Eyeglasses post cataract surgery
Posted , 10 users are following.
For those who wear glasses after cataract surgery, if you could choose, would you prefer progressives, bifocals, or simple distance lenses?
0 likes, 75 replies
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Notes on Eyeglasses post cataract surgery
jo61855 judith93585
Edited
Progressive glasses can be made with a wider central viewing area. If I remember correctly they were called aviator lenses. That's what I had when wearing progressives. Now for very faint print of critical importance, I use the 1.25 over-the-counter glasses my daughter found for me the same day as my cataract surgery. I knew in advance that I would need them for hybrid monovision with Vivity lenses set to a moderate level of distance vision. Not recommending progressives for you necessarily. Glad that you have made it through the post surgery initial experience in better spirits.
pershoot jo61855
Posted
'Premium Progressive' attempts to create wider zones.
judith93585 jo61855
Posted
Thanks jo!
judith93585 pershoot
Posted
Thanks pershoot! I'll keep Premium Progressives in mind.
I remember when choosing frames for progressive lenses I heard that deeper lenses would offer a wider zone. That said, I chose Silhouette frames with perhaps the smallest lenses available due to lighter weight and thinner lenses. No problems even working on a computer all day. I wonder if that was due to the type of lens? The optical shop I used offered Zeiss lenses, highest index, all other bells and whistles ... Do you think the type of lens makes any difference? An optician at another shop cautioned me that clients with a history of Zeiss lenses sometimes were not happy with other brands.
pershoot judith93585
Posted
Hmm, I have heard (here / there; internet forums) the more fancier (and expensive) progressives do offer the better experience (Essilor Varliux, etc.), suited for a specific purpose.
judith93585 pershoot
Posted
Good to know!
Bookwoman judith93585
Posted
I would also suggest getting your glasses made by an independent optician, not at a 'Cheapo Eyes R Us' retailer. Yes, they will cost more, but you're more likely to get them properly made.
As an example, I have progressive sunglasses; my optician made the bottom (near vision) part of the lens smaller, and the distance and intermediate areas correspondingly larger. Unless you're Anna Wintour, when you're wearing sunglasses you're probably outside and have less need to see fine print, but more need for distance vision. That's something I hadn't thought of until he suggested it.
judith93585 Bookwoman
Posted
Thanks Bookwoman. That's a good tip and shows the value of an independent optician.
I'm considering 3 optical shops. None are inexpensive and one takes my vision insurance. When you say independent, do you mean from one to a few locations rather than a large chain? I need to have more than one refraction for various reasons. I expect to choose based on the degree of service and quality of the lenses although that's not easy to determine. Have you been using a brand like Zeiss, Hoya, or Varilux? High index?
Bookwoman judith93585
Posted
One or a few locations - not a big chain. My lenses are Varilux, but no longer high index. At -2, I don't need them, and wow does that make a big difference in price!
judith93585 Bookwoman
Posted
Thanks Bookwoman.
On another note, are both your eye corrected for 20/20 with glasses? I noticed my LE is only corrected to 20/25 ... Just wondering why this could be and if it's common.
Bookwoman judith93585
Edited
Yes, 20/20 in both eyes.
RonAKA judith93585
Posted
I am not sure you are understanding what the Add is on your prescription and how it impacts your lens design for a bifocal or progressive. As a simple example lets assume you have no astigmatism (cylinder) and just -1.75 D of myopia. The basis lens design is a simple -1.75 D which means it is thinner in the middle than at the edges. Then lets assume an add of +1.75 D. This is applied in the design to bottom part of the lens. It is Added to the basic power, and give you 0.0 D correction in the bottom part of the lens, and essentially what you have without glasses. If an Add of +2.75 is applied then the net power of the bottom part is +1.0 D. It would be like using some +1.0 D readers on top of your existing vision at -1.75 D. When your needed bases power of lens changes just due to time or even intentionally with cataract surgery the Add does not change, because it is Added on top of the base power.
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And if you consider a prescription with cylinder (astigmatism) correction, that cylinder correction is applied to the whole lens, with the bottom part essentially overlaid with the Add correction. Correcting astigmatism helps improve near vision as well as distance vision.
