High myopia - after cataract surgery

I had surgery a little over a year ago.  I too had astigmatism but I was extraordinarily far sighted.  I could see well immediately following surgery, both near and far. In fact, I could read tiny print with ease. As time has gone on, however, while I still don't require corrective lenses of any kind, I can't read the tiny print as well and my vision seems less sharp as it was in the first few weeks following surgery.  So, vision can change.  I suggest you follow post op directions perfectly.  By now you should have had your follow up visit with your surgeon.  If not, make one asap.  I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to get the other done, though.  I'd wait until the first eye is settled.  I understand the difficulty you're having wtih your eyes being so incompatible.  Be careful what you do.  I waited only a week between eyes, as was recommended by my surgeon, but during that week I thought I'd go for a walk.  About two miles into my walk I misjudged the unevenness of the road (due to inpaired depth perception), misstepped and broke my ankle.  Then I had to walk back home on the broken ankle!  Good luck to you. I'm sure it will all work out okay, as this type of surgery is the most common and most successful surgery there is.

Hello - I had cataract surgery about 3.5 months ago.  My first eye that was done the surgeon noted at my weekly follow up that my "toric lens" moved ever so slightly which is common.  My right eye was set for distance but even the slightest movement of as little as 3 degrees can make your vision blurry.  If you have a toric lens, that might have happened to you.  This is easily corrected of course with glasses or a follow up laser tweak.  However, my doctor then set my left eye in 1/2 diopter (still set for distance but just ever so slightly closer in).  Now, overall I see great.  The slight 3 degrees in my right eye set for distance makes things a little blurred up close but I don't notice it because my left eye sees very well up close.  I don't expect "perfect" vision but what I have now is so much better than before.

However, getting back to your situation, if you have a toric lens and it shifted (which can happen often) or if you had "astigmatism" induced through the surgery then that might explain why your not seeing well even with reading glasses.  This should be easily corrected with a laser tweak or prescription glasses.  The doctor should easily be able to put a "test pair" of glasses together in their office to quickly and easily test to see if that is indeed what has happened.  For me, I'm glad my doctor went in only 1/2 diopter when doing the second eye three weeks later because my eyes work together and I have good depth perception while being able to see both distance and up close quite well.  But, I did postpone my second surgery until I was 100% certain on what was going on with my right eye and how I wanted to proceed.  I suggest you have them test for prescription glasses and if you got a toric lens check with them to see if perhaps it did shift a few degrees.  Then you can decide if you want to do a laser tweak, get prescription glasses or do the second eye (like I did) and then decide if you want to do any follow up with the first eye.  For me, I have decided at this time not to do a laser tweak or any prescription glasses at all.  I almost never need glasses except for very up close really small print.  I have a six month follow up and I might consider a laser tweak for my right eye way down the road but I see so well at this time that I'm just going to wait.  Like you, I was quite nearsighted and I know it can be extremely frustrating to not be able to see things clear up close which I why I waited to do the second eye.  I was more than satisfied as the results with my left eye were much better than I ever expected.  Had they not been, I would have eventually corrected it with either glasses or laser.  But, your eyes will continue to change over time (probably for 1-3 months) so if you do get glasses, keep in mind that prescription might be temporary as your eyes continue to change.

Did you get a Toric Lens?  Chances are your situation is very easily corrected but you'll still have to wait as your eyes are still healing.  Check with your doctor.

Good luck to you.

 

You should definitely not do any cataract surgery on the left eye until you understand exactly what is going on the right eye.

The first thing you really need to know is your exact uncorrected distance vision, the correction (spherical and cylinderical) required to achieve the best distance vision, and the corrected distance vision. Your vision may change a little over the next few weeks for better or for worse. But you need to know exactly what your vision is right now with the right eye (the surgeon should have all this information). If you can share this information (as well as any information you have regarding your left eye), that may help you receive more meaningful suggestions regarding the next steps.

Have you had the second eye done and how’s your vision now please ?