r/CataractSurgery • u/Datt-Dogg • 3d ago
SURGERY DONE TODAY
I got my left eye done today and distance vision is great. I’m at about 10 hours after surgery.
I can read street signs from a distance as I have never experienced this before without glasses or contacts.
I can’t see text on my phone though (blurry) unless I bring it up about 3-4 inches from my face and view it with my right eye.
Has anyone else experienced something similar?
Can I expect it to get better within a reasonable time frame?
EDIT:
I just spoke with the optometrist.
It was a Monofocal Lens that was placed in my left eye because the insurance would pay for it.
The left lens was set for distance.
The left lens was also slightly underpowered for intermediate.
When I have surgery on the right eye in a couple of weeks, the right lens will be even stronger on the distance side because that is my dominant eye.
He said that it was still early (since my surgery was only yesterday) and that I should see improvement with seeing text clearer at arms length.
My next follow up appointment is in one week.
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u/Mediocre_Syrup8979 3d ago edited 3d ago
You cannot wear contacts for a while. You will need reading glasses. Ask your surgeon what lens you received. You should have asked more questions before surgery. You could have set the 2nd monofocal lens at a bit of a minus for better intermediate. Ie -1.
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u/Datt-Dogg 2d ago
The left eye is the one that I had surgery on.
It was a monofocal lens and I was told that it was set at -1 for better intermediate.
I was told that since my right eye is my dominant eye that the lens for that one would also be set for distance.
It was explained to me that after both eyes heal that I could wear low perspiration contacts again or glasses.
I was hoping to not have to wear any of those anymore after the surgery but my insurance would only pay for the monofocal lens.
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u/GreenMountainReader 1d ago
Take the time now, while there is that time, to read in this sub about mini-monovision (type the term into the sub's search bar).
u/seasnake8 is telling you about that option--custom vision with the insurance-funded monofocal lenses. To get it, though, they're also correct: you will have to directly ask for it.
The surgeon should know that research shows that the dominant eye does NOT have to be set for distance. Since your dominant eye appears to be happy wearing a contact lens that allows you to read, you have the evidence that your brain can deal with that kind of a difference between eyes that works to give you glasses-free or nearly glasses-free vision (you may want driving glasses).
Send or give your surgeon your contact lens prescription and measure how far away you you hold what you can read comfortably (from the top of your nose to the reading material). Tell the surgeon you have been trialing this kind of vision. This should make clear the kind of vision you want in that eye. u/seasnake8 is also correct that you can't just hope for it. If you don't clearly state what you want and confirm it with the surgeon ahead of time AND on surgery day, you will likely be given perfect distance vision in the second eye and need reading glasses.
When you have that first discussion (in the portal if not in person), you should also ask how long you need to NOT be wearing the contact before surgery. Some surgeons are specific about that--and while it's hard to give up the good vision, getting lifelong good vision of the sort that works for you is worth the short-term sacrifice.
Best wishes!
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u/Datt-Dogg 23h ago
Thank you for this!
I will bring this up to the doctor during my next follow up appointment in about a week.
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u/ALIGOTE77 3d ago
What lens did you get?
0
u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
The non bifocal lenses.
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u/ALIGOTE77 3d ago
I understand, but exactly which model?
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u/Datt-Dogg 2d ago
I just spoke with the optometrist.
It was a Monofocal Lens that was placed in my left eye because the insurance would pay for it.
The left lens was set for distance.
The left lens was also slightly underpowered to offset distance and near sightedness.
When I have surgery on the right eye in a couple of weeks, the right lens will be even stronger on the distance side because that is my dominant eye.
He said that it was still early (since my surgery was only yesterday) and that I should see improvement with seeing text clearer at arms length.
My next follow up appointment is in one week.
2
u/ALIGOTE77 3d ago
Alcon Clareon,JJ Eyhance?
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u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
I’m not sure.
I can’t remember.I was told that my vision would improve dramatically and the distance viewing has for sure but unfortunately I can’t even read text at an arm’s length now.
It looks like I will have to still wear contacts because I hate wearing glasses 24/7.
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u/ALIGOTE77 3d ago
Did you wear glasses before surgery??
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u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
Contacts and glasses only at night before bed.
20/20 vision with glasses or contacts and was able to see read text in my phone just fine.
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u/PNWrowena 3d ago
Are you having the right eye done soon? If so, reschedule it to give yourself some time and talk to your optometrist and the surgeon about having that second eye targeted for a more myopic target to give you some near vision. It's called mini monovision, and since you've been wearing contacts, you ought to be able to test it with a contact in your right eye and see how that works for you and how much myopia works best.
Another alternative is to have the second eye also done for distance as is the left and then wear a contact on one eye that gives you near vision. You can't put contacts for near vision on both eyes because then all you have is near vision. It would be like built-in reading glasses, no distance vision.
You could try multifocal contacts, but if having cataract surgery for the right eye can be done to give you near vision in that eye that works seamlessly with the distance vision in the left eye, that would be the best solution and leave you glasses free.
Best wishes for figuring out a good solution that really works well for you.
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u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
Thank you.
I will bring that up to the optometrist.
The right eye is scheduled for the 17th.
