Cataracts & Photography #2

[Abinoone]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

 

[wotan1]

I have not had this done as cataract surgery but I have moderate astigmatism and I have used toric contact lenses for years. They work well and my toric contacts are very effective.

If you don't correct the astigmatism your vision will not be as sharp. I would follow the technician's advice.

I would not think that not getting the toric would prevent you from continuing to photograph. You may still need glasses or contact lenses.

 

[Charles Loy]

I question what your ophthalmologist had or has to say? Do ask him/her. Mine is sincere and frank in answering quandaries such as this. Very unlikely the person is suggesting doing this for the extra cost, they are wanting you to correct the concern. Cataract surgery is way cool and will please you.

 

[WilliamFinlay]

I had cataract surgery in 2007. I opted for distance correction (my health insurance would only pay for single vision correction). When talking with the surgeon, I asked if he could give me better than 20/20 vision for distance since I do nature photography thus making it easier to spot subjects at a distance. After the surgery my vision was slightly better than 20/20. Over the years it has deteriorated a bit but still no issues spotting things at a distance. You will be amazed at how the vibrancy of colors changes. It was like a miracle akin to going from a picture tube TV to a HDR TV. It is great not having to wear glasses when looking through the camera viewfinder. Prior to the cataract surgery, I could not read the big 'E' on the eye chart. I am well pleased with the outcome. Good luck with your surgery!

 

[Njardar]

Much depends on your outcome, after surgery will you need glasses or not. I needed a mild correction for distance after surgery and that included correcting the astigmatism. If you are going to get 20/20 vision then tonic lenses make sense. In any event, you will be pleased with the results

 

[DonM]

I had cataract surgery a year ago and got the toric implant as part of the surgery. Yes is is expensive but I can drive and take pictures without glasses. I do have a lot of astigmatism. I asked the doctor to optimize the lens for distance vision so I need reading glasses for close up. The issue is when taking pictures I can't read the camera menus or view pictures on the screen of the camera very well without reading glasses. Before surgery I wore trifocals for everything including picture taking. With DSLR's glasses limit your field of view looking through the camera. With the Z8 you can mitigate this to some extent by menu selection for small screen.

I now have bifocals that have a small correction for distance vision but include the bifocal for reading including viewing the camera menu and reviewing pictures.

There is one problem I have presumably because of the topic lens. At night car head lights make "streaks" that are distracting. It isn't as bad after a year as it was at first. It really is only an issue in heavy traffic where cars coming at you are close together. I don't know for sure if this is because of the toric lens or if it would have happened anyway with a regular lens.

I don't regret having the surgery or getting the topic lens. Before surgery vision in my right eye had deteriorated significantly because of the cataract which made night driving and picture taking difficult.

 

[Woody Meristem]

My astigmatism is severe, I had cataract surgery in 2016 and chose lenses for distant focus. I've worn glasses for decades and wouldn't go in the woods without them since they saved my left eye about 40 years ago. My distance glasses only correct my astigmatism, those are the ones I use when out in the field, driving or walking in town. For reading or computer work I have trifocals, but find that I really can't walk while wearing them since things on the ground are badly out of focus-- think curbs, sicks or logs on the ground, a vehicle's dashboard. I always have one pair of glasses on and another in my pocket or on a nearby table -- one advantage is that on the rare occasions when I've broken a pair of glasses I have a spare with which I can function, even if not particularly well.

 

[Fishboy1952]

I had both eyes done in 2014. I had mild astigmatism and asked my ophthalmologist if I should gets lenses to correct for that. Her recommendation was to get the standard replacement. Her reasons were my astigmatism wasn’t that severe, as well as the results were somewhat mixed on correcting the condition. I went with both standard distance lens replacements and couldn’t be happier. 10 years later I’m still 20/20 and 20/25. I wear readers, but that’s not an issue. I’m sure there have been improvements in the last 10 years so YMMV. Good luck!

 

[MrFotoFool]

Both eyes done just over a year ago (two weeks between each eye). I got a standard monofocal implant. I did what most people do, which is choose either a near sighted or far sighted implant based on what you naturally are. I am naturally near sighted, which means I can see well up close but not at a distance. The cataract implants allow me to continue to see well up close, so that I do not need reading glasses. I only need glasses for distance. I did opt for an upgrade - I forget what it is called - but it is a laser assisted device during procedure which allows for even more precise placement. (I did brief online research and it seems to be a real help and not just something they made up to earn extra, but who knows for sure?). Insurance considers this upgrade cosmetic and not medically necessary, so I had to pay $1500 myself for this option. But for a once-in-a-lifetime procedure I decided it was worth it.

