Mini-Monovision Range for Near and Intermediate

That sounds like a reasonable plan. As you can see from first surgery target not easy to achieve and can be off .25 either way during healing process. Will the 2nd surgery be on your dominant eye?

Glad your first surgery went well, BobDob. I had a similar experience with the "target," finding out in the pre-op room an hour before surgery that the surgeon's target was -1.75 after I thought we had agreed on -1.5. I found out it has to do with the fixed denominations of the IOLs, matched with your particular biometrics. Anyhow, I asked if I could switch to the next one up (-1.39) and she said no problem.Ended up overcorrected at -1.0 initially, which I actually liked (although like you, I was a little concerned I'd lost too much near vision at first). Now it's -1.25 (with some mild PCO affecting all distances - other eye holding at -1.5 with a small cataract). Do you have to rush into the next surgery? If I were you, I'd want to hold off a bit for two reasons; 1) Your vision might change after a few weeks and 2) You might want want a little more time to adjust to the new vision. For example, if you've been near-sighted for a long time, your habit might be to move things up close, but it takes a while to get in the habit of holding things further away. Good lighting is super important as well. I thought I'd need readers, but never use them (only my phone magnifier for the occasional teeny serial number or something). Reading the newspaper is fine. So hard to know in your situation whether to go with more distance, or more near vision. It kind of depends on your lifestyle, and which end of the range is most important during a typical day. Either way, you'll be seeing so much better than with those cataracts! Best of luck with your continued recovery and upcoming surgery.

Bella - I agree with you fully. It's usually best to wait for vision to stabilize before doing the second eye. Also, it can take time to retrain your brain to hold things a little further away. Most of the time I now hold my phone and other reading material around 12"-14" rather than 5" from my eyes. Also, when reading medicine bottles or really small print there are usually three options that work for me. I can either try using my LED from my phone which is usually quickest or I can pull out the credit card magnifier between my silicon phone case and my phone or I can find some reading glasses which I almost never need to do. Also, if the lighting is really good (ie: daylight with the blinds open) then I easily read much smaller print. But it is really amazing how much easier it is to read really small print with the LED light with my phone. Like you said, most should see so much better than with cataracts. Amazing science we have today compared to decades ago.

All very good points BellaD. I have read that healing takes a full 6 weeks and adapting to new vision can take as much 6 months for some. Even though a pain to get through I am glad there was 6 weeks between my surgeries. Good lighting seems to be a need no matter what the lens type. Haven't used a magnifier but have use flashlight feature on my iPhone. Did get readers and have used them for tiny white lettering on red or green backgrounds. For whatever reason that color combo isn't best for me.

It has been just over a year since I saw my optometrist. Going in next month so I am curious about any changes that may have taken place.

Question for you - what do you notice differently with pco? Not sure what to watch out for.

Thanks, all. The second surgery will be in my dominant (right) eye. I haven't scheduled it yet. I wanted to wait in order to further acclimate to the new vision in my left eye and give it more time to heal, plus its a busy period for me with the upcoming holidays and with family activities. However, I don't want to wait too long because the vision in my right eye is pretty poor in comparison. The new vision in my left eye has mostly taken over for now, but I do get eye strain in my right eye whenever I read for more than a couple of minutes.

Bella, maybe the surgeon targeting -1.80 in my case was for the same reason your surgeon targeted -1.75, but I think surgeons should communicate with patients when there will be a different target than discussed. The biggest complaint I have with my surgeon is his lack of communication. If I don't ask about something, it won't be discussed. And even when I ask, his answers are short. I went to him because he has a lot of experience, has impressive credentials, and is highly recommended by other doctors, but I have since read reviews by other patients who had complaints about his communication and his stubbornness. I might think about going to another surgeon for my second eye.

I'm finding the same as all of you that maybe I won't need readers if I have a magnifier with me when I need to read small type. I bought credit-card-size magnifiers online and they should work fine for occasional short stretches of small type. However, I just opened a hardback novel and it seems like it might be a little difficult to read for a long period, both because of the distance I have to hold it and because the clarity isn't ideal. That's not a huge problem as I actually prefer to read ebooks on my tablet or laptop, which provide better contrast and can increase the font size if needed.

Hi Sue.An; regarding PCO: Right after surgery and for a few months I could read the small digital clock on the cable box, and generally could take or leave the glasses when watching TV. Gradually, I noticed I could no longer read the digital clock and started needing glasses to read the sports scores and movie credits. Reading and computer also just seem a little more of a strain. All sort of subtle changes. When I went in to see the surgeon I could read the 20/20 line with my glasses, and she only saw evidence of "mild" PCO, so the recommendation was no YAG. After reading some of the complications on other threads here, I guess I'll just "wait and see" (ha, ha, pun not intended). Other cataract might be worsening a bit, too. Good luck with your exam!

Hi BobDob,

From what I've gathered from these forums and personal experience, it is pretty common for cataract surgeons to avoid discussing details about the exact target numbers, etc. After all, it is not an exact science, and outcome variability is inherent. I'm guessing they don't want anything they say to come back to bite them, so to speak.

Although I generally prefer docs with good bedside manner and communication skills, I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss your surgeon, especially if the surgery went well and he has lots of experience and good surgical reputation. I'd try to get whatever questions you have answered for sure, and try to use your own judgment to some extent on the target (that's what I did). After that, get the person with the best surgical skills. It's not likely someone you'll have a long-term relationship with (assuming all goes well!).

Good advice, Bella. Thanks. I'll probably follow it, but it's just that it's hard to get any discussion out of my doctor. For example, when I asked him about Lasik correction because the result was .05 diopter off the target, he simply said "no." I'll just need to ask "why" about everything and confirm the target at the time of surgery.