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I do not need glasses and dislike carrying glasses around which is why I went for mini-monovision. However, if my distance vision changed for some reason and I needed glasses my choice would be progressive glasses, as they are a one pair of glasses solution. I wore them for 25 to 30 years, and while they are not perfect, they do the job. I am now spoiled with monovision, but I'm sure I could adapt to progressives again if I had to.
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Bifocals are an abrupt change from the Add portion of the lens to the distance portion with no intermediate correction. I have never used them, so really can't comment on them. I did not have any trouble adapting to progressives. There are different qualities of progressives. The main difference between cheap ones and quality ones is the width of the progression. Cheap progressives tend to have a very narrow portion in the middle that actually progresses from distance to near correction power. This makes head placement critical. Better quality progressives like Essilor Varilux will have a wider progressive area. In the other direction I think it makes a lot of sense to choose an eyeglass frame/lens that has a larger vertical distance rather than a low height lens. This gives more room for the power of the lens to change. And the big secret I think with stairs and avoiding falling is to NOT LOOK DOWN. .
Just my thoughts...
jo61855 judith93585
Edited
I just looked up the information on my last pair of eyeglasses. I bought them in 2018 and wore them until my first eye cataract surgery June 29, 2023. Only eyeglasses I ever liked that fit me. Never needed an adjustment during those years. This style is no long available but current selections look good. Made in France.
Blue (3022) Eyeglasses (Hit Parade 3022 53) by LaFont™. Size: 53-15-137, Shape: Rectangle, Material: Acetate.
judith93585 jo61855
Posted
Thanks jo! I did find a photo of those glasses. I was thinking of using my previous Silhouette rimless frames. Hope that would be OK with my more complicated prescription.
judith93585
Edited
Thanks so much Ron. You're correct. I don't understand anything!
I'll ask questions paragraph by paragraph using italics for clarity:
I am not sure you are understanding what the Add is on your prescription and how it impacts your lens design for a bifocal or progressive. As a simple example lets assume you have no astigmatism (cylinder) and just -1.75 D of myopia. The basis lens design is a simple -1.75 D which means it is thinner in the middle than at the edges. Then lets assume an add of +1.75 D. This is applied in the design to bottom part of the lens. It is Added to the basic power, and give you 0.0 D correction in the bottom part of the lens, and essentially what you have without glasses. If an Add of +2.75 is applied then the net power of the bottom part is +1.0 D. It would be like using some +1.0 D readers on top of your existing vision at -1.75 D. When your needed bases power of lens changes just due to time or even intentionally with cataract surgery the Add does not change, because it is Added on top of the base power.
*I'm not sure I understand the sentences in italics
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And if you consider a prescription with cylinder (astigmatism) correction, that cylinder correction is applied to the whole lens, with the bottom part essentially overlaid with the Add correction. Correcting astigmatism helps improve near vision as well as distance vision.
*I'm not sure I understand the sentences in italics
.
I do not need glasses and dislike carrying glasses around which is why I went for mini-monovision. However, if my distance vision changed for some reason and I needed glasses my choice would be progressive glasses, as they are a one pair of glasses solution. I wore them for 25 to 30 years, and while they are not perfect, they do the job. I am now spoiled with monovision, but I'm sure I could adapt to progressives again if I had to.
*Why would you choose progressives over bifocals assuming you could get no line bifocals?
.
Bifocals are an abrupt change from the Add portion of the lens to the distance portion with no intermediate correction. I have never used them, so really can't comment on them. I did not have any trouble adapting to progressives. There are different qualities of progressives. The main difference between cheap ones and quality ones is the width of the progression. Cheap progressives tend to have a very narrow portion in the middle that actually progresses from distance to near correction power. This makes head placement critical. Better quality progressives like Essilor Varilux will have a wider progressive area. In the other direction I think it makes a lot of sense to choose an eyeglass frame/lens that has a larger vertical distance rather than a low height lens. This gives more room for the power of the lens to change. And the big secret I think with stairs and avoiding falling is to NOT LOOK DOWN.
*Do I understand correctly that bifocals only provide near OR intermediate but not both? If yes, then I understand why you would choose progressives!