Dedtired,
I was in the exact same situation a year and a half ago at age 62. I could barely see, yet was unwilling to admit so. Also, I was hoping to wait until 65, as my insurance has a $10,000 deductible (self-employed).
Anyway, this is what I learned through a lot of research and also the fact that my good friend has worked for eye docs for 35 years.
First, the Restor will compromise your distance vision some, depending on how much they need to do to correct the close vision. So your distance will not be as sharp as it could be. In my case, I have a wrinkle on one eye -- they could only do the restore on one eye - so I would not see quite as well out of the one as the other.
If you have both with Restor, you may not notice the difference.
Second, the Restor has not been around as long as the IOL. That was a concern.
Third, docs are pushing the Restor --- and have the people working for them pushing the Restor. Reason --- they are not covered by insurance and they make a LOT of money on them. They don't have to worry about what insurance will pay. They get it up-front.
Since the IOL is tried and true, since I would only have the Restor in one eye, I opted for the IOL. Once they are in, they are in. There is no taking them out!
I had the same fears as you do. While I could not see distance without my glasses, I could see close-up perfectly fine. I hate wearing reading glasses, maybe loathe is a better word, but it's really not as bad as I thought it would be. I probably have at least a dozen pair - they are all over the house.
Good luck in whatever choice you make. I remember the doc saying to me that he had no idea how I was seeing! After I got them out, I realized how bad it was and am so glad I had it done. Really, though, I had no choice.
You said two in December??? They never do both at once - so I hope that is not your doc's plan.

Thanks for your very thorough response. My doc is doing both in December, but first one and then a week later the other.

Right now (except for the cataract blurriness), I can see both far and near with my graduated bifocal glasses. I can see really well up close if I take my glasses off altogether. I hate the thought of putting on readers.

I'm looking forward to having the surgery because I can tell that my vision has worsened. I just have to make this darn decision about the Restor lenses or standard. I can't even choose fabric for curtains without a meltdown, so this is really making me nuts.

I haven't had cataract surgery but I have worn contact lenses for 44 years and can't ever wear glasses because of my hard corneas.

I will say that as my vision has changed I had to make the decision as to whether I wanted to have slightly less distance vision so that I wouldn't need reading glasses. I can not wear reading glasses at all ever. I get so sick to my stomach and dizzy no matter the strength. It is the taking them on and off etc that makes me ill.

I was willing to compromise the distance so that I never had to have reading glasses.

Then I went in to get new lenses this summer. My eye dr said that he would not be able to keep taking away distance as he had taken all he could so I would either have to have reading glasses or try bifocal contacts. He said the new bifocal contacts...both eyes have graduated changes...not one eye distance and one close...I can't do those either at all...many people can but many can not.

I said I would try. I LOVE the bifocal contacts. I haven't seen this well in YEARS !! I have distance and very close...my vision is now 20/10 !! I am so pleased. They took NO getting used to and it was an instantaneous improvement.

If you can get bifocal lenses when they do the surgery that would be so wonderful. Not one eye for far and one eye for close but real bifocals. Try looking into that...I won't ever have to have reading glasses !! yeah...c

Thanks, Trailrunner. I used to wear just one contact lens, which allowed me to see distance in one eye and to read with the other, but neither one very well. The Restor lens I am considering would act like a bifocal lens, but the big difference is that it is implanted forever. It's not like I can pop them out and try something else if I'm not happy. I'd love to be able to see both near and far without using glasses, but the drawbacks are scaring me.

But remember that the Restor lens would also compromise your distance vision. They adjust the distance based on what they have to do to get the close vision correct. You may not even notice the difference - but then again you might - and as you said, once they are in that is it.
Personally, I don't find the use of reading glasses as much of a pain as I thought it would be. I stopped wearing contacts years ago, because I could see better close up without them ---- so now I have just traded. It is a really hard decision, I am sure. Mine was made a little easier by the fact that I could only have the Restor in one eye - and my friend thought that I would be able to notice a difference as both eyes wouldn't be seeing the same.
How about getting some low powered readers from the $ store, just to see what they would be like. It really is not as bad as I had thought --- and it is really great that I can now see properly. Good luck.

Dedtired,

Am just starting to do research on this for myself. Isn't the Restor the same type of lens as the Crystlal lens? If so, there is an old thread just pulled up on the Crystal lens on the health forum. It has several current posts that you might want to read.

It is similar but not identical to the Crystal lens. I did see that thread on the Health (?) Forum? I would only go by very recent info because the lenses have changed in recent years.

I talked to my brother -- an MD but not an ophthalmologist, and he recommends the standard lens. He just feels that the multifocal lenses have not been perfected.

I would not mind giving up some distance to be able to read without glasses. I'm still on the fence but leaning toward the standard lens.

Lizbeth, keep me informed of your thoughts and decision.

No-green, I know so many people who use the readers (in fact, most) without a problem so I guess I will adjust. As you say, I will just be trading my graduated bifocal glasses for readers. It's not as if I have not been wearing glasses at all!

If you have already been wearing glasses, it should be no problem - I was constantly taking my glasses off to see up close - now I do just the opposite.
I agree with your brother - and my friend agrees as well ---but the doc she works for really likes to push them - they are a big money maker --- too bad, isn't it --- they should be looking for the best welfare of the patient.
The problem also is that you don't know how much distance you will be giving up until it is done.

I'm an optician and my mother got Restor a few years ago.

It sounds like you are nearsighted now since you can take off your glasses to read. I also wear progressives (which is the real name for graduated or no line bifocals) and can remove them and see well up close.

My mother was like you and what she really wanted to do is to stay slightly nearsighted so she would keep her good close vision and continue to wear glasses for distance. She also wore progressives so she didn't have to take her glasses off for near. But she got Restor instead.

I think she wasn't completely happy with her choice. She could read without glasses but only if the light was very good. She had mild halos at night. I ended up making her another pair of progressives with almost no distance correction but with her near correction. Those worked well but she couldn't remove them to see even better like before.

Thanks so much for this info. Happyladi, that is SO helpful! I like to hear of first-hand reports from someone who has actually had the ReStor lenses. On the web, I have found more comments of dissatisfied results than good ones, although I think people tend to report back more if they are unhappy.

I guess millions of people have accommodated to reading glasses, so I can, too. All my life I have had to contend with my nearsightedness. My array of eyewear is mind boggling. Regular glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, readers for over the contact lenses and regular sunglasses for over the contact lenses. Plus, carrying contact lens solution, lens container and my regular glasses just in case I need then while wearing my contacts.

I had to wear contacts while skiing because the goggles didn't fit over my glasses. On the other hand, when snorkeling the water magnifies things so I could see fine without glasses. Of course, I had to have glasses handy for when I got out of the water!!

For those of you with good eyesight, count your blessings!

If you wear progressives now and are happy with them you can wear progressives after surgery. Reading glasses are good for close work but they will blur the distance and not provide anything for intermediate distances like computer screens.

That's good to know. I wish I could come to a decision once and for all and stop obsessing over it.

I found this good video on youtube that shows a doctor giving the informed consent info about the Restor lenses. I like it because it is more fact based than a sales pitch as the other videos showing happy patients are.

Here is a link that might be useful: restor informed consent

I usually lurk, but wanted to weigh in. What's wrong with using one distance and one close-up of the Intraocular lens? My mother had those implanted several years ago and she doesn't need glasses at all except to read the smallest of print--she has no problem reading cell phone messages or numbers, price tags, books, recipes, etc. Her doctor was excellent; he was a professor at a medical school.

My mom has that, too. She likes it well enough. I guess the ReStor are supposed to be superior. I don't know. I just wish I could make up my mind.