Progressive Myopia Cataract Surgery Risk

I am 59 male, academic, with what an opthamologist called small "oil drip" cataracts in both eyes.

My vision dropped drastically within a year; and I can see changes sometimes each day.
I had lenses with about 7 and now I need to either tilt the glasses more than 45 degrees or even
am comfortable in movies or driving wearing both my reading and long distance glasses together!!!

To my surprise, two doctors I saw were not so encouraging about the surgery because they
said there was a larger chance of retina detachment.  On the other hand, I dont see much choice if
my vision keeps on degenerating like this.  

One doctor said he would operate but not correct the vision in my (bad) left eye; which he also said
was a bit "lazy" because in that case he wouldnt have to operate on the right eye.  But I am
a bit confused; if the right eye is degenerating also, wont I eventually need surgery there as well?

These approaches make me feel that the doctors think the surgery is too risky to risk both eyes.  What
are the statistics?    

Thank you,

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

Your degree of disablity due to your sight should be moderate or severe to consider surgery. You should understand the risks which include increased risk of retinal detachment (by 10 times not 10%) also that if one eye is fixed the myopia you have will be corrected and the eyes will not work together so you likely would need one eye fixed and the other 4-7 weeks later (provided the first did well).

JCH MD