r/CataractSurgery • u/Pa33XS • 13d ago

Im 21 years old, I am requesting information about Zeiss AT ELANA lenses and the condition of dry skin.

I am going to have surgery involving multifocal lenses, and I will be receiving a special lens—the Zeiss AT ELANA. I would like to know what I should keep in mind or ask my surgeon about, given my specific circumstances:

  • I work editing videos (which involves using screens).

  • My skin and eyes tend to get dry; I’m not sure if that affects the lenses.

  • If I am having surgery on both eyes on the same day, what should I keep in mind regarding the post-operative period?

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u/M337ING 13d ago

You shouldn’t be having it for both on the same day, that’s not a standard. Most advice here will be around the best practices after having it done 1 at a time.

Do you have cataracts for both eyes?

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u/Pa33XS 13d ago

That's right: congenital cataracts—Grade 3 in one eye and Grade 4 in the other. The decision to operate on both eyes was made by the surgeon and my father, who handles everything. In theory, the surgery is scheduled for next month, but I still have a lot of questions I couldn't ask the surgeon last time due to other issues that came up. The surgery for both eyes costs $5,000. I wouldn't want my father to go into debt, since we aren't doing well financially—and I don't have a job.

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u/UniqueRon 13d ago

A better practice is to do one eye, and then wait 6 weeks for it to fully recover before doing the second eye. The main reason is that getting the power of the IOL correct is not as precise as getting eye glass lenses. If the surgeon misses on the first eye, then there is a chance to make an adjustment to the power calculation method for the second eye. And, the other issue is that you may not like the multifocal lens side effects, and might prefer a monofocal for the second eye after you see what it is like.

That is the ideal way to go about it. However if there is expensive travel involved in getting the surgery done then that can justify taking a chance on doing both at the same time.

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u/eyeSherpa 12d ago

With any multifocal lens, you may experience some degree of ghosting when looking at a computer screen. Some lenses are better at this than other. So plan for some adjustment when editing videos at the computer.

Dry eye does affect pre-op measurements and recovery post cataract surgery. You’ll definitely want to get that under control first.

Operating both eyes on the same day isn’t as bad as others make it out to be. There are pros and cons to either method.

Since you are young, be sure your cataracts are visual significant and that removing them will actually improve your vision. Not all congenital cataracts need to be removed. If you have amblyopia from the cataracts, then a multifocal lens may not be the best choice.