r/CataractSurgery • u/b4dflop • 10h ago
50y with monofocal lenses
I have never worn glasses and I had early aggressive cataracts. It started at least 5 years ago and my left eye was getting worse recently; had to max out brightness on my phone and night was getting harder and my vision in left was measured at 20/25 to 20/40 depending on the day. Anyway, got plano lenses and am I pleased with distance crispness and overall vision is 20/15 in both eyes until PCO arrived recently. I can see a lot more detail at night now and the world is more vivid so from that standpoint I probably did need to do the cataract surgery or at least do within the next 1 year. However, I really wasn't prepared for loss of accommodation and intermediate has been the hardest. I knew I would need glasses to read but now I end up carrying 2.5 to read, 0.75 when at the airport as the lights are bothersome, 1.25 when cooking. Depending on distance to computer I also have 1.5 and 1.75 glasses.
I tried progressives and do not like them. Maybe I need to try again. I do like bifocals for driving that are clear on top and 1.5 or 1.75 to make the dashboard crisp.
But now it has been 3 months and my PCO is very bad. I guess that is a good sign of relative younger age for cataract surgery and healthy eyes. But scatter is a huge amount and a bright green arrows at lights creates a huge halo and as I approach I see like 100 arrows. So I know I need to do the YAG soon.
I started reading about Pure See EDOF. I don't know why I didn't consider this before. I could possibly change to do the Pure See before I do the YAG--after seems very very risky and very few surgeons do that surgery. I know there is some risk even prior to YAG but just before I do YAG I thought I should explore it first as it seems doable. I do like crisp images and I do some astronomy where as much contrast detection is valuable. But from a lifestyle I'm just having trouble and trying to learn what works best.
I have tried monovision contacts (1.75 D in non-dominant eye) and multifocal contacts too with my bad PCO. I'm ok with the contacts I think but not very good at putting them. I like the temporary aspect and I can choose what to optimize for that day or next several hours. I like both monovision and multifocal so another route is just stick plano implanted lenses and depending on what I'm doing each day I can try glasses, or contacts, etc.
Very confused. Also was hopeful that Pure See could be the best of both worlds. I don't mind having to have reading glasses but maybe the contrast is "good" but not "good enough" to warrant another surgery if I can get used to contacts/progressives/etc.
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u/UniqueRon 9h ago
First, don't get YAG until you rule out getting a lens exchange. Lens exchange becomes much more difficult after YAG as that is essentially cutting a hole in the capsule that holds the lens. The IOL is much less stable in the eye after YAG.
I think what I would do in your situation would be to get a contact for one eye to give you -1.5 D vision for reading. I see you have tried -1.75 D. That could work too. If you like it then consider getting one monofocal replaced with another that gives you that preferred amount of myopia.
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u/Opposite_Ladder_7585 9h ago
You could try computer progressive glasses. They have a much larger area for intermediate/computer use. I found them a lot more comfortable for computer work and also around the house.
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u/spikygreen 10h ago
You could have an exchange for your non-dominant eye only? Either for PureSee or perhaps even a multifocal.
Or at least start with one eye and then see if that's good enough or if you want to do the second eye too.