Adapting to Monovision

[britsheldon25]

I've been nearsighted all my life and wear glasses for distance. I need to get cataract surgery for my right eye cause. I also have astigmatism. My left eye is still good and I hope to preserve the natural lens and only have one eye done. Now my question is, if I was to get corrected for distance in the right eye would I have a hard time adapting to monovision since my other natural eye is still nearsighted? Do a lot of people only have cataract surgery on one eye done or is it usually not recommended? And if in the end if I was to have both fixed for distance would it be hard to adapt since I was nearsighted all my life and my brain is used to that? Or does it not matter?

[MrPresley]

I tried the monovision approach with contacts years ago and did not find it to my liking.  I have been nearsighted pretty much all of my life, and in March of this year I needed cataract surgery in my left eye while the right eye has not yet needed it or shown any real indication of needing it in the future.  Rather than have both corrected with an IOL when only one actually required it, I opted instead for having a monofocal IOL  for my left eye that kept me at near parity for both eyes.  I have always needed correction for distance and still do, but I'm glad I had it done this way.

[britsheldon25]

Hi there appreciate the reply. Why did you decide to have it corrected for near rather than distance? Is it because if you were to get your left eye corrected to distance with your right being nearsighted you'd be living with monovision?

[JohnHaganMD]

Please read this article carefully it answers many of your questions:  http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/1648102/Consider-ALL-the-Options-Before-Your-Cataract-Surgery-Working-Through-Whats-Best-For-You

[MrPresley]

My left eye was corrected with the IOL to within 1.5 diopters of my uncorrected right eye.  Since I would have to use glasses or a contact lens anyway to correct my right eye, this way I use them for both the way I always have, and did not have to deal with trying again to adapt to monovision.  Corrected vision of 20/15 has been achieved in both eyes, so I am pleased with the outcome and am glad I did it this way.

[JohnHaganMD]

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