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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 21, 2019 15:59:04 GMT
Background- I'm 50 years old; I've worn glasses since third grade, started wearing contacts when I was 15, and had to stop wearing contacts a couple years ago-- I would wear them too long, not replacing them often enough, etc. which led to an ulcerated cornea, bad inflammation on my eyelids, and dry eyes. I wear progressive lenses and my prescription is VERY strong- my contact lenses were -8.5 and -9.0. My eye doctor brought up the idea of lens replacement surgery and I wondered if anyone here has had it done? It's the same basic thing that they do if you have cataracts- remove your natural lens and replace it with one that would have the correct Rx built in. So I would no longer need to wear corrective lenses afterwards, or if I did, it would be a very low prescription. He also said they could do it with one lens for distance vision and one lens for near vision, which I'm not sure about-- that sounds difficult to get used to! My progressive glasses are NOT like that currently. (And, of course, since the surgery would be elective at this point (I don't have cataracts yet), none of it would be covered by insurance...  ) Has anyone here had this surgery or currently have the monovision thing with one lens for far and one lens for close-up, and how do you like it? thanks!! I'll be back later to check in. |
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stittsygirl
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Post by stittsygirl on Nov 21, 2019 16:09:44 GMT
I haven’t had one, but I work in surgery in a comprehensive eye clinic and we do about one a week. They are very fast and the patients seem to be happy with the outcome. Good luck and I hope it works well for you if you do it. My eyes aren’t bad enough or I’d consider it as well  . ETA: in the surgery I was speaking of the doctor doesn’t remove the natural lens first. They are usually done on younger patients who have not developed serious cataracts yet. They are internal contact lenses that go over the natural lens. Our clinic does 20-25 actual cataract surgeries a day, which are also very fast (about 15 minutes) and usually pretty straight forward. |
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Post by librarylady on Nov 21, 2019 16:13:37 GMT
When I had lens implants done after cataract surgery 4 years ago, the dr gave me the 2 lens replacement--one eye for near and one for distance vision. It has not worked well for me. My brain does not merge the images,as it is supposed to. I wear glasses.
Perhaps if I had done this when young my brain would have co operated, but not now.
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Post by maryland on Nov 21, 2019 16:14:19 GMT
I don't know anything about that surgery, so I apologize if this sounds really dumb! But could you get a prescription for glasses where one lense is for distance and one for near? Try it out and see how you like it before you have surgery done?
I am really struggling with my vision right now (for near) and I feel like I am going to need some type of correction soon. My eye doctor recommends trying the different readers from the drugstore (1.25, 1.5, 1.75) to find out which works. But they all give me headaches. I have always been terrified of eye surgery, but it's so bad now that I may have to consider it.
I hope you get great advice here and it helps you decide what will work best for you! Let us know what you decide.
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Post by femalebusiness on Nov 21, 2019 16:15:54 GMT
My husband and I both had cataract surgery. He wore thick glasses and had really poor eyesight. I had good eyesight until the cataracts started making everything gray and foggy. Both surgeries were amazing. He sees perfectly now and so do I.
We both chose not to have the two different lenses on each eye so we both still use cheeters for reading or close up work. I didn't like the idea of having each eye see differently and don't mind wearing reading glasses for close up. I didn't want to have to get used to the two different lenses, I just wanted to see well again.
The surgery took about fifteen minutes and was a breeze. The rewards were beyond fantastic.
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Post by femalebusiness on Nov 21, 2019 16:17:01 GMT
When I had lens implants done after cataract surgery 4 years ago, the dr gave me the 2 lens replacement--one eye for near and one for distance vision. It has not worked well for me. My brain does not merge the images,as it is supposed to. I wear glasses. Perhaps if I had done this when young my brain would have co operated, but not now. That was what I was afraid of so chose to still use reading glasses. |
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Post by mags243 on Nov 21, 2019 16:35:37 GMT
I had worn glasses since 2nd grade, and over the years needed horrible, thick glasses. My doctor suggested surgery, but there's no way I could have afforded it at the time.
