Cataract Surgery, Uveitis, and is Crystalens right for me?

[Steeni]

Hey there!

I am going to be getting cataract surgery soon (which developed from a retinal insert) and have a condition known as uveitis...  They have told me that a "monofocal lens" is the best way to go because my eye is "going to go through a lot of changes" and "in case anything bad happens"...  I don't know what this means...
Some people on here have recommended the Crystalens, I don't know, but is this an option for me since they are saying that they want to do a monofocal l

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Steeni]

Thank you!  (I had the surgery, it went well...  I have a good distance lens now and can see pretty well out of it!  :)).  Going to see someone tomorrow, though, to ask why it is that it seems that if I touch the eyelashes or read to much, the vision fluctuates up and down...  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Like heart disease, uveitis ranges from a single episode that is easily controled and never comes back to relentless progression to blindness. And everything in between.  The treatment of uveitis has improved dramatically in the last 2 decades. All the patient's with uveitis that I've managed have done well with IOL surgery.

Anyone having cataract surgery should not expect perfect vision because other parts of the eye are usually affected by disease or age.

JCH MD

[Steeni]

Tagalong question:

Um, I read on a site where I'd asked the question of whether or not I should receive cataract surgery and it said to ask myself the question of whether or not "less than perfect vision would be okay with me"...  If it's a good working distance lens, then I feel happy about it but do you know whether or not it is a large percentage cases of people w/ uveitis having later flares that will develop "less than perfect vision" as a result of the inflammation's effect on the lens?

Thank you in advance for your insight...
S.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Good luck JCH MD

[Steeni]

Thank you! :)