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cataract surgery: nearsighted to farsighted?

I've been myopic since about age 8, and now need cataract surgery in both eyes. If I have monofocal lenses implanted, I'll suddenly become farsighted, right? This prospect feels quite weird to me. Has anyone else here experienced this change? Could you tell me what it felt like to suddenly become farsighted? Unable to see something clearly no matter how close you hold it?

(I realize glasses can enable near and intermediate vision -- but it still seems like a huge change.)
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Avatar universal
Last year I was having my eyes done and Dr. Hagan gave me great advice. Do my research.
I was very near sighted but could pick up a book and read it with no glasses and when hanging out I didn’t wear glasses… Just for driving movies etc. Because of astigmatism and mild macular pucker We decided to go with monofocal near IOL. By setting the PO refraction error to -2.50 I am where I was before CS only better cuz the cataracts are gone. Magic words “the same but better.”
So having a near IOL doesn’t mean you can’t see around you… It all depends on how your doctor sets the refraction error.I can Pick up a book and read it, do my cooking ...clean the house etc. all without glasses… Needing correction for driving and movies etc. If I am explaining this incorrectly Dr. Hagan please correct  me.
Best of luck with your decision and your outcome.  Dr Hagan offers great reading sites... make sure you do your research.
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2 Comments
Sorry, I just realized that the original post was from almost 14 years ago. Guess my information can’t be much help now. Hopefully maybe someone else will read it and be helped by it
Camp3000 and Cybertekkno.  Thank you for your postings. Yes this conversation string is  dated but your experiences add to it. Also if either or both of you want to start a new discussion/posting under a similar heading for  people currently facing cataract surgery that are on the web browsing please feel free to post, even if you just cut and paste what you have done here.
Avatar universal
Like you, I have been severely myopic since I was about 4 years old (left: -11.0 / right -17.5).  I developed a fast progressing cataracts that required a fast decision to have the surgery. I can give you some personal insight as to what it is like to switch from near-sightedness to far-sightedness, which was the option that I chose for the monofocal lenses that my doctor implanted.  You can actually decide if you want to correct your far-sightedness or your near-sightedness. I chose to correct my far-sightedness.   I just had my second eye surgery yesterday, so I  am now learning the pros and cons.  Pros: I do not need to wear glasses all the time, I only need them to read and see things very close up. I do not need glasses to read my computer screen, but do need reader glasses to read my watch or papers. I also do not need glasses to drive.  Cons:  If I need to see things very close up, such as my phone screen or watch I have to stretch my arm out in front of me to read them without glasses.
Also, if an eyelash or dust gets in my eye  I have no idea how I will be able to see to get it out of my eye.  The closer my face is to the mirror the worse the bluriness is. I will need to wear glasses to pluck my eyebrows. These are some things to think about before deciding whether to correct your near sight or your far sight. Switching from one to the other comes with a learning curve.  
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Avatar universal
I had a symphony multifocus IOL in my right eye 2 months ago.  I have always been nearsighted (needing -1.75 to see far).  I could read uncorrected, but worn contacts, glasses, and then progressive contacts/glasses for the past year.  While I am only 46, I read  and I knit, a lot.  That means about 12-15 inches.  The multi focal lens is set for far and intermediate, and now I am living in readers for so many things.  It's awful.  If i try to read more than 15 minutes, I am nauseous.  I also have terrible halos.rings, and starbursts, especially red taillights at night when driving.  I saw another doctor who has suggested that not only has the IOL shifted and now I am looking through the wrong ring much of the time, but he h=thinks I need a different lens to make me nearsighted again and a monofocal IOL, especially because my other eye likely wont need surgery for 2-3 years, or more, hopefully.  thoughts?  I believe he suggested a power of -2.00.  I admit I can't imagine going another 35+years like this, but I am terrified of the risks of the IOL exchange.  Thank you in advance.  
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Avatar universal
Did you end up having a procedure to correct this? I've had both eyes done - with multifocal lens - and I started out barely nearsighted - but wanted to be able to read and see up close work more clearly - I can read (slightly fuzzy) but if anything is 3' away, it;s blurry! I can see distance about the same as before surgery - which was okay.
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Avatar universal
I don't know why the eye ended up at +2.  That's my concern.  How could that happen?  I had a piggyback lens implant and all is well now. However....why??? did the first lens end up at +2   The day after surgery it was close to 20/20  and then the next day it was far sighted.  Which is a miserable thing. I wonder if the lens shifted a bit.  Is that possible?
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6 Comments
Did your insurance cover the piggyback? I'm considering a mid range lens. I only have one eye with decent vision. My other cannot be corrected well, even with glasses.
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yes  it covered the piggyback lens
Thanks
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Avatar universal
Can't you get that eye corrected with glasses?
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Avatar universal
He says it is due to my previous lasik and prk touch up.  What do you think?
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1932338 tn?1349220398
In my opinion, your Dr. missed the mark pretty far.  I would ask if there were extenuating circumstances or just how that happened.  From what I've read, the average amount a Cataract surgeon misses is about .25 Dioptor.
Personally, I would get at least one other opinion before making this huge decision .
Best of luck.
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Avatar universal
I am farsighted now after cataract surgery.  I guess the surgeon missed the mark.  I am +1.75    and trying to decide if the same Dr should do my other eye.  I am so upset about this.  I went from being able to at least see up close, to being able to see nothing in focus.
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2 Comments
It is understandable that you are upset.  I would not hurry into the second surgery.  Give the first eye time to heal. Even up to a year. Consider another opinion from a highly qualified doctor. I would not recommend monovision (one eye near and one eye far). That is what I am living with now following cataract surgery.  My brain feels split in half.  I have to wear a contact lense in my near vision eye to create distance and then wear glasses for computer, reading, eating etc. Not happy with my results.
Just made a post on your comments on the other discussion thread.  
Avatar universal
What distance will the -1.00 to -1.25 intermediate (suggested above) give one in feet to see clearly?
I would like to clearly see atleast 10 feet out.  Would I need -.5 or -1.00 or what?
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Avatar universal
Your comment here is that the -1.50 eye is good for shopping, dashboard, computer and reading in good lighting.  I am happy to report that this is now true for me after but only after a vitrectomy (4 weeks ago) --- before that I needed readers for all of that because of distortion and blur.  Now the white spots that obliterated parts of letters and words are gone, as well as the vaseline like floaters, and I only need my readers for tiny print.  Although the
-1.50 was a not the intended target for the crystalens, I am happy as a clam! All the steps I have taken are due to the good advice seen here.  I am so thankful for you and the other doctors who contribute their time and are willing to make suggestions without an examination and without cost. Many thanks to you and all of the good people here who contribute to helping one another!