When I was 45 I had detached retinas in both eyes, which is a risk with football vs basketball shaped eyes. The trauma to my eyes caused cataracts, which took any choice about the matter away. I had the same choice for the corrective lenses, and went a mono. The thought of having one of each sounded too confusing, and I talked to a friend who did it and regretted it.
If I could go back I would have scraped up the money for surgery much earlier. I have 20/20 for distance, and use reading glasses for anything close. Having never been able to see well, the difference has been truly life changing.
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 21, 2019 16:45:48 GMT
I’d suggest that you ask for some trial contacts to try out the monovision for a short time. They won’t be perfect, but it will give you an idea. I’m not sure if only wearing them for a few hours a day (since you have trouble wearing contacts) will give you a true indication if your brain will merge the vision, but it will give you the idea.
I wore monovision contacts for about 6 months and my brain never did fully merge the images. So, I chose single vision when I had my cataract surgery.
I’d just like to caution you to do your homework before committing to the surgery. With your high diopter correction, you could be at a very high risk for a detached retina or vitreous detachment. IOL surgery compounds that risk.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 21, 2019 17:01:38 GMT
| [article] don't know anything about that surgery, so I apologize if this sounds really dumb! But could you get a prescription for glasses where one lense is for distance and one for near? Try it out and see how you like it before you have surgery done?
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yes, he said I could totally do this. "try before you buy" so to speak, to see if I like it or not. Since I don't have cataracts to worry about, the glasses would be a good way to find out what it would be like after the surgery. |
I am really struggling with my vision right now (for near) and I feel like I am going to need some type of correction soon. My eye doctor recommends trying the different readers from the drugstore (1.25, 1.5, 1.75) to find out which works. But they all give me headaches. I have always been terrified of eye surgery, but it's so bad now that I may have to consider it. can you not wear prescription glasses? or is there something else 'wrong' with your eyes? Wearing glasses isn't bad, it's just that my eyesight is so horrible without glasses that I can't even see my bedside clock, for example. |
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Nov 21, 2019 17:16:13 GMT
My Mom had this surgery two years ago. She had cataracts so insurance covered the normal lense implants. She paid the difference to upgrade to mono-vision. But she had worn mono-vision glasses so she knew that would work for her. She loves it. The only thing is she had to get some glasses to help seeing clearer while driving at night. But she just keeps those in her car. No big deal there. She loves not being tied to glasses or contacts. And it’s definitely made a difference in her comfort during allergy season.
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Post by mom2rjcr on Nov 21, 2019 17:55:39 GMT
My vision was as bad as your when I had my cataracts removed 2 years ago. I choose to go with mono-vision lenses that corrected my astigmatism. I need glasses just to drive...I am a -1.00 in my left eye and -0.25 in my right, because I have "long" eyes due to my poor vision and astigmatism my lenses settled such that I need glasses. I am very happy with my choice and I love being able to see without glasses.
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Post by nlwilkins on Nov 21, 2019 18:04:41 GMT
I had corrective lenses put in when I had my cataract surgery and went with the mono. At one time I wore mono contacts for years so knew it would work for me. Also, my eyes were naturally mono - left eye is so much worse than the right eye so the left eye was only being used for reading (or was it far sightedness, don't remember) Leaning to do the mono thing was a breeze for me and it was great. At one time I was just wearing one contact in fact. Of course as I got older I could no longer wear contacts or do mono due to changes in vision due to age.
