PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Here is my experience. I wanted best clarity, so I opted for single focus (distance) lenses. I accepted that I would need glasses for reading. After the surgery, it was apparent the lenses were not really long distance, but since I would need glasses for reading if they were, and since correcting was much more difficult than the original installation, I kept them and opted for progressive lens glasses.

I was amazed how clear the world became, and that colors were brighter. (The natural lenses had turned yellow).

As it worked out, after a few years my eyes changed so that if the original lenses had been truly for distance, they would no longer be giving me clear distance vision. Since I was wearing glasses anyway, it didn't matter.

Dean37 Loc: Fresno, CA

I had the cataract surgery in March and April 2010. The right eye first and 3 weeks later the left eye. It was terrible with the drastic difference for 3 weeks I couldn't wear the glasses for left eye correction, the point the eye sees an image is on the surface of the lens, and the surface of the glasses lens of my left eye. I had to close my eyes when I turned my head or it caused dizzyness, so I just stopped wearing them.

I didn't have a choice of lenses so I just got the distance lenses. The day before they did my left eye, they offered me the astigmatism corrective lens for $1,000.00. I didn't think I had $1,000.00 so I said no. The doctor saw me before surgery and I asked for the astigmatism corrective lens. He said no need for that I'll just nudge it and you'll be fine. I asked if that was an acceptable correction and he said before we had the astigmatism corrective lenses that is what we always did. Now 13 years later there is no astigmatism in that eye. I have gained astigmatism in the other eye though. I also don't believe I have the 20/20 right eye and 20/25 left eye still and I don't think I will be able to renew my driver's license next year without corrective lenses.

I have a group plan through Kaiser Permanente and the cataract surgery for each eye was $5.00. My wife waited to have her cataract surgery until I retired and she was no longer covered by my health plan, but still with a Kaiser Advantage plan hers was only $250.00 for each eye.

I can say that cataract surgery gave me the vision I should have had before, when it was 20/600 & 20/800. The colors were brilliant after surgery and it was great to be able to see without glasses. I did lose that excellent close up vision for seeing tiny almost invisible things by bringing them close to my eyes, now I have to go to a magnifying glass.

I do have to use +3.00 drugstore glasses for reading the "Fine Print" though mostly when my eyes are tired or if I have to read for an extended time.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

Of the many constructive comments, my experience may be closest to Bill's. I had my right eye done for distance about three weeks ago, and my left (dominant) eye done with a closer focus distance day before yesterday (my two eyes had differing natural focus distances prior to the surgery, so we tried to do the same with the new lenses). After the initial eye was done, I noticed that my wife was not using ecru colored bed sheets--they had apparently been white all along It was fascinating for me to go around covering first one eye and then the other and seeing what a difference the first new lens made. After the first eye, I thought I would have to keep my readers for close vision, but for some reason that was not the case. Perhaps the correction of astigmatism with the more expensive toric lenses accounted for some of that. Regarding the surgery itself, I remember absolutely nothing about being wheeled in and worked on for the first eye. For the second eye two days ago, I remember everything--including some discomfort--during the procedure. I should have asked for more meds, but I got thru it and the doctor was pleased with how well it went.

Now, after the second eye, I am very pleased. My eyes are not perfect for distance--only about 20/25--but I am thrilled. As far as close-up vision, I will be taking in a bag of readers in the 2.00 to 2.50 range when I go in for my one week follow-up. It looks like I won't need them, except perhaps to read the insanely small print on some of my generic medicine bottles.

One final bit of advice prior to having the surgery. Assuming you have checked out your ophthalmologist and have good reports regarding his or her level of expertise, discuss what you are hoping to achieve with the new lenses and rely heavily on his or her guidance. Good luck. It will be a whole new and brighter world.

wsnyder Loc: Illinois

I had much the same experience with the multi focus lens. At first saw fine without glasses, but as time passed my vision got worse. I now must wear glasses for distant vision, and a magnifier glasses for anything closer than about 18 inches. Over all I would give them a mixed review. My vision is better without the cataracts but I'm still wearing glasses. Perhaps being 83 years old could be a factor.

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Just finished up with my cataract surgery this summer, but I'm not in the same boat as you. Now I'm 20/20 farsighted but need reading glasses (+2.75). I'm going to get a pair of blended bifocals with the lower section for reading and a clear upper section. I've been wearing glasses for over 60 years and never liked the idea of taking glasses on and off if I need to read. I like to put them on in the morning and take them off at night, also like glasses on when I'm working in the garage or outside.

Before surgery, I used to take my glasses off when looking through the viewfinder and adjusted the diopter accordingly. When I get my new glasses, I will have to see how I want the diopter.

Good luck.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Just keep in mind that cataract surgery is not intended to be LASIK or any other vision corrective surgery. It is intended to remove damaged, clouded lenses and replace them with clear prosthetic lenses. The implants vision, but the steps between them are fairly large, and that correction may be neither perfect nor permanent. There are lots of factors working at the same time, and for most, it seems that the resulting vision is very good, but there is no promise or guarantee of perfection.

