Close or Far for Cataract Replacements?

For cataract operations they usually ask you if you want to have your renewed perfect vision for up close or for distance (and you will still need glasses for the other). Which did you Orchidians opt for and how did it turn out?

I went for far and medium and have glasses for near. Its good for driving and normal day to day living. As i use an optivisor or other optics for working before and after the operation it was more natural. Ive worn glasses for 55 years but the colours and clarity after the op were staggering. All the best.

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I call all of these operations nothing really

serious. These are all “warranty upgrades”. Enough already!

Gerrysdiamondsettingessays

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Gerry, On my iPhone!

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I went for having the new lenses correct for distance vision. My glasses have one lens for close work like jewelry and one lens that has two focal lengths - one for near and one for computer type distance. The colours that I saw immediately were so wonderfully clean! Before, everything looked like it was stained with tea! But I have to admit, after so many years with glasses, my face feels naked. You can also choose to just have the cloudiness cleared up with the new implanted lenses - in that case you would still need bifocals if you used bifocals before. I’m very happy I had the operation. Cheers!

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Well done - its amazing when you first see without specs or cataracts. Im almost blind in my other eye that cant be fixed.
I worked out the the first thing i did each day was put my specs on 23,000 times :blush:

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I’m 2 years away from cataract surgery and I’ve been wondering about the distance question. My last contacts were one lens for near vision and the other for far. I wonder if this can be done for cataract lenses. Has anyone heard of this possibility? Mary

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My Ophthalmologist told me for cataract surgery 9 out 10 men get both lens/eyes for distance and 9 out 10 women get 1 lens/eye for distance and 1 lens/eye for reading. I got both lens for distance but I can still read the labels when grocery shopping without reading glasses but my eyes will get tired if I do this for long. When I read a book I use off the shelf readers. For the bench I still use an OptiVisor.

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What?

So your gonna keep having surgeries? These things are permanent. Check this out with your surgeon. My two surgeries only fixed the overall poor vision, these are nothing to do with close-up or distance. I suggest having a consultation on your own situation!

Gerrysdiamondsettingessays

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Gerry, On my iPhone!

I have one distance eye (after cataract surgery) and one closeup eye (my normal myopia plus a contact lens). It’s wonderful. I can read a book at 6" - 8" and see detail in the distance. I recommend it. I believe this is called monovision, and i feel no trace of visual confusion walking around like this. Just pleased i don’t have several pairs of reading glasses placed around the house, and don’t have to reach for reading glasses to read print etc.
For jewellery making i have one pair of silver glasses (ahem…) fitted with different power lenses to bring both focal points together. Optivisor on top for extra closeup.

Yes Mary–a lot of people do that: one eye for close vision and one for distance. If you liked it for contacts, that’s good–a lot of folks don’t like it at all. Most people seem to go for good distance vision (no glasses) with glasses for close up work. I didn’t. Since I spend most of my time at the bench or at the computer, or reading or writing, etc, it made more sense not to need glasses for all those activities. I was nearsighted before and pretty much used glasses only for driving, movies, TV, lectures, etc. So now after cataract ops on both eyes, I don’t need glasses for closeup or computer and use them just for distance, but I did get multifocal glasses. The distance prescription is much lower than prior to the operation. Oh–I often use optivisor at the bench.

Hi Brian good in reading your notes!

I have 20/20 in the right eye. But now I use 1.25 readers just for close up plus Optivisor #5 lens for setting. Just a great combination!

Gerrysdiamondsettingessays

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Gerry, On my iPhone!

That’s a new plan to consider! I can hardly wait for Medicare to cover the surgery when I meet the criteria. I appreciate the opinions of jewelers like you who depend on your eyes for close work. (Family and friends don’t quite get it.) I don’t have a problem cutting cabs but my zen activity is making chains and the JRs are getting difficult to close properly without a bright light and an optivisor…but I’ll make it another year or two. Thanks

Does that not affect depth perception…?

No Gerry - Hopefully just one surgery session for both eyes but I want to be informed before I make that appointment. I’m happy with the eye surgeons where I live but they want me to hold out until the cataracts are a bit larger so Medicare will cover the procedures. Thanks

This is just why a consultation will resolve many problems. When I go to my ophthalmologist I make notes!

Regards to everyone who chimed in on this topic…”Isn’t Orchid great!”

BTW, I’m taking (extreme) pain pills, sleeping, resting, iPhone emailing. All of this for another 6 weeks… and replying to setting questions.
What would I literally do without you all?

Gerrysdiamondsettingessays

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Gerry, On my iPhone!

I general, in daily life: not so I notice.
I do use corrective reading glasses for jewellery-making, as they bring the focal length of each eye to the same distance. Plus the Optivisor on top if required.

I’ve never heard of them doing both eyes at the same time. I believe that would be very unusual. Usually they wait at least a month in between to see how you do with the first one. My surgeon had a great deal of experience and felt the first one was “perfect”, so the second was about 10 days later.