I'm glad it went well Linda! I hope you can afford your glasses you need soon. I also hope your second surgery goes just as well. Hopefully my dad can get his soon. I need to go to the erye doctor myself, just keep being put off, because there is alreaady so many doctors to see, test to have done, kids sick ECT. Thank you so much for all the detail.

Thanks, Alana. I hope your dad can get his operation too. I didn't realize how bad my vision was, and I'm grateful they have this surgery. I think of it as a fountain of youth...improvement instead of deterioration, and I imagine there is mental stimulation from seeing more detail that might keep one's brain younger also. Of course those that have worn glasses all along don't have quite the same depth of fuzz I had, as I was kind of stubborn about not wearing glasses most of the time.

I had the cataract surgery done a couple years ago, and now I use solely reading glasses as an aid, not a necessity. I was given a choice whether I wanted the new lenses for distance or close-up work. I do have sunglasses (I'm in SoCal) which are mildly prescriptive because they came with the health plan. I use them mostly for driving.

Go get your second eye done!

That's outstanding! Are you going to keep one eye for reading with the next implant? That's what both my dad and stepmom did and they're very pleased with it. It's called "monovision". It took a brief while to adjust, but the brain does quite quickly. You've probably already adjusted to it! : ) My friend uses those magnetic readers, but it is quite an adjustment when one could see up close fairly well prior having to put them on and off all the time as new lenses have no "give" and only focus at one distance, in general.

Dara, that's wonderful you have not had any issues with close vision. I wasn't even aware one could choose between the two!

So glad to hear things are improving! I'd recommend both eyes for distance with reading glasses for near, or invest in multifocal eyeglasses. Monovision can be very hard for some to adapt to. (Ask presbyopic contact lens wearers). Some folks have no problems.

As a current myopic patient, I have poor distance vision, but great near vision. I'd do distance correction Oculous Uterque after cataracts, personally.

As an ABOC optician, I can honestly say that people do not get their eyes examined as often as they really ought to. People should have an annual eye examination if not to check refractive change but just to check the health of the eye itself. It amazes me that for all people put into taking care of themselves they neglect their eyes- the only set they have.

Everyone needs MORE than one pair of glasses.

The blue filter lenses (we have BluTech here at Rx Optical in Michigan) are fantastic for those with sensitive eyes or use an awful lot of technology. Too much blue light exposure (especially towards the purple end of the spectrum) has been shown to cause an increase in Age-Related Macular Degeneration up to TEN YEARS younger in patients than in the past due to excessive technology use.

Also- Anti-reflective treatments are incredibly useful and the best add-on enhancement that makes the lenses easier to clean, easier to see through, and better looking for outsiders looking at YOU.

"Take care of your eyes, folks!" says the optician.

Steven

Thank you for your comments. Dara, so you had the cataract surgery and don't feel that big a need for reading glasses? Did you get the fancy kind of lenses that you can see both close up and at a distance?

While I like the improvement in my left eye my vision is not as good as I'd like. I figured it was because I need both eyes with the same type of vision. I do think my brain compensates some , having two different types of vision right now. But it seems like things would be in better focus with both eyes the same. The thing I don't want is to have to wear glasses all the time. If I get my right eye done, maybe my vision will be terrible for most things closer than 3 to 5 feet. I don't know. So you are right , Vaporvac, that it could be a big adjustment. The imperfect focus I have now might even be easier to live with.

Seems like I'd need glasses that are good for both reading and 3 or 4 feet away. I just haven't liked wearing glasses , partly because of glare. Maybe the anti-reflective coating you mentioned, Steven, would help. What is oculus uterque? I might not get everything I want, but the alternative was worse and worse vision. My opthalmologist is not all that talkative. He is ok with putting his reading glasses on and off all the time.

You are right ...people should get eye exams fairly often. My husband has had serious eye problems like a detached retina so he is very protective of eye health.

So what do you mean by getting distance correction after cataracts? Do you mean as opposed to close? I'll second AR coating. It's really essential, but I still prefer my contacts. My near vision is so poor now, but I can still see very close. It sure makes it hard to put on cosmetics, though!

Yes. Both eyes corrected for distance with the IOL's (intra ocular lenses) post cataract procedure. There are types that can correct for distance, for near, or toric (astigmatism correcting) distance correction.

Has anyone here seen an eye glass lens made for folks that didn't get IOL's? Whoa. Those things look like a fried egg- they have the base carrier lens, and then a bubble of the extra correction on top. I can't imagine having aphakic lenses *shudder*. I've only seen one in real life so far.