I love not having to wear glasses - though the correction on one of the eyes was a little off and need a little help on farsightedness. I only notice it when trying to read the words on television as my chair is a little too far from the television.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Nov 21, 2019 18:30:17 GMT
I have always been terrified of eye surgery, but it's so bad now that I may have to consider it. Relax, the eye surgery is really easy. Having a super surgeon and staff make all the difference! I paid the extra for the Torecq(sp) lenses. I was not guaranteed 20/20. The next morning each eye tested 20/20. My eyes were so bad my surgeries were just 5 days apart, which is far from normal. The best thing I even did!! I do need reading glasses, and a separate difference strength for the computer. crimsoncat05 I never had contacts, no experience with the different lenses for each eye. Could your eye surgeon make a case for your need of surgery because of your current eye damages? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 19:02:53 GMT
I have not had surgery but I'm on my 2nd year of monovision and I love it. I'm one of the few people who had no trouble adjusting and was able to wear them for the full 8 hours on the first day. I may have to put on a pair of readers for really fine print but other than that I'm okay.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Nov 21, 2019 19:22:18 GMT
I have decided to go to two pairs of glasses - my prescription doesn’t support progressives or mono prescription. My dr has talked about surgery so I talked to some friends. I have 3 friends who are ophthalmology docs and do surgery and they all wear glasses. When i asked them why they hadn’t had the surgery they said their eyes are too important 😬. My own ophthalmologist also wears glasses and gave me the same answer. I decided to stick with glasses, but I don’t mind wearing glasses. In fact I enjoy it. So I’m ok with it.
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Post by beachbum on Nov 21, 2019 19:24:16 GMT
I wear mono vision contacts, and have for many years. I use Air Optix Night and Day - I can wear them for a week, I take mine out on Sunday nights to clean.
I love them. I didn't have any issues adjusting to them, it was almost instantaneous - put them in and OMG, I can see great for both distance and reading. I go to my eye dr. yearly and have had the strength adjusted a few times through the years. I hate wearing glasses.
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Post by maryland on Nov 21, 2019 21:11:14 GMT
| [article] don't know anything about that surgery, so I apologize if this sounds really dumb! But could you get a prescription for glasses where one lense is for distance and one for near? Try it out and see how you like it before you have surgery done?
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yes, he said I could totally do this. "try before you buy" so to speak, to see if I like it or not. Since I don't have cataracts to worry about, the glasses would be a good way to find out what it would be like after the surgery. |
I am really struggling with my vision right now (for near) and I feel like I am going to need some type of correction soon. My eye doctor recommends trying the different readers from the drugstore (1.25, 1.5, 1.75) to find out which works. But they all give me headaches. I have always been terrified of eye surgery, but it's so bad now that I may have to consider it. can you not wear prescription glasses? or is there something else 'wrong' with your eyes? Wearing glasses isn't bad, it's just that my eyesight is so horrible without glasses that I can't even see my bedside clock, for example. What I meant in the bolded sentence was whether her eye dr. could give her a glasses prescription with one lense for distance and one for up close. But maybe I am not explaining myself well! I don't think I explain my vision issues well to my eye doctor, either. It's frustrating, but it's my fault, not his.
I do have a pair of prescription glasses that I wear before I put contacts in and after I take them out. They are not fashionable at all, so I don't wear them in public.  I have tried a few different pair of nice glasses over the years, but get bad headaches. |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 21, 2019 21:20:13 GMT
you made sense to me, maryland ! what *I* meant is that if I had cataracts (which I don't yet), my vision would be foggy / cloudy, which might not give me a good sense of what the different "corrections" would be like after the surgery. But since I don't have cataracts, I would get a clear sense of what my vision would be like with one eye set for distance and one eye set for close-up vision. I could get glasses made like that, to see if I can handle it or not. And whoever suggested it, I don't think the insurance company would go for a medical need to have corrective eye surgery, unfortunately (although I do like the way you think, lol). I can wear glasses, so my vision can be corrected that way-- I just don't like them and I don't like the way I look wearing glasses. eta: and I get the wariness of surgery... I'm practically blind without my glasses, so I understand how reluctant someone would be to get surgery and have something go wrong. |
