You are missing the point and I'm not here to debate with you. Two eyes always beats one whether you're talking about depth perception, field of vision or binocular central visual acuity vs. monocular visual acuity.
In terms of the way ophthalmologists, optometrists and visual scientiests define stereopsis (depth perception) you cannot have full 3-D depth perception without two eyes being pointed at the same thing, relatively good visual acuity and a occipital lobe that can process the information and create depth perception. real surgery done with both eyes with or without glasses or loupes is uses 3D vision so does operating through a microscope. Flat screen high resolution surgery is not 3D surgery.
You know whether you can operate safely. If you can go about it. If you can't give up those forms of surgery you feel handicaped.
Vision is not the sole determinant. There are always one eyed athletes competing in the Olympics. I'm sure there are one eyed surgeons that can operate circles around some midiocre or poor two eyed surgeons. I live in Kansas City. Long time ago the KC Chiefs had an all Pro tight end named Fred Arbanas. He lost an eye in an accident. He retrained himself with one eye and was all Pro and in the Pro Bowl several years playing, and besting, two eyed professionals.
So its really about how you feel and do. Still would recommend you get that book "A Singular View"
JCH MD
Thank you Dr Hagan.
I have left out part of the story- so will complete it. For about five years prior to my Left eye cataract removal, I fought a frustrating battle with fairly dense bilateral cataracts - that seemed to have started forming in my mid to late forties. My right eye was worse than my left - but both were pretty bad.
I also was diagnosed with glaucoma and pigment dispersion syndrome- and had been rather severely myopic my whole life.
The major major problem was that I was a very busy General/Trauma surgeon, who needed precise vision to see depth perception in open cases- but also needed to make very fine distinctions when doing laparascopy - which is a 3D operative field seen thru a 2D flat video screen. I had to stand back often, and alternately close each eye to get some semblance of depth.
This is when I elected to have the worst cataract- the right one - removed. This is on a background of having lifelong wandering right eye because of lack of use of it because it had such poor vision.
I dont know which eye is or was dominant. After the right eye catarct surgery- I had clear vision in R eye, but suboptimal vision in Left eye, secondary to left eye catarct,
At my approx one year follow up of my r eye catarct surgery, the operating surgeon noticed I had a retinal tear in superior aspect of r eye. I immediately underwent a vitrectomy and gas bubble in R eye. This gave me continued clear vison in R eye, with a small arc of blindness inferiorly in R eye.
As we contemplated doing a catarct removal in Left eye- I asked - based on my risk for a detachemnt on Left eye - if vitrectomy on left eye, and gas bubble, should be done at time of R catarct. I was told that this essentially is not done- although they understood why I was asking.
We proceeded with L eye catarct. Two weeks later, I had many flashing lights temporally in L eye, then a very dense showering of floaters - that I described as "polywogs swimming on wax paper" In the middle of this, was a fixed large shape, that moved with eye movements. I immediately- on a Sunday - contacted my eye surgeonm who saw me immediately in his office. He said I had a posterior vitreaous detachment, and the floating large opacificationn was a blood clot. He asked to see me every week or two, to be sure I didnt develop a detachemnt. about two weeks later, he said I had a macular pucker temporally in L eye, and I was seen by a retinal specialist the following day. He treated this macular pucker with laser pexy.
About one week later, I was driving, and noticed, when I closed my left eye, that it appeared that, with my eye shut, there was a large, nasal side "light Bulb" on. when I opened the eye, there seemed to be an encroaching dark curtain moving centrally. I immediately callled my eye surgeon, and he basically said drive immediately to my retinal surgeon. I did this. He dilated my eyes, did slit lamp, and agreed that I was significantly detaching. He took me immediately to surgery, did a vitrectomy, gas bubble, and what I undersatnd is called extensive Barricade laser. This was posterior to the equator, and encroached on macula.
In about a moth follow up, I described a larger nasal blind spot, and that me central vision was very blurry - 20/400. He did an OCT which showed an epiretinal membrane that, to my eyes, looked like a cross section of corrugated cardboard. He started me on prednisone drops.
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The most important thing for you is to protect your right eye. When you have a RD in one eye especially following cataract surgery the chance of a RD in your other eye (RE) would be as high as 10-20% So be sure your retina surgeon checks your RE regularly and if that eye develops a cataract it need close co-ordination with the retina surgeon and the cataract surgeon.
If your LE went through all of that and has 20/20 vision you are amazingly lucky and must have a very skilled retina surgeon. When the retina is detached then reattached some or all of the vision may not return. If your temporal (lateral) retina was detached if is likely your field defect is due to the RD and it would be projected towards your nose in the LE. No defect of the RE would be expected.
If you had an exophoria previously all of this may make it more difficult for you to fuse or you might even have a exotrophia now (LE always pointing outward some).
At some point I would suggest you discuss this with your cataract surgeon OR ask for a referral to a pediatric-strabismus ophthalmologist for an exam and a determination of your binocular eye muscle status.