Having cataract surgery next week
Posted , 7 users are following.
i am due to have surgery next week can anyone tell me if my brain will adjust the sight in the other eye which is -12 and surgeon is putting in a -2 in the operated eye? Will need the other one doing eventually as that has a cataract as well
0 likes, 7 replies
W-H linda59603
Posted
Not an expert but that is a HUGE difference between the two eyes. Difference of 8 Diopters? What is his reasoning? Did you not ask him? Are you supposed to wear contact lens to bridge the gap?
linda59603 W-H
Posted
i have a macular hole in other eye normally wear varifocals as i cant wear contact lenses anymore due to dry eye. Other eye has cataract too so will have to be done i presume as well
elizabeth87225 W-H
Posted
I am not a doctor but I had to have an IOL exchange because I needed a different measurement. I was seen double. After my first my cataract surgery , that eye, my dominant eye ,could not see very well and it seemed that eye was fighting my other eye for vision.I saw shadows and when I tried to read signs, even in the big signs in the mall, letters would dance and scrunch together and even disappear. After 7 months of this and hearing the first surgeon say the operation was done right and I could go for a second opinion, I did, and now I am almost well and I am still recovering, it is amazing. Your doctor may be right about his diagnosis but a second opinion may just give just give peace of mind...
Another thing, when I went for my surgery I met a lady at the hotel who had had treatment and surgery for a macular hole and I was so surprised when she said her surgeon had corrected this. I had never heard about this...She said she had the surgeries (2) some years ago and she was fine. Medicine in our country is so advanced, I was amazed.
Sue.An2 linda59603
Posted
Lynda do you mind me asking your age? what is your current prescription? Do you have good near vision or only wear glasses for distance?
I do know in Canada that if one cannot adjust to the difference when only one surgery is needed our medicare system will cover the surgery of second eye. I suspect your surgeon is targeting -2 hoping you can wear contact or glasses to rectify/meld the vision but you have s very strong prescription and it may mean doing 2nd eye even though no cataract is present.
Something to consider - would you target differently if you were having both eyes done?
linda59603 Sue.An2
Posted
yes Sue i am just 70 have cataract and a macular hole on other eye and i presume other eye wlll ave to be done too
Sue.An2 linda59603
Posted
i think if I were in your shoes I would pursue discussion with surgeon about having both eyes done. The strategy changes when only one eye needs doing vs both. And you'd want to know whether the eye that needs operating on due to cataracts is your dominant eye. If it is then that's the eye you'd likely want best corrected distance for. As it is currently being targeted for -2 (and it's your dominant eye) it may cause an issue for second eye's surgery.
Given you are 70 not unreasonable to think you'd need cataract surgery soon on that other eye and a better strategy can be discussed with surgeon if both eyes being done. Just an opinion - and something you might want to ask surgeon at next consult.
seeherenow49806 linda59603
Posted
Hi Lynda:)
I recommend delaying your surgery a little so you can explore other options with your surgeon or get a 2nd opinion. Also you can explore this forum for many solutions others have found.
I had a similarly high prescription in both eyes before cataract surgery. It's unfortunate you have the macular degeneration in the other eye. I was able to wear a contact in my 2nd (non-dominant) eye until the 2nd surgery, 4 months later. I did okay but did have headaches often, especially when working at the computer, which disappeared after the 2nd eye was done.
Depending on your daily vision needs, I think you may have difficulty adjusting over a very long period between surgeries. I'm guessing your surgeon is planning on glasses in the interim, so you can always try that and see. But if you can do the 2nd eye 6 weeks or so after the first eye, hopefully you could withstand any visual disorientation till then.
Best wishes!