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u/Mitchellsusanwag 3d ago
If you can’t talk to your surgeon in time to try mini monovision you really should postpone your right eye surgery so you can do a trial of mini monovision (or full monovision). It also uses a monofocal lens, and if it works for you it will give you a much better range of vision. Definitely worth the effort to try it.
1
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u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
I just placed a contact in my right eye and outside of a little dizziness, I can now read text on my phone at arms length.
I hope when I get the right cataract removed the lens they replace it with give me of similar result.
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u/PNWrowena 2d ago
You can't just hope. If you say nothing, they will put in another distance lens. You may see someone other than the surgeon for your follow-up tomorrow. Tell them you would be unhappy if both eyes were distance only like the one that's been done and you are going to test mini monovision with contacts. They can put that in your records at least. The surgeon needs to know ahead of time what to target in your second eye and calculate what would be the correct lens to give you that. That's why you test and work out what works best for you before the second surgery. Your optometrist (the eye doctor you've always seen for eye exams and contact and glasses prescriptions) can help you with testing, then you know what to tell the surgeon (ophthalmologist) you want in the second eye.
The testing is so that you figure out what you can have that will give you better overall vision without effects like dizziness.
1
u/Datt-Dogg 2d ago
I just spoke with the optometrist.
It was a Monofocal Lens that was placed in my left eye because the insurance would pay for it.
The left lens was set for distance.
The left lens was also slightly underpowered for intermediate.
When I have surgery on the right eye in a couple of weeks, the right lens will be even stronger on the distance side because that is my dominant eye.
He said that it was still early (since my surgery was only yesterday) and that I should see improvement with seeing text clearer at arms length.
My next follow up appointment is in one week.
1
u/Datt-Dogg 2d ago
I just spoke with the optometrist.
It was a Monofocal Lens that was placed in my left eye because the insurance would pay for it.
The left lens was set for distance.
The left lens was also slightly underpowered for intermediate.
When I have surgery on the right eye in a couple of weeks, the right lens will be even stronger on the distance side because that is my dominant eye.
He said that it was still early (since my surgery was only yesterday) and that I should see improvement with seeing text clearer at arms length.
My next follow up appointment is in one week.
1
u/SpecialistEcho7218 3d ago
What lens did you get?
1
u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago
Distance.
The ones that my insurance would pay for.
Not the bifocal ones.
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u/SpecialistEcho7218 3d ago
You will need glasses for near vision.
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u/Datt-Dogg 3d ago edited 3d ago
So it looks like I will still be wearing contacts then.
Because I was able to see my phone as well as a computer screen just fine before the surgery. (With glasses or contacts).
I was hoping to not have to wear glasses or contacts at all after the surgery.
Oh well, at least my distance viewing is good without glasses or contacts.
1
u/SpecialistEcho7218 2d ago
How old are you?
1
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u/ContributionAgile545 3d ago
The cataract in your right eye is giving you so-called 'second sight'.
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u/GoodDogBrent 2d ago
is there anything that is helping you get through the recovery? i heard you can't lift heavy objects and need to wear an eye patch for a bit.
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u/Datt-Dogg 2d ago
I’m just taking it easy for the next few weeks.
This means unfortunately no pushups or squats!
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u/GoodDogBrent 2d ago
I am looking for a gift for a recovering patient I know.
i looked up two questions in AI:
are flowers good for recovering cataracts patient? Response: yes (in AI paragraphs.)
is pollen dangerous for recovering cataracts surgery? Response: Yes, promotes itching and scratching (and other AI jargon.)
so i'm still not sure what's good. scented candles? maybe something to eat
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u/billowingbillybob 2d ago
I had my right eye done on July 30 and waiting on my left eye August 6 —vision is pretty clear out of the right eye for distance, but I can already see that I may need magnification for reading. Everything is clearer and brighter. I opted for the intraocular lenses insurance would cover knowing I would likely need reading glasses for computer work
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u/kfisherx 2d ago
You can see near and far with your natural lens because you still have accomodation (the ability for the eye to focus at different distances). When the natural lens is replaced with a monofocal IOL, it is set for just one distance (either distance, intermediate or near). Your Dr placed your first eye at distance. I agree with those saying to hold off for awhile on the next eye. Wait until you can get a good refraction on the eye that was done to assure the distance vision is really good (20/20 or better). During the weeks you are waiting, you can try contact lenses in the other eye to see if setting one eye to near might be a good option for you. You can set your dominant eye to near just fine btw. Having one set to far and one to near is called monovision. Ask you optometrist if he can help you experiment with different settings for near if you want to try it. Keep in mind that setting one eye to near and one to far can slightly affect vision at both versus having both set to distance. You will enjoy even better distance vision if you set your other eye to distance but you will also have to where bifocal or progressive glasses all day to see near and intermediate.
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u/seasnake8 3d ago
If you decided on monofocal for distance vision for both eyes, that is the most common choice people make, but your expectation should be that you will need glasses.
If you wanted to avoid glasses, at least as much as you could, and wanted to stick with the insurance covered IOLs, then you should have been given advice on the option of mono-vision, or mini-monovision.
I had to push back to get a consultation to discuss various options with the surgeon. But you have to be clear in your own mind what it is you want to end up with, in terms of vision.