How is your vision after Cataract Surgery?

[orbitnw]

How is your vision after Cataract Surgery?
Please specify whether you got a monofocal or multifocal/accommodative IOL.

I would like to know what distances you are able to see clearly. What distances are slightly blurry, but acceptable, and what distances are just unbearably blurry.

I am particularly interested in those who have received Monofocal IOL set to Distance but I would also really appreciate hearing those experiences with different IOLs. I have heard from several people that with a IOL Set to Distance, they are still able to use the Computer at about 18 inches. This has confused me since I had thought IOL set to distance makes intermediate distance blurry.

Thanks!

[CBCT]

Best wishes!

[SoftwareDeveloper]

re: "But I wonder if targeting distance and wearing glasses for computing/near is a better option."

Its all personal choice, what is best varies for each person. It  depends on how much you'd like to get rid of correction and when (and since you are a high myope, the risk that they may be slightly off in the lens power since it isn't an exact thing, even with ORA which some are skeptical will do better, so you may need to rethink the 2nd eye after the first is done).

The nice thing about having good intermediate vision is (depending on the exact range you target) that in addition to being on the computer, its useful for most household tasks, social distance at a meal or meeting, and TV (depending on distance). After having been a high myope and needing correction all my life, its nice to not need glasses/contacts around the house. Though I went with the Symfony to get a larger range, most of my vision tasks are in the intermediate range so I appreciate that aspect the most.

However in your case with monofocals to target that,  you may  need both distance glasses, and reading glasses for anything near. If  you do target distance, you can then get one pair of  progressive glasses to help with intermediate&near both, but are going to be wearing them more often.

[reelmccoy]

I should probably create another thread vs hijacking this one so to speak.

Another visit with the ophthalmologist this past Friday. Still targeting intermediate/intermediate via monofocal IOLs. When I asked for IOL details, they claimed they won't know for sure until the day of surgery with ORA  used after lens extraction. I know they attempted to use one machine to do some eye measurements that was hampered by the congenital cataracts and go in again this week where another machine will be used.

I'm having doubts on going intermediate vs distance. The decision on intermediate was based on my lifestyle (12+ hours per day computing and low driving working from home). But I wonder if targeting distance and wearing glasses for computing/near is a better option. They discussed mono-vision options as well (like the suggestion w/ the right eye 2 meters out) and they seemed to think that decision could be made after the left eye was done and how I respond/like the corrected eye.  

I also plan on drilling them on IOL details. I still have time. Just want to make sure I'm making the right choices in a land of confusion. :) Can't thank SoftwareDeveloper & CBCT for the info and insights.

[reelmccoy]

My current contact prescription is -11 left, -12.50 right. That, at best, gets me 20/40 in the right eye. Due to where the congenital cataract is in the left eye, I don't see anything clear with it regardless of strength. Just got by with what I could.

I may be getting confused with the options, the pros/cons of each and which would be right for me with most activities I do now and the future. I do compute more than anything else so, initially, the thought of seeing that most clearly at arm's length seemed good. But now I think some answers to some questions first so I scheduled some consulting time.

Thanks again for the info.

[CBCT]

Regarding Crystalens -- I would not recommend them.  I had them implanted in both eyes.  The surgeries were one week apart.   Accommodation was minimal and I had very severe positive dysphotopsia and light sensitivity.  A year later I had both lenses exchanged for monofocal lenses and I am much happier.  Good luck with your decision.

[SoftwareDeveloper]

re: "It usually takes 3 weeks to get a contact prescription "

Your profile indicates you are in the US, at least in Colorado most optometrists keep a supply of disposable soft lenses for trials in their office. Mine kept trial lenses up through -10, the odds are low you are more myopic than that. If your usual doctor doesn't, perhaps just pick a doctor at a large chain (.e.g one with an office at a Walmart or something) and due to high patient volume they are likely to have trials.  Had you tried multifocal contact lenses?

I'm not sure if I have your preferences right, but it sounds like you wish to have good computer vision, and that close-in reading distance, and driving distance, are less important.  If you are going with a monofocal,  if you are having one eye set at arms length to handle the computer well, you might consider setting the other at perhaps 2 meters out for a slight bit of monovision to give you good vision at social and household distances, in meetings and getting around  home/office, TV, etc. (I'm guessing those would be focused at like 1.25D-1.5D myopic for computer distance, and 0.5D myopic for 2 meters out).  I don't know if reading a smartphone is also a factor for you. I'd posted earlier on this page I think a link to a chart&formula for converting distances to diopters:

https://www.slackbooks.com/excerpts/67956_3.pdf

I would suggest you  consider whether you might want the Crystalens or a multifocal (  in my case I preferred to go abroad to get the Symfony).

I will add one additional approach to consider if you do go for a monofocal. There are new techniques for giving presbyopic people more near vision if their eyes are adjusted to distance. They  have also been tested on patients with monofocal IOLs. They have just approved the Kamra corneal  inlay in the US, and the Raindrop corneal  inlay is in wide use outside the US and is working on getting FDA approval (and may have less reduction in contrast sensitivity since they will implant it in 2 eyes if desired, whereas the Kamra usually just goes in 1). Those are lenses inserted in the front of the eye, which can be removed if they don't work well. In that case you would get your eyes set to distance, and use glasses/contacts for closer in, until you got an inlay in the future.