Hi Dr. O.,
You helped me two years ago when I had my first cataract. I believe that I now have a second one going.
I'm 53 and had exceptional vision all my life until I needed reading glasses. My eyes wouldn't tolerate reading glasses. Then I developed a PSC cataract in my non-dominant eye. It was replaced with a Crystalens HD. When it's sunny, whether I'm indoors or out, I have near perfect vision at all distances In the Crystalens eye. My distance vision isn't as crisp as my natural distance was, but it's pretty good. If I squint, I can make it almost as good as my natural distance was. As expected, I can't read the smallest print. In good unnatural light, the Crystalens eye needs a reader for reading. But overall, I pretty much have the best possible result (plano, 20/15, 20/15, 20/40).
At night, however, in the Crystalens eye, if I am in a well-lit place, my vision is excellent. But as soon as I am in a poorly lit place, I have pretty awful dysphotopsias in the Crystalens eye if there are lights around. Living in LA, there are always lights everywhere. If I walk or drive at night and close the other eye, my vision in the Crystalens eye varies from excellent to scary as I pass through different levels of light. In the wrong light, the scattered dysphotopsias muddy most of my visual field.
If I weren't afraid of dysphotopsias at night (I happen to LOVE night driving!), I would be here asking whether I should get another Crystalens HD or a Crystalens AO. But because of this issue, I am wondering if I should consider an aspheric monofocal.
If I were to get a monofocal, would my near vision get no assistance from the monofocal eye (which I assume would be set to distance because it's my dominant eye)? Would it be worse? I assume that my intermediate would still be good with a monofocal because it's so good with the Crystalens?
If you would still recommend a Crystalens, would it be HD or AO? If you would still recommend a Crsytalens, what would you say about the dysphotopsias?
Thanks!