To CathyJM - I am sorry to hear that things were not explained to you as far as your options. You are definitely not alone in this. I certainly did not understand fully before I made my own decision; then I found this website, after the fact. Hope you can get some answers here.  All the best!
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Avatar universal
I was a near sighted individual for 79 years.  I had cataract surgery about one year ago and I found that I was now farsighted which I did not and do not like but I have become accustomed to it.  The doctor who did the surgery did not tell me I would become far sighted.  I have since been told that I had a choicd which was not offered to me.  I'm stuck with it now.
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2 Comments
Thank you for your posting. I am "in the same boat" as you are.
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978323 tn?1248347245
I am having much difficulty seeing close or far. I had two lasik procedures done about six yrs ago for extreme myopic. Apparently it is difficult to calculate for IOL after cataract removal? I am now scheduled for Yag on both eyes next week; the week after I am scheduled for Epi Lasek on both eyes. My IOLs are Restor HD. Several months ago I had a bleeding optic nerve the specialist monitored it and when ready gave go ahead for the cataract surgery. Also, I am in the very early stages of macular degeneration (dry). I am 56 year old female. Should I seek another opinion? Surgeon said I am not 'normal' but I am definitely 'fixable'. thanks for any advice, jackie
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Avatar universal
Cathy, I don't want you to be misled into thinking that correcting myopia with cataract surgery yields exact results.  IOL power is determined by plugging your eye measurements into complex formulas.  It is not an exact science, and no doctor can guarantee that your outcome will be exactly the same as your target (although it will probably be very close.).  If you are having limbal relaxing incisions at the time of surgery to correct astigmatism (like I did), that further complicates the calculations.  My surgical target was very mild myopia, and my eyes ended up plano with minimal astigmatism (and 20/20).  Maybe my Corolla has big dashboard dials, but I can see them fine without correction.  I do need correction for comfortable near and computer vision.  I wanted both my eyes to have the same vision, but if you targeted the type of "blended" vision described above, chances are very good that you wouldn't need readers for the computer, most menus, etc.  (You'd would probably need them, though, for reading small print in the newspaper, magazines, or books.)  
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
What some people and surgeons do is set one eye "plano" for distances of > 20 ft and the other eye at -1.50  The near sighted eye can see nicely for shopping, dashboard, computer and in bright light can usually read high contrast printing.

OR if someone wishes to emphasize their near vision they can leave one eye -2.50 to -2.75 and that eye will read beautifully even small print and the other eye -1.00 to -1.25 for intermediate vision. Glasses are worn for distance.

Since I have been near-sighted all my life and greatly enjoy reading and doing computer without glasses, if I were having cataract surgery this latter is what I would ask my surgery  to shoot for with aspheric monofocal IOLs.

JCH III MD
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Avatar universal
So -- you can drive without glasses now, after cataract surgery with monofocal lenses set at "plano" for distance vision at 20 feet and further? I was thinking I'd still need progressive lenses to drive, so as to see the dashboard dials.
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
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Avatar universal
It was really quite a thrill for me to be able to drive without glasses or contacts for the first time.  Before surgery, I was so nearsighted that I could not easily find my car without corrective lenses.
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
CathyJM   You are way off in your understanding of what monofocal IOL vision will be like after surgery. Eye MD surgeons NEVER try to leave their patients farsighted after surgery since then no distance is clear without glasses. We try and leave someone either "plano" (not needing any glasses for distances greater than 20 feet) or slightly or moderately nearsighted so that without glasses they will have good reading vision or intermediate vision (computer/shop).

You can discuss with your surgeon whether you would rather your distant or near vision to be clear without glasses. With glasses generally both eyes see well at all distances (progressive bifocals).

Not to worry. Discuss this with your surgeon WELL before the day before the surgery.

JCH III MD
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