This site and others like it draw unhappy people like a magnet attracts metal. It gives a totaly skewed view of cataract sugery. I'm working and this AM I've seen 5 people that have had cataract surgery on one eye and wanted to schedule their other eye ASAP because of the dramatic improvement. Cataract surgery is the most common surgery done on adults (3.25M in USA in 2011), the most successful and the safest (bear in mind no surgery is ever completely safe.
JCH MD
In general, people come to this site because they are having some kind of problem, so you are indeed seeing a skewed population. If you search this site diligently, though, using the right terminology, you will find a few customers who are happy with their surgeries and their IOLs.
I am one of them. About two years ago, I had bilateral cataract surgeries for fast-growing cataracts. I had been 'far-sighted' all my life, and after my thoughtful surgeon had examined my eyes and measured them seven ways from Sunday, he chose the ReStor D1 for me. Yes--the hated and reviled ReStor
My surgical outcome was perfect vision--near, medium, and far, without the need for reading glasses except perhaps twice a year in dimly-lit restaurants. I drive at night with great pleasure now, too.
The key is to do a lot of research beforehand, and then to find a careful, precise surgeon who has the habit of THINKING and who considers his patients' eye anatomy as well as their needs and expectations.
...Wish there was an "Edit" function! My title was misleading. I just meant is anyone ever happy with any IOL after cataract surgery, or ever happy with cataract surgery in general...