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Post by maryland on Nov 21, 2019 21:27:55 GMT
you made sense to me, maryland ! what *I* meant is that if I had cataracts (which I don't yet), my vision would be foggy / cloudy, which might not give me a good sense of what the different "corrections" would be like after the surgery. But since I don't have cataracts, I would get a clear sense of what my vision would be like with one eye set for distance and one eye set for close-up vision. I could get glasses made like that, to see if I can handle it or not. And whoever suggested it, I don't think the insurance company would go for a medical need to have corrective eye surgery, unfortunately (although I do like the way you think, lol). I can wear glasses, so my vision can be corrected that way-- I just don't like them and I don't like the way I look wearing glasses. eta: and I get the wariness of surgery... I'm practically blind without my glasses, so I understand how reluctant someone would be to get surgery and have something go wrong. Oh, good point! I didn't even think about possible foggy vision. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Nov 21, 2019 21:47:47 GMT
I decided to stick with glasses, but I don’t mind wearing glasses. In fact I enjoy it. So I’m ok with it. I wore glasses all my life into my 70s, NOT by choice. I had to have the lens implants, because I had cataracts, again not choice if I wanted to see to do things! |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Nov 21, 2019 21:51:12 GMT
eta: and I get the wariness of surgery... I'm practically blind without my glasses, so I understand how reluctant someone would be to get surgery and have something go wrong. Just so you are aware, normally there is several months between cataract surgeries. |
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kate
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Post by kate on Nov 22, 2019 1:09:02 GMT
I tried monovision contacts, and it was a big fail. I'm jealous of those of you who can make it work!
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Post by Anita on Nov 22, 2019 1:17:14 GMT
I just had it done this year. My glasses were in the -14 range. They did the surgeries two weeks apart and it was a little difficult in between because I had dizziness. Look up second eye syndrome, though. Just be aware of it.
ETA: Didn't mean to sound negative. It was worth it and one of the best things I have ever done.
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Post by kernriver on Nov 22, 2019 1:24:53 GMT
I wouldn’t even consider the ‘two different lenses’ option. It just sounded bad. I have the lenses that fix my terrible astigmatism. I can see 20-30 without glasses and 20-20 with glasses. I don;t wear my regular glasses much but still need drugstore readers.
I too was totally freaked out by the surgery. I’ve had anxiety disorder for a long, long time. They premedicated me in the surgical waiting room and from that point on I was as calm as could be. The surgery itself was totally fine. They give you a drug that stops you from making memories so even though you’re awake,you don’t know what is going on and don’t remember any of it. I do remember the surgeon saying ‘I’m ready for the lens’ so she must have been in my eye at that point but I felt nothing.
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Post by Skellinton on Nov 22, 2019 1:31:05 GMT
I have horrible vision without contacts as well, anything further away then 5 inches is anything but a blur of color. I tried the mono visual contacts, hated it. After 6 months I had to stop, I feel like I gave plenty of time to adjust but I never could.
My mom did the mono visual contacts and loved it, but I don’t think her vision was as bad. She had the lens replacement for cataracts and her vision is perfect. She can thread sewing needles now and is the envy of the other old ladies in her quilting group!
If you can get lens replacement I would do it, but I would absolutely try the mono vision glasses first, it certainly is not for everyone.
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DEX
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Post by DEX on Nov 22, 2019 2:10:56 GMT
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Nov 22, 2019 2:41:05 GMT
I have worn glasses so long that I feel better with them. I do sometimes go without when I am trying to be all glamorous. That's the other thing... I could see and drive well, but my mind kept thinking I was missing my glasses, it was easier in the daytime when I had ordinary store bought sunglasses. Other times I kept trying to take off my glasses for at least a year. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 22, 2019 9:40:15 GMT
I don’t think it’s normal to wait several months between surgeries for eyes. Some surgeons will even do them at the same time or just days apart.
