Cataract/LASIK surgery

[Joy225]

I had LASIK surgery 6 years ago and everything had been fine. I'm 44 years old and just had 'regular' cataract surgery last month on my left eye which is my dominant eye  My cataract wasn't bad - just in a bad spot so my vision was cloudy but I was able to see up close.  Now I can't see up close at all (computer, reading, putting make-up on, etc.)  I'm finding this so hard to adjust to.  My near vision was taken from me overnight.  I need glasses now to see up close and I hate it.  I do have a cataract in my right eye, and my surgeon recommended the ReStor lense for that eye.  I'm so afraid of making the wrong decision as my eyes have always been so sensative.  I don't know how it will work in just one eye.  Also, if I go into a store, the bright lights bother me and I can't even focus.  I still have some cloudiness from the left eye where I had the surgery.  My surgeon did not recommend anything else.  I read about monovision, but not sure if that would work.  If I choose to get the regular cataract surgery in the right eye, is there a LASIK procedure that can be done to help with my near vision?  I'm so confused, unhappy, and frustrated.  Please help.  Thank you.

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

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[ace399]

I implanted a Crystalens HD in my right eye.  I did not have near vision (<1 ft), so it is behaving similar to a monofocal IOL.  So, I implanted the latest Restor lens (4 weeks ago) in my left eye.  This combination sounds very similar to what you are considering.

It may depend on how myopic you are, but I was -6.50 D.  With the help of the Restor, I can read the computer monitor without glasses.  This is probably the same distance for your make up in a mirror.  I need reading glasses for news print and pocket books.

A nurse at my Dr's practice has two older Restors and she can read the tiniest words on a medicine bottle.

The Restor does require getting used to.  It creates two images, one near and one far.  The brain learns to sort it out.

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

Cataracts often make a person myopic or nearsighted so they can see up close without glasses. You apparently had your eye corrected with an IOL for distance so now your better vision without glasses is at distance instead of near.

You will have to make up your mind about the ReStor. If you go that route insist you get the new aspheric IQ ReStor +3 or +4 not the "old" ReStor.  Use the archives and search to learn about all the problems with Multifocal IOLs.

Get a second opinion.

Many people cannot adjust to monovision but a mini-monovision might work fine. That is use a aspheric monofocal IOL and aim for a post op uncorrective refractive error of -1.25.

JCH MD