Cataract Surgery.....;

[bassman]

Anyone had cataract surgery?  How was a the experience?  Anything you would care to share or recommend having already gone through it?  I'm getting ready to have it done soon and starting to gather info on the process.  The actual procedure seems pretty straightforward but the lens options are a little confusing.  Insurance will pretty much cover the basic lens - a mono focal IntroOcular which will give me either near or distance 20/20 vision but require glasses for the option not selected.  It seems most folks opt for the distance correction and use glasses for reading and up close work.  The other option is a premium multifocal (bifocal) lens (called ReSTOR) which is suppose to eliminate glasses for near and far sightedness 90% of the time but they come at a price - anywhere from $1500-2200 per eye depending on the doctor used.

If the basic option is selected for distance vision corrected and needing glasses for near vision, has anyone had problems with sports like golf, archery, handgun target sighting / shooting, rifle sighting / shooting, seeing dashboard interments in the car or on the Valk WITHOUT the glasses?

If you selected the premium option, ($$$$) would you do it again ?

Any info, recommendations or "insight" would be greatly appreciated.

[JimmyG]

Had the basic procedure, distance lens,. I have done wonderful. No problems doing anything. Use cheaters to read or close work. My sister did the bifocals lenses. She has done ok, but has taken some time to adjust.  If I had to do it again would I do the bifocals focus? I don't know. I have done so well I can't see spending all the extra cash.  I hardly ever find the need for cheaters, except for small close work.  I had a very well known doctor with great history. Procedure took about ten minutes. I could see so good the next day that I would cover my new eye and marvel at how bad my vision had gotten,looking through the bad eye. Two weeks later, did the other eye. Unbelievable is all I can say.
A funny, when I looked in the mirror, I could now see how time had not bee kind to my face, LOL
GOOD LUCK on your decision.

[Willow]

I have plastic lenses in both eyes.  Distance.  I can read fine in good light.  I use cheaters for dimmer light or long term (page after page) reading. 

The healing time was for me less of a big deal than I expected.  The vision improvement is fantastic.

Before having my lenses replaced I tried bifocal contacts and couldn't adjust to them.  Apparently there are a few of us whose brains just won't cooperate.  If you haven't tried bifical contacts successfully I would stay away from having bifocals implanted in my eyes. 

[Michvalk]

I too have plastic eyes. Distance vision, wear cheaters for reading. I have always worn glasses to see, and had cataracts real bad before replacing the lenses. I am glad I opted for the regular/distance lenses, as I can use any off the shelf cheaters or sunglasses, and see just fine

[Super Santa]

Thanks for the comments. 

I too have been considering the options with the cataract surgery.

Your comments are helping me a lot in making my final decisions.

Much appreciated.

[hotglue #43]

Same here... Thanks

[PharmBoy]

Had the left eye fixed last Tuesday, standard/distance lenses/laser surgery.  No pain, no problems and I see better than ever out of that eye.  Going in at 7:15 AM tomorrow to get the right eye the same treatment.  I can hardly wait!  I will probably have to have reading glasses for small print, but that is not for sure because I can read what I am writing now with my left eye just fine.  The price is comparable to what I am paying.  My lenses are AcrySof IQ by Alcon Labs, but I am sure that there are others that are just as good.  Best of luck to you!  I am going in tomorrow with the utmost confidence that the outcome will be absolutely great...Jim

[DIGGER]

what are the symptoms of cataracts?    What made you go to the eye doc?

[Billinva]

I had one eye done about 12 months ago using the mono lens. I wear progressive lens glasses all the time to keep from having to mess with the on and off of reading glasses. Works for me. I can't read the odometer or GPS without  glasses, and I don't want to put glasses on and off while I'm driving or riding the bike. My distance vision is good without glasses, but I wear them all the time anyway.

Last week my wife got her second eye done, both with mono lens. She did not want the fancy lens, but she has worn glasses all of her life. She plans to wear the progressive lens glasses fulltime.

A lady friend of ours got the fancy lens in both eyes about a year ago. She had some problems adjusting to the lens, and still uses reading glasses to read the fine print of a newspaper. She seems happy with her setup. Her husband had his done with the mono lens, and is happy with way his worked out. He wears glasses full time.

[Robert]

I have had it done about 4 years ago to one eye. I have the adjustable lens and have 20/15 vision. Just go to someone who does a lot of them with good reviews. It took all of a half hour and it is pretty straight forward. I was one of the first to have the adjustable lens and I like them don't use glasses at all.

[Spirited-6]

Good luck to all. I`m waiting in the side  lines  for what I don`t know. Need to have right eye done.  Have a problem reading news paper fine print, canceled paper, problem gone for now.  

[bassman]

what are the symptoms of cataracts?    What made you go to the eye doc?

Digger...see if this helps...

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/cataracts/health-cataracts-eyes

[solo1]

I had both eyes done two years ago. Since I was 10 years old, my vision was so bad I couldn't make out the big E without glasses. Now both are at least 20/20 without glasses but I had some astigmatisim. The right lens corrected for the astigmatism but the lens correction takes getting used to.

Colors are much brighter, no glare anymore, overall a good deal.  I only need glasses when I read now. I buy cheap reading glasses at the local drug store for 5 bucks.

GetR done!

[R J]

I was one of the people who didn't need glasses till age 50 or so.

Told I had cataracts at age 75.

Went in and had the left eye taken care of.    Went to just plain glass in that eye, with prescription lens in the other side of the glasses.

Year later I had the other eye done.

Got prescription lens for both eyes.  Wasn't much correction, but just enough that took care of my having a hard time reading the paper.

I wear the glasses all the time when driving, reading the paper, or reading a Resturant menu.

I very seldom wear them in the house, or using the PC.      In the truck, I use them to read the speedo, mileage indicator and the GPS.   I think my eyes are more sensative to the sunlight than before.    I have the fast change lense in each eye of the glasses.

Would I do it again, yes sir in a heart beat I'd have it done.

When you are on the table and they tell you to look at the light, don't be blinking away and moving your eye off the light.     Dr needs you to look at the light so he can see what he is doing.   Trust me on that.

Good luck on whatever procedure you decide on.    I think it was well worth the trouble for me.

[Jack]

I have had cataract surgery on both eyes.  Surgery went great and I was impressed with the improvement.  Months later and I have some scar tissue around the lenses which cause some haziness and I will have this fixed when it becomes a necessity.

[bassman]

Thanks for all the EXCELLENT advice, suggestions, recommendations etc. !  I think I'll end up with the regular distance lens and skip the bifocal.  Once they are "installed" I'll know better about whether I'll need readers and for what purpose.  My main concern for the up close and personal use is for reading the cage dashboard, GPS, radio, speedo etc and also target practice with a handgun once in awhile.  I could talk to my doctor about these issues but chose to avoid mentioning or asking ANY questions about handgun use (think y'all get the idea on this).  As expected, everyones personal case is different from everyone else so I won't know exactly where I will fall into this until after the procedures - probably sometime in May - to know what tasks I'll need readers for.  I've never worn contacts but currently use progressive lenses in my regular glasses and seem pretty comfortable with them but I'm leaning strongly towards the regular distance implants for now.  I still have time to think about it.

Again, thanks for the valued input - much appreciated.