I really wouldn’t have them done together. I had a severe reaction to the povidone in the betadine solution they use to clean the eye. I had severe swelling that displaced the lens and had to have a second surgery to fix the lens placement, as it was rubbing on my cornea and would have damaged the cornea. I’m really thankful that they hadn’t done both eyes at once. It’s a pretty rare complication, though.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 22, 2019 15:03:56 GMT
I don’t think it’s normal to wait several months between surgeries for eyes. Some surgeons will even do them at the same time or just days apart. my older brother had cataract surgery with IOL placement; I think he had his done only a week or two apart, IIRC?? My doctor said they could do both at once; they mainly do cataracts separately because in general the people are older and there are more potentially complicated healing issues... ?? I do remember my brother talking about having to wear an eye patch for some period of time, so he MUST have had his done separately. But the issues with being able to see clearly only out of one eye, afterward, if they do one at a time? that would be weird. I'm not sure I'd want to have both done at once if there was much chance something could go wrong, that's for sure. One of my worst fears is being blind-- I think that must come from having such horrible vision for most of my life- I'm mainly a visual person, and being blind as a 'visual' person would be just awful. ETA: one other reason- that's probably mainly vanity, but it's an issue for me- is that I hate, hate, hate the way I look in glasses. I wore contacts for such a long time that with glasses on, I don't think I look like 'me' in glasses, if that makes any sense. And it's really difficult to try out different glasses frames when I'm practically blind-- I had to have my DH take pictures of me so I could see what I looked like with them on. One other factor that I would want to take into consideration is the fact that I craft-- scrapbooking and cross-stitch. So having to wear reading glasses for close-up work would suck-- at least right now, being practically blind, if I want to see something really close-up, I can take my glasses off and work on something only a couple inches away from my face. Not sure how lens replacement would change that. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 22, 2019 16:13:40 GMT
I don’t think it’s normal to wait several months between surgeries for eyes. Some surgeons will even do them at the same time or just days apart. my older brother had cataract surgery with IOL placement; I think he had his done only a week or two apart, IIRC?? My doctor said they could do both at once; they mainly do cataracts separately because in general the people are older and there are more potentially complicated healing issues... ?? I do remember my brother talking about having to wear an eye patch for some period of time, so he MUST have had his done separately. But the issues with being able to see clearly only out of one eye, afterward, if they do one at a time? that would be weird. I'm not sure I'd want to have both done at once if there was much chance something could go wrong, that's for sure. One of my worst fears is being blind-- I think that must come from having such horrible vision for most of my life- I'm mainly a visual person, and being blind as a 'visual' person would be just awful. ETA: one other reason- that's probably mainly vanity, but it's an issue for me- is that I hate, hate, hate the way I look in glasses. I wore contacts for such a long time that with glasses on, I don't think I look like 'me' in glasses, if that makes any sense. And it's really difficult to try out different glasses frames when I'm practically blind-- I had to have my DH take pictures of me so I could see what I looked like with them on. One other factor that I would want to take into consideration is the fact that I craft-- scrapbooking and cross-stitch. So having to wear reading glasses for close-up work would suck-- at least right now, being practically blind, if I want to see something really close-up, I can take my glasses off and work on something only a couple inches away from my face. Not sure how lens replacement would change that. A week or so apart for the surgeries is fairly common. Mine were done a month apart, but I think that is more to do with the military system than with standards of care. I think I wore my eye patches for about 5 days. I went home patched, but it was removed at the next day’s appointment and then i only wore it at night. With the second surgery on the first eye, I wore the patch at night for two weeks, since there were already complications. The concern is that you can rub your eye in the night and displace the lens. Be be aware that if you chose to have both eyes corrected for either distance or close up, you will need to wear the glasses to see the opposite. Meaning that if choose to have your eyes corrected to see close work, you will need to wear glasses for everything else—computers, cooking, driving, etc. I chose to be able to drive and go about life without wearing glasses, but need cheaters to cook, for computer work, and to do any crafting. I’ll admit, it’s REALLY annoying. I had to buy a magnifying light so that I could thread needles and do any close work. But I didn’t have a choice to get the surgery—my cataracts came on rapidly and I could no longer drive. I also couldn't drive in the time between surgeries. You basically can only see out of one eye and your distance perception is really horrible, especially with the disparity in your vision after surgery. I thought I could pop out one lens of my glasses, but it absolutely didn’t work. So factor that into your decisions. |
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I have tried a few different pair of nice glasses over the years, but get bad headaches. 
