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I'm so fed up with all the vagueness. I'm fed up with medical sources only giving useless information like, You should choose your doctor carefully. Or, Your doctor will explain the options to you. I'm also fed up with people who've had cataract surgery only saying useless things like, It was a breeze. Or, Wish I would have done it earlier.
But after asking for what is now years, I couldn't find a single person who could answer any specific questions. What about options for mismatched eyes, near- and far-sighted? What about different kinds of lenses? What about different kinds of procedures? How can you tell if the doctor if offering all available options, or he just has fewer that he provides? If you don't get something special, are you just restored to the same poor eyesight pre-cataracts?
Finally, after all this time, someone gave me a print-out that actually has some specific information.
For instance, it lists what seem to be specific procedures:
Ora Optiwave Refractive Analysis
Lensar Femtosecond Laser with Limbal Relaxing Incision
And lenses:
Toric
Multi-focal
Light Adjustable
I may not understand what this means, but at least it's a beginning.
With that as a starting point, does anyone have anything useful to add, to explain, to recommend? Why is there the groundless expectation that any doctor, all doctors, would have the same options? Shouldn't we know beforehand what we want, then make sure the doctor provides it?
I'm so fed up with all the vagueness. I'm fed up with medical sources only giving useless information like, You should choose your doctor carefully. Or, Your doctor will explain the options to you. I'm also fed up with people who've had cataract surgery only saying useless things like, It was a breeze. Or, Wish I would have done it earlier.
But after asking for what is now years, I couldn't find a single person who could answer any specific questions. What about options for mismatched eyes, near- and far-sighted? What about different kinds of lenses? What about different kinds of procedures? How can you tell if the doctor if offering all available options, or he just has fewer that he provides? If you don't get something special, are you just restored to the same poor eyesight pre-cataracts?
Finally, after all this time, someone gave me a print-out that actually has some specific information.
For instance, it lists what seem to be specific procedures:
Ora Optiwave Refractive Analysis
Lensar Femtosecond Laser with Limbal Relaxing Incision
And lenses:
Toric
Multi-focal
Light Adjustable
I may not understand what this means, but at least it's a beginning.
With that as a starting point, does anyone have anything useful to add, to explain, to recommend? Why is there the groundless expectation that any doctor, all doctors, would have the same options? Shouldn't we know beforehand what we want, then make sure the doctor provides it?
I had cataract surgery on my left eye a week and a 1/2 ago. Yes, it went smoothly. The only think I knew going in was that there are generally two types of lenses the doctor can use, 'one better than the other.' BUT it really depends on the patient. I'd had LASIK years ago, and according to my doctor, the upgraded lens was not a good option for me, something to do with the refraction that is done with LASIK - that lens might be one of the ones you listed (and that one generally costs you more than your insurance will pay- I was willing to pay for it). Since I trusted the doctor and know many people who have had this surgery with him and are all very happy with the results, I followed his advice.
I was nearsighted originally and after LASIK eventually needed reading glasses (I knew this). So the lens in my left eye corrects for distance and I will have an adjusted prescription issued for reading. Small cataract on my right eye, but it's not ready for surgery.
Some people are corrected for nearsightedness and get glasses for distance. It all depends on your personal history, what you've had done to your eyes, if anything, what your issues are now, and what the doctor recommends. There might be more options for certain patients. You could always get a 2nd opinion. Hope this helps a bit.
It will be "info overload", but may help you understand the huge variety of issues that are possible.
FWIW I had both eyes done last January, have had new eyeglasses for 30 days now, and they are not doing what's needed. I have an appt this coming Wednesday with surgeon to see what the problem is.
I did the "mismatched" and can only rave about how well it worked. I am looking at the screen on my laptop as we speak and the type is crystal clear thanks to my left eye. Thanks to my right eye I can see the leaves on trees in the distance. I am more than safe to drive at age 78. My bifocals are on the nightstand in the bedroom.
The bifocals fine tune my vision but I would be fine without them.
I had an excellent surgeon who nailed it on selecting lenses.
I went to a surgeon that my regular eye doctor recommended and said that this surgeon did a great job of cataract surgery on both of her parents. I was very nearsighted and now see great at a distance without glasses, but have to wear readers (which I knew in advance). After the surgeon checked my eyes, she suggested a regular distance lens for my left eye and a toric lens for my right eye due to astigmatism. My DH just had his cataract surgeries by the same surgeon. He thought he wanted cataract lenses close up, but after discussing it, decided on distance lenses. Then he thought he might want one lens for distance and one for close up. In order to get that choice, he would be provided with a contact lens to use in one of his eyes to see if distance/close up would work for him. He decided to go with distance lenses after all and has 20/20 distance vision in both eyes. I keep readers where I tend to need them (as well as in my purse and car), but my DH prefers to wear half glasses all the time. Each person's situation is different which is why you are having trouble getting specific information. My suggestion is to ask people you know who they recommend and then go with what that doctor suggests.
I'm so fed up with all the vagueness. I'm fed up with medical sources only giving useless information like, You should choose your doctor carefully. Or, Your doctor will explain the options to you. I'm also fed up with people who've had cataract surgery only saying useless things like, It was a breeze. Or, Wish I would have done it earlier.
But after asking for what is now years, I couldn't find a single person who could answer any specific questions. What about options for mismatched eyes, near- and far-sighted? What about different kinds of lenses? What about different kinds of procedures? How can you tell if the doctor if offering all available options, or he just has fewer that he provides? If you don't get something special, are you just restored to the same poor eyesight pre-cataracts?
Finally, after all this time, someone gave me a print-out that actually has some specific information.
For instance, it lists what seem to be specific procedures:
Ora Optiwave Refractive Analysis
Lensar Femtosecond Laser with Limbal Relaxing Incision
And lenses:
Toric
Multi-focal
Light Adjustable
I may not understand what this means, but at least it's a beginning.
With that as a starting point, does anyone have anything useful to add, to explain, to recommend? Why is there the groundless expectation that any doctor, all doctors, would have the same options? Shouldn't we know beforehand what we want, then make sure the doctor provides it?
Ive been trying to findout if the lenses are tinted so they change the color of light entering the eye. Cant get any confirmation one way or another. To some people, esp artists, the color of light is extremely important.
Ive been trying to findout if the lenses are tinted so they change the color of light entering the eye. Cant get any confirmation one way or another. To some people, esp artists, the color of light is extremely important.
In my experience with clear lenses, the biggest change was the restored brightness and contrast of things. I characterize it like I had been seeing thru a dirty window for the last 20 or more years. The change over that time so gradual you don't notice. When they removed the patches, I was amazed at the difference.
I tried "mismatched" contact lenses many years ago. I basically walked around with one eye closed depending on what I needed to do. They said my brain would adapt and even at that age I couldn't do it. I knew I would never be able to adapt, so when I have to get my cataract surgery done in the next year or so I will have to decide what I prefer. I have a friend who got the near/far done and loves it. She's in her 80s now and still swears by it.
My biggest concern is that I have dry AMD and am hoping that having surgery is not going to do something to move me into wet AMD.
I have to ask:
With all the questions on here about what happens during various procedures don't your doctors explain them?
When Mrs. NBP had her cataract surgery the doctor explained every step and the why.
When I had prostate biopsies the urologist explained every step and the why.
When I had stents put in after a heart attack the cardiologist explained every step and the reason to Ms. NBP (I was somewhat out of it at that point although the risks were explained to me and what and how was going to be done).
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