Are there people on here who have had cataract surgery? If so, what have your experiences been like? I’m particularly interested in those who have gotten multifocal or accommodating intraocular lens replacements.
Now that my husband and I have spent beaucoup bucks on getting our teeth upgraded, we are turning our attention to spending discretionary income on our eyes. We both have early cataracts, and apparently our current ophthalmologist, whom we think is a bit too conservative, is not the guy we’re going to continue to “see.”
First, we were told that we had to wait until our cataracts “ripened” to the point where our vision was 20/60 before getting upgraded to clear vision, but apparently that is an outmoded limitation. Second, I am learning that while insurance covers replacing the lens with a single correction (monovision) intraocular lens (IOL), there are a variety of “premium” IOLs that require steepish out of pocket payments to become more or less glasses-free, and more are on the way. There are multifocal lenses, and accommodating lenses that use the muscles of your eyes in a more natural way, but so far have less crisp results. Does anyone have any insight (pun intended) on these products?
In addition to the cataracts, I am very nearsighted (Charles used to be, but had Lasik surgery) and of course we are both presbyopic. We both have astigmatism, and I have a corneal issue that is preventing use of contact lenses. So the bonus of getting a permanent vision correction without glasses is also intriguing. Both of us also have had torn retinas and very annoying floaters that are separate issues we’re also looking into getting treated - in fact, we are seeing a new doctor tomorrow who has experience lasering floaters).
None of these issues are truly awful, of course (NOT glaucoma; NOT macular degeneration; NOT diabetic retinopathy), but overall, the reduction in the quality of our vision is getting to be quite troubling to both of us. He can still see at night (or says he can – perhaps it is compared to me and to keep me from getting behind the wheel at night??), but I am quite uncomfortable driving at night, and walking at night in poorly lit areas leaves me clinging to his arm so I don’t trip (I am not vitamin A deficient at all). Driving during the day is less comfortable than it used to be too, and reading and working on the computer is tiring. It is very annoying.
We have been told much of this relates to the cataracts, even though ours are not bad yet. So if there is any way to get them fixed NOW, I’m all for it, despite the non-zero risk and expense.
The research I’ve done so far indicates that there are LOT of new IOLs coming down the FDA pike, several with prior approvals in Europe. I don’t want to wait and wait for the next best thing to come out, while suffering in the meantime, so I guess once of the things I’m going to ask about is whether the lens I chose is replaceable.
But I would really appreciate the input of my “peers” who are already going through this, if there are any.
Now that my husband and I have spent beaucoup bucks on getting our teeth upgraded, we are turning our attention to spending discretionary income on our eyes. We both have early cataracts, and apparently our current ophthalmologist, whom we think is a bit too conservative, is not the guy we’re going to continue to “see.”
First, we were told that we had to wait until our cataracts “ripened” to the point where our vision was 20/60 before getting upgraded to clear vision, but apparently that is an outmoded limitation. Second, I am learning that while insurance covers replacing the lens with a single correction (monovision) intraocular lens (IOL), there are a variety of “premium” IOLs that require steepish out of pocket payments to become more or less glasses-free, and more are on the way. There are multifocal lenses, and accommodating lenses that use the muscles of your eyes in a more natural way, but so far have less crisp results. Does anyone have any insight (pun intended) on these products?
In addition to the cataracts, I am very nearsighted (Charles used to be, but had Lasik surgery) and of course we are both presbyopic. We both have astigmatism, and I have a corneal issue that is preventing use of contact lenses. So the bonus of getting a permanent vision correction without glasses is also intriguing. Both of us also have had torn retinas and very annoying floaters that are separate issues we’re also looking into getting treated - in fact, we are seeing a new doctor tomorrow who has experience lasering floaters).
None of these issues are truly awful, of course (NOT glaucoma; NOT macular degeneration; NOT diabetic retinopathy), but overall, the reduction in the quality of our vision is getting to be quite troubling to both of us. He can still see at night (or says he can – perhaps it is compared to me and to keep me from getting behind the wheel at night??), but I am quite uncomfortable driving at night, and walking at night in poorly lit areas leaves me clinging to his arm so I don’t trip (I am not vitamin A deficient at all). Driving during the day is less comfortable than it used to be too, and reading and working on the computer is tiring. It is very annoying.
We have been told much of this relates to the cataracts, even though ours are not bad yet. So if there is any way to get them fixed NOW, I’m all for it, despite the non-zero risk and expense.
The research I’ve done so far indicates that there are LOT of new IOLs coming down the FDA pike, several with prior approvals in Europe. I don’t want to wait and wait for the next best thing to come out, while suffering in the meantime, so I guess once of the things I’m going to ask about is whether the lens I chose is replaceable.
But I would really appreciate the input of my “peers” who are already going through this, if there are any.
. I assume Charles will be propofol'ed for his INSIDE the eye surgery.
