lens implant

i have 250 astigmatism in both eyes. My cataract implant from seven years ago was a regular spherical lens (not affecting the astigmatism) and my surgeon now recommends a toric implant to correct for the astigmatism in my left eye, when I have cataract surgery next week. It says it will result in clearer vision, even though the right eye will still have astigmatism. Is this true and will mixing the two different kinds of lens be a problem?

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Well, for starters you will still need to wear glasses for the first eye if you want to see well, so you may not get freedom from glasses if you are looking for that.  Yes, there can sometimes be a little imbalance so I would ask your surgeon if he can help reduce the astigmatism in the first eye with limbal relaxing incisions (LRI) so both eyes can experience less glasses dependance for far vision.  Remember, also that you will still likely  need reading glasses also.  Again, I would either just have a regular implant in the second eye and wear glasses OR have a toric in the second eye and try to also have the first eye tuned up with astigmatism surgery like an LRI, and wear thinner glasses and perhaps go sometimes with no glasses at all for distance.