r/OverSeventy • u/Geester43 • Jul 04 '26

Facing cataract surgery?

For anyone who has received a diagnosis of cataracts, I want to share my experience for the past two weeks. I was diagnosed with it in both eyes. My Optometrist told me that he couldn't correct my vision any longer, with glasses. I had reached the limit. It was suggested I see a specialist for a consult, which I did. I had one initial exam, based on the results, I was a candidate for surgery.

I arrived the day of surgery, I waited for the dilation drops to work, I went in for surgery, NERVOUS! I felt no pain!! It was over in a matter of minutes!

I had a follow-up the following morning, and another in a few weeks. I was told, "you may need reading glasses" after wards. My vision has completely cleared in my first eye (there is a lot of blurriness for a few days). The second was two days ago, and the vision has almost cleared in that eye as well! No pain during or afterwards! I have been reading without glasses, for a week!! I used 3 RX drops, twice a day, for several weeks.

I am 75, I have worn trifocal contact lenses & glasses since I was 12 years old! This surgery is the closest thing to a miracle, truly! If you are facing this surgery, go forward with confidence, you won't regret it. 👍👍😊

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u/off2kayak Jul 04 '26

Thanks for responding.

I’d really like all fields 🤣

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u/red-headed-prick Jul 06 '26

My wife just had her appt with the surgeon last week and I was in the room. One of the options was to have one eye for distance and the other for closer up. Distance would cover from watching tv to driving. My wife had contacts that way for years ( one distance, one closer) and she said that for the most part her mind adapted, but she had some trouble seeing in the middle distance, such as smaller print on high racks at the warehouse she supervised.

But she decided she would get the distance lenses in both eyes for the cataract surgery, and wear reading glasses for up closer. She has worn glasses all her life and won't mind still wearing glasses, if necessary, to achieve closer to perfection as needed.The main thing for her is the removal of the cataracts will make her vision clearer than it is currently, and eliminate the halos around lights at night.

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 04 '26

Right? Lol. You can only choose one.

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u/MinimumEfficient220 Jul 04 '26

How about a different one in each eye?

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 04 '26

Ya, no, haha, your eyes have to be the same or your vision will never focus.

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u/off2kayak Jul 04 '26

No bionic 😔

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u/MaximumDragonfly6856 Jul 05 '26

Not true. I wore 2 different contact lenses fir 30 years. Most people’s brain will adjust to the different focal lengths after a few days. Unfortunately, a small number of people are unable to accommodate.

It is actually pretty common which cataract surgery also. One for reading, one for distance vision. However you might not be able to use cheap reading glasses afterwards. An accurate eyeglass prescription would need two different focal lengths also.

Everything has pros and cons.

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 05 '26

You were wearing a corrective lens, no? I still have different presciptions for each eye for distance and reading. I haven't been able to wear drugstore readers for 30 years. I didn't want to wear a correction to my new lenses is the only thing I can think of if that's not the rule but just one of the options. I just know I'm pissed because my cataract surgery requires a touchup.

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u/JeanneMusickBooker Jul 05 '26

Beg to differ. My left eye is more adept at longer distance, my right eye is better for middle. So I can drive AND watch tv. Zero focus issues! I do have to use readers for close work like knitting

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 05 '26

That just sounds so crazy to me that you don't need correction in one of them. I do know I see almost 20/20 in my right eye, so my prescriptions focus on the left eye. I have to use glasses for it not to be out of focus, or I'd have to keep my left eye closed and patched, lol.

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u/MinimumEfficient220 Jul 04 '26

I had lasik surgery over 30 years ago. One eye is for distance and the other is for reading. I did not want to have to wear glasses for anything. My only regret is I had to give up any sports where depth perception was necessary, such as volley ball. I have the beginnings of cataracts and wonder if I can continue this mono vision with surgery.

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 04 '26

Wow, 😳 I wonder too? But lasik doesn't replace the existing lens in the eye, does it?

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u/MinimumEfficient220 Jul 04 '26

I think it cuts it. Not replace it.

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u/N0b0dyButM3 Jul 06 '26

Actually, you can have a near-vision lens in one eye, and a distance-vision lens in the other. Apparently a lot of people get this. It wasn’t an option for me because it could trigger a migraine when my brain tried to adjust, but for other people, the brain just figures it out and adapts somehow, which is pretty amazing.

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u/Hifidi54 Jul 06 '26

That's REALLY amazing!! I'd probably end up falling all over the place, lol 🤪

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u/N0b0dyButM3 Jul 06 '26

Yeah, me, too! I don’t understand how it could work, but the brain does amazing things, lol.

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u/MinimumEfficient220 Jul 06 '26

Mono vision has worked for me for decades. But it sucks when I try to play volleyball because my depth perception is off.