Newbie , researching cataract surgery

Very informative answers to my questions! Thank you all very much. I am going to continue my research, I did find it a bit disheartening for the doctor to be robotic and give cut and dry information. I will put this life altering decision on hold. In the mean time gathering useful information! I will continue to read thread on this blog, and understand the terminology! 

With the careful choice of IOL types and perhaps mini-monovision between the two eyes, you may be able to attain good focus without glasses at two of the 3 focus points.  However the results after surgery always have some uncertainty due to how the cornea heals might produce astigmatism, the pre-surgery measurements/estimates,  and the power steps available in IOLs.

But you do have the choice of where to set the target refraction for each eye based on which 2 of the 3 focus zones are most important to you, and expect to need glasses for the third focus zone which hopefully is the one you personally would use the least.  If you are for example used to being nearsighted, you could target one eye for near vision and the other eye for intermediate vision, and use glasses for distance/driving.

This morning I am going to an optometrists to get glasses Rx. Even though I know he is not a surgeon, I will ask questions about my cataract. Will follow up later. 

Decided to get a new pair of glasses. Nearsighted with bifocals. My vision  is 20/70 with current glasses. The optometrist could only correct to 20/40. That will buy me time in deciding for  cataract surgery.  I will to read these threads in the mean time. 

You might find out whether you have astigmatism. I did and I got my second corrective IOL just about a month ago. I am a happy camper - need glasses for smaller print or careful reading only. I have worn glasses since I was 12 or 13 years old (in my early 70's now). My sight was corrected to 20/40 with glasses.

Here's what I did - I read a lot here on this forum and a few websites. Asked some questions. I thought about what I wanted - ideally no glasses but if not that, then to be able to buy reading glasses off the shelf (pharmacy glasses). For that I needed my eyes to be the same strength.

I told my surgeon I was interested in more than medicare would pay for (I live in Canada) and so I was scheduled for special measurements (extra cost involved). She said I could see her after the measurements, so I did. She reviewed them; we talked about what I would like and what was achievable. We agreed on a toric lens for astigmatism in my first and weakest eye. She also said she would optimize the lens to give me good mid-range vision. The surgery was easy and the aftercare good. At my followup appointment, she said she was happy and we would go ahead with my other eye as scheduled (about 3.5 weeks after the first). We talked again about the IOL and again, she recommended toric based on my eye measurements.

I did consider monovision, but the surgeon wasn't particularly keen because some people don't adjust. She said if I wanted it, I could try with a contact lens on my unoperated eye. However I had opted for my poorest eye to be operated first - figuring I could bail on my second surgery if I wanted! Ideally for mono vision, the poorest should be set for close and the strongest for far. But I was happy with the idea of toric lenses. Now my sight is about 20/20 and as I said, I have cheap eyeglasses. I am waiting until an upcoming trip is done to have a full prescription eye visit. My optician said to wait as long as I could before buying glasses. My two pairs of $8 reading glasses are totally discardable if my vision changes more!

Thank you to everyone who helped me with my decision making.

As I've said repeatedly on this and other forums,  there is no artificial lens that will ever be as good as your natural lens. At some point a cataract gives you no choice, you have to go with the surgery and compared to where that eye was to start with there is usually a great improvement.

Unfortunately, most eye surgeons push you to replace a perfectly good lens in the other eye within a few weeks of surgery on the first diseased lens...seemingly only to line their pockets.

If you are an active individual, especially one in their 60's, driving night and day, texting on your cell phone at all hours,on your laptop 24/7, digging eyelashes out of your eye or a female who likes to apply makeup then do not replace that perfectly good lens until absolutely necessary.

At some point, that depends only on you, the trade offs make sense ...unfortunately most eye surgeons know they can talk any patient into having the other eye done within a few weeks of the first surgery whether they need it or not...

 

Thank you for the information.! The md I went to was no pushy, just not giving enough  ti formation to make a decision.

I been reading everyone thread, but being so ill informed, I don’t understand the terminology used. I have my current prescription for glasses as follows.OD sheer 1.75 cyl -.75 a is 145

OS sheer 2.75 cyl -.75 axis 080  near added 2.00 in both eyes. What I was told, this Rx only corrects me to20/40.i never had the eye mapping for cataracts . The eye dr told me the distance monofocal IOl lens start abut 36 inches out. Or I could choose close vision instead. I read glowing reports of cataract surgeries, and wonder if picked good md,or just got lucky. I can’t depend on luck when I comes to vision. I had a knee replaced 6 months with excellent results.