was no way I could make jewellery with them

I wasn't given the option of multi-focal implants, but would not have chosen it after my experience with the contacts. I chose the 20-20 distance option on the implants and haven't regretted it. I don't have to use contacts for sport but got so tired of putting on glasses for reading that I've reverted to varifocal glasses for normal use (the distance prescription is about zero); they are photo-chromatic so double up as sunglasses too. I still use my special glasses for close-up work and they work even better than they did before.

Just my experiences.

Reply to
Gary Wooding

I had both eyes done 4 & 5 years back. I went with distance, and transition lens, (no-line) bifocal. Same reason, I wear safety glasses much of the time. I'm happy with my choice. Machinist by day, cobbler at night. Wish my woodworking skills were as good as my machining skills are.

Reply to
Rick Samuel

Stick with "soft" (foldable) implants, and go for distance vision. My cataracts were lighting up like a shower curtain in oncoming headlights, so great improvement.

I also had astigmatism which is a bugger for "progressive" (on your nose) eyeglasses, which work fine for most people who DON'T have astigmatism. The doc made a few cuts in my cornea and when these healed back up, most of the astig. was corrected.

I'd rather use glasses for computer and reading than for driving.

Just got a few pair from zenni, see my earlier post.

Reply to
Mark F

I was also shortsighted (-3.5/-3.0) from about age 25 and wore contact lenses for more than 30 years, starting with the hard plastic (horrible but better than glasses) through bi-focals ( could not get used to them ) and finally long life lenses, with left eye set for reading and right for distance. I went for laser surgery but my eyes were unsuitable as I also had minor cataracts. The surgeon replaced both lenses with plastic about 6 months apart over three years ago and I have had no trouble since. My eyes were set for distance vision and I now have 20/20 at over 3 metres. I can read a book at arms length without reading glasses but get tired quickly. I find it more comfortable to use a range of lenses depending on distance, +1 for metal & wood work, +1.5 for computer screen at arms length, + 2 for my laptop and +3 or +4 for model making. This makes my close vision clear, but I do need plenty of light and do not attempt to read without a desk lamp or do metal/wood work without additional lighting unless in sunlight.

I suggest that you do the same as me, set for distance, as most of the time you are not reading or doing close work and will not have to wear glasses. Most relatively close tasks like eating etc. do not require glasses as you do not need concentrated vision as in reading.

You can get prescription safety glasses but I prefer ordinary glasses and a face mask, especially for the wood lathe, router and sawbench.

HTH Alan

Reply to
alan200

Living in a very rural area we were unable to find anyone who was familiar with them. She opted for reading glasses as well. It turned out well: She just got her new drivers license, with- out any eyeglass restriction, for the first time in her life.:)

dennis in nca

Reply to
rigger

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