As for the correction to choose, that has to be your decision. It would be a mistake to base it on what anyone else has done. After a lifetime of nearsightedness, I chose straight distance correction in both eyes, knowing that near/far correction would quite literally drive me nuts. That has turned out to have been a wise choice,since I have since been diagnosed with glaucoma, which very well may take the vision of one or both eyes, with the left being likely to fail first.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Same thing happened with me

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

I had both my lenses replaced years ago due to Cataracts and as a result my eyes tested 20/20.
I have talked to many people who have had the surgery and most all said they still had to have reading glasses.
I also need reading glasses now and have an appointment ahead.

William Royer Loc: Kansas

Both my wife and I had cataract surgery last year. I am 76, she is somewhat younger. In both cases the Dr. implanted a single prescription ‘near’ in one eye, and a ‘far’ in the other. It worked out very well for both of us. (Neither of us have noticeable astigmatism, which can I understand complicate matters.) Both of us can drive and can read well without wearing glasses. However, both of us did get prescription glasses to wear for those long periods of driving or reading or working on computer. Both of our insurance companies paid for all or most of the related expenses. The procedures themselves took very little time — less than 15 minutes per eye. No discomfort during or after surgery. Once both eyes done (about a month apart) took very little time for eyes/brain to adjust. Just had my one-year follow up with Optomitrist, and vision is same (almost 20/20) without glasses as it was right after surgery. In short — and comparing the before/after results and the ease from the patient’s perspectives of the procedures and recovery, I think it is one of those minor medical miracles that really made a difference for us.
(As an aside, from the perspective of an avid photographer, I went back and reviewed some of my images taken and processed in the year before getting the cataracts fixed. It seems that many of them had too much post processing in areas like saturation/contrast — perhaps due to the way the cataracts affected how I saw them at the time.)

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Do you have to learn how and when to wink?

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

My wife and I had each form of cataract surgery.

I chose to get the distance vision right since I want to see what I am photographing and it's easy to adjust the diopter in the viewfinder. I can view TV om a large screen with no trouble. I still need readers and computer glasses but that's not a problem since I'm usually sitting still when I read. I have had no problems.

My wife elected the multi-focal lenses and she developed halos and color issues that made it necessary to have a couple of additional treatments to clear things up. She can read her iPhone and print as well as I can with my readers but she can't see the TV as clearly. I don't think her distance vision is as good as mine.

But it all depends on where you start from. My distance vision was not bad to begin with, just a little discolored and getting worse. I also had astigmatism that probably would have been hard to handle without the simpler lenses. I was already used to using readers and computer glasses. Her vision was just getting cloudy and she didn't need readers before.

FunkyL Loc: MD

I want to thank all of you for your sharing your experiences, thoughts, links, and suggestions with me. They were a big help in discussing my options and concerns today with my "regular" eye doctor, and with your help, she and I both feel that I'm now well prepared to make good, informed decisions when I see the surgeon early next month.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

I found myself in the same spot ten years ago but with a twist. My daughter and son-in-law are Optometrists, ODs. My daughter is a primary care OD and her husband works for a very large surgical practice and specializes in the tedious process of prescribing the IOL lens to be inserted during cataract surgery. It is tricky because the lens is but one element of a compound lens and the usual prescription from a refraction is only a hint of the correction the new IOL must encompass. At any rate I had no freedom of choosing the practice and surgeon even though they are in Washington state and I’m in New York. Fortunately the surgery was scheduled six weeks after the birth of our first grandson. OK so I got free lodging and my private OD to attend to my needs post op. And also a family discount that strangely was equal to the copay from my Medicare plan.

I also had worn glasses with a healthy near sighted prescription and astigmatism correction. Plus at age 45 I yielded to presbyopia (literally old persons eyes) and added bifocals to the mix. This was important in the reasoning that follows. You must know by now that you get to select the end point of correction that is required after surgery. After discussion with my daughter I choose to leave the focus w/o glasses at one meter (-1 diopter) right eye and one half meter(-2 diopter) left eye. My daughter says people tend to choose no glasses at distance which leaves them fumbling with glasses close up. “Most of your life happens within one meter.” The one meter right eye is because it’s the eye I use for the viewfinder, not everybody does, and at least Nikon places the focal point at one meter. No glasses allows me to see the entire image with no glare. And that setup allow me to see the alarm clock!

I did select astigmatism correction which is expensive even though I got the toric IOL at cost. It wound up that the right eye correction was less than the smallest available. I payed off the wager of a beer involved in hitting the end point exactly as specified. A small cost. I was steered away from the multi focal lens because the center of the image focuses close and the edge at distance. And I was “demanding” and wouldn’t like it.

You need to understand that the surgery destroys ALL accommodation. You may have been told by the time you develop cataracts you will have lost most of your accommodation anyway and you won’t notice. That is pure BS! It is equivalent to super glueing you lens at infinity forever. Taking your glasses off for close work works fairly well and I do so while at the table saw behind safety glasses. You will loose your loupe for removing that splinter, however.

I confess I had computer glasses made for the screen since it didn’t look right. But then since I put about $250K into her education I get free glasses for life so I have the cost down to maybe $10K each, ignoring the cost of money. And I am demanding.

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

I had the surgery a month ago and got the std lens offered by Medicare for both eyes. I can see from 18 inches to infinity. Got a pair of cheap readers at Walmart for close reading. I’m totally satisfied. Wish you the best.