I do enjoy my contacts (I wear a daily disposable for astigmatism) but find my glasses most comfortable and consistently clear with no occasional blurring (toric contacts are weighted for their two meridians of correction), and of course, glasses are the BEST for gardening- less risk of dirt or bacterial infection.

Steven

The anti glare stuff looks like it works. I appreciate your adding your expertise, Steven.

Erasmus, I'm delighted that the first operation went well and send you my best wishes for excellent results and recovery for the second as well!

Erasmus, I really don't need glasses even for reading. What I do need is good light. I had my vision corrected by lenses for distance because I exercise and want to see the teacher from the back row and also because I possess a dose of vanity. I'm on the ol' computer machine a lot, and when I'm not I'm reading. For that I use common readers I pick up at my bookstore or drugstore. The optometrist gave me the reading to look for, 2.25 for books, 2.50 for computer. The really big deal is my right eye has astigmatism much steeper lower than higher, and thus can never be perfectly corrected. However, as mentioned, compensation is your friend. I don't notice the difference in vision acuity left to right except in instances like this when I'm writing about it. Otherwise, according to an eye chart, I'm good to pass the driving test. I'm a big proponent of cataract surgery. I did ask, and my surgeon does about 500 a year for many years. I so appreciate the skill of Dr. Mohamed.

Interesting to know. I think I will need the surgery soon.

I have astigmatism and cataracts. Can't see in the dark at all. Though in the spotlight of a really really bright and close LED lamp, I can still thread a needle.

When I was young I didn't need glasses at all and I still can't get over the indignity. Now I am like my father used to be. I wear glasses all the time and the first thing in the morning on opening my eyes -- I grope for my one of my several pairs of glasses.

For years I bought drugstore reading glasses. But these tended to break after a week, so did not really save money. Now I have reading glasses, trifocals, and prescription sunglasses. These last were a failure, since I got them for driving, but they have some feature that is great for blocking glare and ultraviolet light but also block out the automobile dashboard display, phone, fitbit watch, and computer, so are practically useless. They make my eyes feel great though. Very restful.

Monarda, your precription sunglasses probably have polarized lenses. They will block out things like dashboard displays, thermostat displays, etc. I hate mine and haven't worn them in ten years. They act like blinders for me. Non reflective coating on sunglasses work much better, I think. Diane

Thanks very much for the good wishes, Bart! I hope all will go well if you get the surgery, Monarda. My MIL had both eyes done and it didn't go well for one eye.

I went to my husband's opthamologist out of town because he had confidence in him. He does seem very professional and does a lot of these surgeries.

I have prescription sunglasses that I have liked a lot for driving. I think they are polarized. Mine were so old...the arms broke off of them, so I rigged up a headband out of elastic and super glued it to each side. They've held up extremely well, maybe too well, as I never needed to go in to get new glasses.

Polarized sunwear is tops.

Some displays will be "blacked out" because those screens are polarized in the opposite direction of the sunglass lenses. When two polarized films are crossed perpendicularly, no light gets through at all because polarized film works like a Venetian blind. I have no issues in any car I've had.

Polarized lenses block additional reflected light giving the clearest and crispest vision, not to mention the SAFEST for driving. Sun lenses whether polarized or merely tinted should have a backside A/R coating because any reflected light from such a dark lens will be amplified.

I NEVER recommend sunglasses that aren't polarized unless a patient is a pilot or has vertigo. I have non-prescription sunwear I wear with my contacts. One is polar with A/R, one is just tinted with no A/R. The non polar ones without A/R seem crappy to me because of the additional reflected glare from the lenses AND surfaces.

Steven

Well, my polarized glasses block out the computer, dashboard (including speedometer), phone, watch, fitbit and any digital device, sad to say. Otherwise they are great -- or would be if I ever wore them.

I missed nanadoll's comment about polarized vs anti-reflective coatings -- very helpful. Thanks. Next time that's what I'll do.

Don't forget that you can also change your screen settings on your computer or smart phone to reduce the blue light. Macs have a "night" setting, and Windows has a "warm" setting. Of course if you are wearing reading glasses anyway, you can get blue filtered reading glasses, but I found that there is still leakage of the blue light around the lenses.

You can change the settings on your computer and I actually have a program that does that, even though I don't wear sunglasses at night. I bought the sunglasses for driving and I don't think you can change the settings on the dashboard.