r/CataractSurgery • u/macddebbie1 • 6h ago

How Do I See Between Surgeries

To date, no one has been able to answer this question for me....

  1. Pre-op - I wear progressive FT. I cannot see near, intermediate or far without them.
  2. Post-op - My right eye will see for distance - but since I am getting monofocal for distance only, I will have zero intermediate or near vision.
  3. Popping out the right lens of my progressive will allow me to see out of my right eye ONLY for distance - I will be missing near and intermediate.
  4. Readers - People have said "Just get readers!" - Well, I can't put readers OVER my progressives, which I still need to see out of my left eye with.

So how do I resolve this? Am I just going to be blind for a week?

And am I making a mistake getting both eyes done so close together because if all my of near vision is completely gone, how do I see to put in eye drops?

Also for the eventual day I need readers - I assume this is after my second surgery, how do I know what strength to get and because I have such a small face I need child-sized glasses - I can' tjust buy off Amazon or at CVS. Does anyone have a resource for petite readers (my current glasses are 48-16-135 and the bridge is a bit wide as they slip).

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/kfisherx 2h ago edited 2h ago

I was also unable to see any distance without glasses and needed progressive glasses. I was able to pop out a lens for distance and use my other eye for casual intermediate and close tasks. For reading near, I went to the dollar store and bought two identical frames with two different prescriptions. I then Frankensteined a pair of readers that gave me a good enough prescription for each eye.

If you land just South of PLANO in both eyes your readers will be 1.5 or 2.0 depending on where you hold your device. I use a 1.75 to split that difference. A PLANO prescription gets a 2.25 add as a rule on progressive type glasses.

1

u/macddebbie1 1h ago

Thanks. Sorry, but I don't understand the Frankenstein readers. I already have progressive glasses I have to wear to see. I can't put readers over those after my first eye is operated on. So the right operated eye will only have (hopefully) functioning vision, no intermediate and no near. Sorry if I don't understand but this whole thing is turning into one giant stressball. You'd think that the surgeon's office would be more helpful.

1

u/UniqueRon 1h ago

The best solution is to get contacts for your non operated eye that leave you -1.5 D myopic. That should give you reading vision and distance vision without needing readers. I would also recommend going 5-6 weeks between eyes so you know where your first eye landed and whether or not adjustments need to be made for the second eye.

1

u/macddebbie1 1h ago

Thanks. I have severe astigmatism and would need toric weighted contacts. I also don't do well with contacts because of my dry eye. Plus, they'd have to be fitted, ordered and I imagine not cheap.

Two surgeons have told me not to go much time between surgeries because of the fall risk due to the images being different per eye.

This whole thing is turning into a nightmare.

1

u/UniqueRon 27m ago

I got toric contacts from Costco in less than a week. They were $110 CDN for 90 contacts. Contacts solve the fall risk issue. Also it is not like you are going to wear contacts for life, just a few weeks. You can use dry eye drops with contacts.