For photography, I set the viewfinder diopter to my near sightedness so that I can photograph without glasses. However, I still need to wear glasses when out walking so I am in the habit of sliding them up on my forehead to take pictures and sliding them back down to continue walking. As you can see from my profile picture, the glasses meet no resistance when sliding up. I tried walking without glasses when photographing, but summer a year ago I walked right over a rattlesnake lying across the path without even seeing it and would never have known it was there except a photographer behind me said "look, there's a snake". (Thankfully it decided to lay still in hopes I would pass and more thankfully my stride landed where I stepped over it instead of on it).

 

[Mark Garfinkel]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

I had my cataract surgery done 7 years ago at age 65 this October and 4 weeks later in November. for the left eye. My cataract were at 8%, and I was have trouble in dark equipment rooms and night driving. I chose the symphony toric lens, and I have moderate astigmatism in both eyes, the left worst than the right. Two years ago I had a laser clean-up on the right eye which is normal, I just had my annual checkup last week and still reading at 20-10 with no glasses or readers. I did two to three months worth of research before I made my decision with no regrets to this day. I've posted in the past on this topic and please lookup my previous posts.

 

[Tom Reynolds]

I paid for the best and also paid for the best implementation, laser. $4K per eye above medicare. My vision is 20-20 in one eye and nearly 20-20 in the other. I can read all but the finest print and have no problem with viewing the various pieces of information in the OM-1 viewfinder. Reading the menu is trivial.

 

[Ralph]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

I can’t comment on the toric lens but since my surgery with the monofocal implants , the vision within the viewfinder is now perfect. The only time I need the readers is to check the sharpness of the images on the the back LCD. I can read my settings well enough without reading glasses.
Prior to the surgery, my left eye vision was 20/400. As a kid it was discovered that I had a lazy left eye. At the time it was 20/200. It was never fully correctable with glasses and the best that the glasses could do is 20/60. I was very apprehensive about the surgery knowing I had only one good eye. The doctor was very reassuring and said that when he did the surgery he would set the lens in the left eye so that there would be better balance between the right and left eye. The left eye of course would never be 20/20.
After surgery, the left eye went from 20/400 to 20/40 which is better than it ever was. The right eye went from 20/60 to 20/20. And I noticed that when I covered either the right or left eye , there was no shift in the position of the image like there was before the surgery. So the doctor did create a balance between the right and left eye which I never experienced before.
As far as night vision goes, it is probably 90-95% better than it was before. Before the surgery, I was blinded by headlights to the point that at times I couldn‘t see the road at all. After surgery, no real issues at all except the eyes are more light sensitive and there are some light streaks when looking at bright headlights or very bright lights but nothing to worry about.
Before the surgery, I had double vision with any distance object. That is completely gone now.

 

[StarTracker50]

I've only had Lasic done both eyes, but I do have advice. Definitely talk to your eye DOCTOR (surgeon) about your concerns. The technician might be 100% correct, but talking to the guy who will actually cut on you, is the thing to do. Mine was Doctor Berdy in St. Louis who pioneered Laser surgery.

 

[Abinoone]

I can’t comment on the toric lens but since my surgery with the monofocal implants , the vision within the viewfinder is now perfect. The only time I need the readers is to check the sharpness of the images on the the back LCD. I can read my settings well enough without reading glasses.
Prior to the surgery, my left eye vision was 20/400. As a kid it was discovered that I had a lazy left eye. At the time it was 20/200. It was never fully correctable with glasses and the best that the glasses could do is 20/60. I was very apprehensive about the surgery knowing I had only one good eye. The doctor was very reassuring and said that when he did the surgery he would set the lens in the left eye so that there would be better balance between the right and left eye. The left eye of course would never be 20/20.
After surgery, the left eye went from 20/400 to 20/40 which is better than it ever was. The right eye went from 20/60 to 20/20. And I noticed that when I covered either the right or left eye , there was no shift in the position of the image like there was before the surgery. So the doctor did create a balance between the right and left eye which I never experienced before.
As far as night vision goes, it is probably 90-95% better than it was before. Before the surgery, I was blinded by headlights to the point that at times I couldn‘t see the road at all. After surgery, no real issues at all except the eyes are more light sensitive and there are some light streaks when looking at bright headlights or very bright lights but nothing to worry about.
Before the surgery, I had double vision with any distance object. That is completely gone now.

Thank you Ralph!

 

[Abinoone]

I had my cataract surgery done 7 years ago at age 65 this October and 4 weeks later in November. for the left eye. My cataract were at 8%, and I was have trouble in dark equipment rooms and night driving. I chose the symphony toric lens, and I have moderate astigmatism in both eyes, the left worst than the right. Two years ago I had a laser clean-up on the right eye which is normal, I just had my annual checkup last week and still reading at 20-10 with no glasses or readers. I did two to three months worth of research before I made my decision with no regrets to this day. I've posted in the past on this topic and please lookup my previous posts.

Thank you!

