Photographer terrified of cataract surgery

[Nancy_Goldstein]

I am a photographer, diabetic, and have astigmatism. I'm scheduled for cataract surgery over the next two months, starting with my non-dominant left eye in March. I'm terrified of making the wrong decision concerning implants. I've worn either glasses or contacts all my life, and have recently experimented with monovision astimatism correcting contacts with my dominant (right) eye corrected for computer distance and my left eye corrected for reading distance. I also have a history of testing for one astimagtic correction but needing it modified for the real world.

In a perfect world, I'd get the Alcon toric lenses, with the left corrected for near and the right corrected for intermediate, and then wear distance sunglasses as needed. But this isn't a perfect world, so I don't know what to do. I am seeing my surgeon in a few days to discuss my options, but the choices are confusing and there aren't any retakes allowed here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Nancy_Goldstein]

The decision: astigmatism correcting lenses, left for close and right for distance. I'm going to forget about being nervous until right before the surgery.  I can't control complications so I might as well forget about them.

[JackM829]

I completely feel your pain Nanyc. I'm scheduled for cataract surgery in March.

I've worn glasses since I was six, and contacts since I was 13.

At first I told my surgeon to just leave me completely nearsighted (I'm -9 in right, -10 in left). I figured, don't screw up the way I see and just let me use my glasses/contacts.

Another surgeon convinced me otherwise and he recommended correcting my dominant right eye for distance and my leaving my left eye at a -2 or so.  I guess this is claled "blended monovision".

I'm thrilled to know what it's like to wake up and be able to see. I haven't been able to do that for like 25 years.

I think the key before surgery is to know we'll probably still need glasses for some thing: either reading or distance. I don't think I'll even need contacts anymore since I'd just need reading glasses.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

One of my hobbies is photography.  I like my dominant eye corrected for distance.  Intermediate vision is by definition approximately 32 inches.

I usually recommend Crytalens for most of my prebyopia IOL patients with the dominant eye set for distance and the non dominant eye set for about -0.75.  This give a full range of vision in most patient.

Studies have shown that patients are most happy with good distance vision.

I have a Crystalens in my non dominant eye.

Dr. O.