Should I Have Both Eyes Done?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I am 71 years old. I have worn glasses since I was eight years old. I am very near-sighted. I have a fast-growing cataract in my right eye that needs surgery now. I also have a small cataract in my left eye. It is not ready for surgery and would not be covered by Medicare. My doctor mentioned that I could try to get a Medicare exception so that I could have both cataracts removed now (a few weeks apart). Initially I told the doctor "No", that I only wanted to have the cataract that is ready now to be removed.
I am starting to re-think that decision. The reason is, if I only have my right eye corrected now, he said that he cannot fully correct the vision to "perfect vision" in that eye because my brain would not adjust to the difference in vision between my corrected eye and the eye that would still be near-sighted. The vision would be improved, but not completely. Of course, I would still have to wear glasses. In other words, if I don't have both eyes corrected now, I will lose my chance of ever having "perfect" vision and not having to wear glasses. If and when the cataract in my left eye is ready for surgery, my right eye will only have been partially corrected for vision.
Who knows when my left eye will be ready for cataract surgery. If it develops quickly as my right eye did, it could be ready in a year or two. But maybe it would be 10 years. I should add that I do not have the risk factors for a fast-developing cataract, such as smoking, steroids, diabetes, etc, yet I still got one.
What would you do? Have both eyes done now, even though one eye is considered elective surgery? I know that there are risks involved with any surgery and that concerns me. My sister had both eyes done (she needed the surgery on both eyes very badly) and had no problems. She thinks I should have both eyes done now.
Also, has anyone gotten a Medicare exception in a case such as this? And if I don't get an Medicare exception, how much does the surgery cost?
0 likes, 19 replies
lucy_73160
Posted
melanie06783, No, I am saying that if I have only one I done now, the doctor would only improve my vision in that eye about 50%. He could not give me perfect vision in that eye because there would be too much of an imbalance between that eye and the eye that is not corrected. (That eye has a small cataract but it is not ready yet).
So he would improve the vision in my one eye that needs surgery now by about 50%.
I don't know what would happen when that other eye needed surgery. I never asked him. Maybe he would correct that eye by 50% too, and then they would be equal (equally near-sighted). I would still need glasses. Or maybe he would correct that eye to 100% and then I would have one eye improved by 50% and one eye improved 100%. I would still need to wear glasses.
Of course, I don't know when the second cataract would be ready to be done. Could be 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. But I would be stuck with the 50% correction that I would be having done now. That is why I decided to have both eyes done now. I will have near-perfect vision and will only have to use readers for close-up.
It is somewhat scary for me to have the other eye done now when technically it doesn't need to be done now. But I think I will get the best outcome by getting both eyes corrected now to near- perfect vision and just having to use readers.
I have worn glasses since I was eight years old and have never had good vision even wearing glasses. So going from that to having near-perfect vision is going to be like a miracle to me.
Chris53317 lucy_73160
Posted
Hi Lucy
Doing them both is the best plan. You will have great vision after this is done, and should be excited about the prospects rather than being scared. An extreme alternative to laser vision correction is IOL implants, and the use of readers. Some people go this route, and this was offered to me 20 ago when I was exploring ways to eliminate the use of glasses.
In my experience, many doctors do not not tell you the full story or do not seem to have the time to properly explain the situation. For example, what is 50% improvement considering the range of vision of near, intermediate, and far? Could it be that IOL in that eye is set for intermediate vision, but compromising near and far? This would not be what you want long term as your prescription at this stage does not change.
In most cases monfocal IOLs are set for distance and this gives excellent vision for both distance and intermediate, with reading glasses necessary for close up work.
Some people chose IOLs set for near giving them good reading and intermediate vision, with prescription glasses needed for distance.
anne603 lucy_73160
Posted
Good decision to get both done. I have been living with one eye done, other stuck at - 3.75, since Covid delayed everything. difference with glasses is indeed intolerable as I see two images, which make me feel quite sea sick, so given up on them. Contact lens in one eye works, but that won't help you if you can't wear them. So you may well be stuck with no correction in the second eye until you get it done
Good luck! I am thrilled to bits, and my cataract wasnt even that bad.
lucy_73160
Posted
Hello to all. I thought I would post an update. As I posted earlier, I decided to have both eyes corrected for long distance vision instead of the partial correction in one eye. When I talked to the doctor, he told me that it would not be “perfect” because I have some astigmatism, but it would be a pretty good result. I would need glasses for near vision (readers) and I might need glasses for driving at night. Of course, no result is guaranteed.
The surgery on my right eye was done nine days ago. The day after surgery my vision was 20/30 in the corrected eye. It is now 20/20 in that eye. I can’t believe it. Prior to surgery, my prescription for that eye was -7.50 and the astigmatism was -1.00.
I do not know the type of lens that was used. I will get that information after the other eye is done. I don’t think it is a toric lens because I wasn’t told that I would have to pay any extra. As I understand it, Medicare only pays for a standard lens.
I now have a significant imbalance between my eyes. My left eye is -6.00 with -1.50 astigmatism. I have been getting nauseated unless I cover that eye with a patch. I am using a fabric patch.
I will be having surgery on my left eye in three weeks. That cataract is not “ready” but I have to have it done because of the imbalance. I am hoping that I get a good outcome with that eye. It might not be as good because there is slightly more astigmatism. (My doctor hasn’t told me that; that’s my own thinking).
I will update again after my second surgery.