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pamseif
pamseif

I am scheduled for cataract surgery in two weeks.  My prescripton is -6 in both eyes.  The technician doing my eye exam said I am -7.  I am wondering if she could get an exact number based on the fact that the cataracts make things blurry.  Before the cataracs got this bad my glasses and contact lens prescripton was -6, and I am very comfortable with that number.  I have been wearing contacts for years.  I am comfortable with distance vision. I sometimes need to wear readers for close up, however sometimes I do not need them.  My lenses are Toric and I have decided to get Toric IOLs. My question is: if I get cataract correction for distance, will I be able to see anything at 10 - 12" from my face or will I always need readers? I do not mind wearng readers occasionally, but would like to know if that is the only way I will be able to see in the middle range.  Also, if I have one eye done, can I continue to wear a contact lens in the other eye until I am sure how to have that eye corrected?  I know I do not want a full monovision, but is it possible to  correct for something less than 20/20 so that I can see close? (I beleive another poster called in "half unit nearsighted".

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  • Night-Hawk
    Night-Hawk pamseif

    Posted

    This is all very similar to what my plan is for my own cataract surgery in the near future, except I don't have as much myopia but I do have 2D+ astigmatism in both eyes.

    My current plan is to go for a toric monofocal IOL (preferably Tecnis) in my right dominant eye set for good distance vision, target: 0 to -.025D

    Then for my left eye, I would probably target about -0.75D since I can currently still get close to 20/20 in that eye with that much offset (I get better than 20/15 with 0D in that eye).

    I've verified with eyeglasses with +0.75D I can get good arms's length viewing with my left eye, for computer screen and auto dashboard - nice and sharp and still with OK distance viewing in that eye, so with a right eye tuned for the best distance vision should give decent depth perception too.

    I'm also considering possibly going for the newer Tecnics Symfony Toric IOL for my left eye only with a -0.50 to -0.75D target since that IOL should give an additional 1.25D or so to achieve decent near vision as well as intermediate and OK distance vision.

  • lin59
    lin59 pamseif

    Posted

    Is your vision good now at all distances Pam? Do you need to wear glasses at all?
    • lin59
      lin59

      Posted

      Just to clarify - you had micromonovision with 2 monofocal IOLs, right?
    • pamseif
      pamseif lin59

      Posted

      My docs call it modified monovision. The goal was to get to -1.25D and I think that was achieved.  I will know better when I meet with my optometrist in about 2 weeks.

      Both lenses are Tecnis Toric monofocal IOL's.

      My vision is good at most distances.  I can see the TV at about 14', the desktop computer at about 3', the laptop at arm's length away and my iPhone at about 15".  I can drive well, see the dashboard fine.  For anything closer than about 15" I will use glasses, but I am very comfortable with that.  So far I have found that for the majority of the day I do not need glasses.

    • Night-Hawk
      Night-Hawk pamseif

      Posted

      What distance visual acuity do you get with about -1.25D in the intermediate vision eye?  Better than 20/40?
    • pamseif
      pamseif Night-Hawk

      Posted

      I am sorry....I do not know how to answer your question.  I can tell you I have 20/25 in my distance corrected eye.  I have not yet been tested for the eye that was just done for intermediate distance. That will happen at the end of August.  

       

    • at201
      at201 Night-Hawk

      Posted

      Unless there are other visual issues, with -1.25D, I will expect pam111054  to have 20/20 or better vision at the intermediate distance of 32 inches and 20/25 or better in the 26 t0 40 inches range.
    • Night-Hawk
      Night-Hawk at201

      Posted

      How about at 20feet with a -1.25D eye? 20/30 to 20/40?
    • at201
      at201 Night-Hawk

      Posted

      Since pam111054 already has 20/25 vision at 20 feet with the first eye, it may improve to 20/20 at that distance when using both eyes.
    • lin59
      lin59 at201

      Posted

      Is this the same as I should have? -1.25D? Because you had said 1.25D, so I'm just checking, thanks!

    • at201
      at201 lin59

      Posted

      I should have said -1.25D.
  • lin59
    lin59 pamseif

    Posted

    How about for reading like texts and a book or magazine article?
    • pamseif
      pamseif lin59

      Posted

      I have not worn glasses at all today and I am constantly on my phone reading texts and looking at the Internet.  I hold my phone not at arm's length, but inside of arm's length. I would hold a magazine at about the same distance, so no need for glasses.  I think I may use glasses if I were to read a book for any amount of time, just so my eyes wouldn't get too tired, and the glasses would be +1.25 readers.

      I do look at my phone sometimes while in bed at about 8-10" away and I use +3.50 reading glasses.  

    • lin59
      lin59 pamseif

      Posted

      My one eye that's done so far with an aspheric monofocal lens set for distance is about the same, only I spend more time on my computer than using my phone. Don't have to use glasses at all unless looking at very small print.

    • lin59
      lin59 pamseif

      Posted

      I have to try out a magazine again to see if I can read it without glasses. How about your night vision? Have you driven at night?
    • pamseif
      pamseif lin59

      Posted

      My desktop computer screen is about 2.5 - 3 feet away depending on where I place my chair.  Keep in mind that depending on the computer program being used, the fonts can be made bigger or smaller.  I would say I keep my font at a medium size and have no problem seeing the computer at all.
    • pamseif
      pamseif lin59

      Posted

      Night driving was fine.  Drove for the first time a couple of nights ago -no glare.
    • pamseif
      pamseif lin59

      Posted

      I just bought a very small bottle (0.5 oz) of eye drops and I was able to read the directions printed on the back of the bottle (and you know how tiny that print is).  I held the bottle 12" away and had no problem reading.  Hope this helps.

    • lin59
      lin59 pamseif

      Posted

      Me either Pam and that's with only one eye done so far.

    • lin59
      lin59 pamseif

      Posted

      Great Pam, thanks for the info!
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