 

[Abinoone]

Both eyes done just over a year ago (two weeks between each eye). I got a standard monofocal implant. I did what most people do, which is choose either a near sighted or far sighted implant based on what you naturally are. I am naturally near sighted, which means I can see well up close but not at a distance. The cataract implants allow me to continue to see well up close, so that I do not need reading glasses. I only need glasses for distance. I did opt for an upgrade - I forget what it is called - but it is a laser assisted device during procedure which allows for even more precise placement. (I did brief online research and it seems to be a real help and not just something they made up to earn extra, but who knows for sure?). Insurance considers this upgrade cosmetic and not medically necessary, so I had to pay $1500 myself for this option. But for a once-in-a-lifetime procedure I decided it was worth it.

For photography, I set the viewfinder diopter to my near sightedness so that I can photograph without glasses. However, I still need to wear glasses when out walking so I am in the habit of sliding them up on my forehead to take pictures and sliding them back down to continue walking. As you can see from my profile picture, the glasses meet no resistance when sliding up. I tried walking without glasses when photographing, but summer a year ago I walked right over a rattlesnake lying across the path without even seeing it and would never have known it was there except a photographer behind me said "look, there's a snake". (Thankfully it decided to lay still in hopes I would pass and more thankfully my stride landed where I stepped over it instead of on it).

Thank you. I share your advanced ability to slide glasses up with no resistance!

 

[realspeed]

i was very lucky glaucoma was spotted by my optician and went into hospital where they took the eye out and put back to put a stent behind it. I was told it was very nearly a case of going blind in one eye. The other eye ( yes I have 2 suprisingly enough ) is not as bad but also has glaucoma and small cataract but can be treated with eye drops. Talk about being scared and frightened at the thought of going blind in one eye made me not worried about eye surgery

 

[Ralph]

Thank you Ralph!

Let me add that with the monofocal lenses, at least in my case, anything that’s more than 18 inches away is crystal clear.

 

[mrt]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

I had cataract surgery a couple months ago. The dr recommended toric lenses which I opted for. I opted for middle and distance vision. It cost, but I have no way to compare what distance only would be like. He knows I like to take pictures. I have 20/20and 20/25 vision now. Colors are more vivid without a yellow cast and I’m color blind. I still wear glasses because I have double vision and need prisms. Also it takes care of close vision and adds a touch of improvement to computer distance. It was quick and painless. Knowing what I now know I wouldn’t delay. There’s only an upside from my personal experience.

 

[TurtleCat]

Mine will be done in May. The doctor said the lenses don’t have a lot of color change or clouding right now but there’s pronounced doubling in my right eye and mild in my left. I asked him if he would recommend toric since my astigmatism is moderate. He said in my case that a lot of my astigmatism is coming from the lens itself and not from a misshaping of the cornea which surprised me. He said I may still need glasses to correct the remaining bits, though, and not lasik or anything. So I must be a tweener.

 

[BFinkelstein]

All I can say is, after your surgery check your photos that you did any post processing on before your surgery. Boy, did I over correct the colors on many of them and of course they were not a sharp as I thought they were........I guess the quality of each photo is indeed, in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[rloeb]

I had cataract surgery a year ago, opted for the toric lenses, and not need glasses for anything, although I tend to use some magnifiers when reading for long periods. The best part was not needing glasses to use my Nikons! The only downside is that driving at night can be a bit painful because of the glare, so I don't drive at night! Highly recommended.

 

[tcrick]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

I opted for the standard lens for distance (I use reading glasses for close work) and it turned out great. I no longer have to use glasses when I shoot which is so convenient. I just set the diopter for my vision and I am good to go.

 

[Hobbzz]

I had it last year. Moderate astigmatism in one eye. Went with mono vision with toric lenses. For photography purposes my left eye is for close up, say under 8-10 feet, and my right eye is for distance, 8ft to infinity. Works great. One thing I wasn't told is how narrow of a depth of field you will have regarding the sharpest part of your vision. Takes a little getting used to. But I can read everything except very small print without glasses and still spot owls in trees at 100 yards, albeit not as sharp as with glasses. I do not need readers to work with my camera, and do not need to hold it at arms length. This can all be adjusted by the doctor when he's recommending what lens strength to go with.

 

[MadMikeOne]

Please forgive me for starting another thread on this topic, but I’d like to ask anyone who has had cataract surgery recently about what lens implant you opted for, and what your specific outcomes were. I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have moderate astigmatism. I just returned from my official, cataract pre surgical eye scan, where the technician once again urged me to consider toric instead of the standard monofocal implants (at an additional cost), because of moderate astigmatism in one eye.

My apologies to anyone who may feel that post doesn't belong on a nature photography forum, but I’m quite concerned that choosing the wrong lens implant might adversely affect my ability to continue practicing my avocational passion. Thanks for any advice you may have!

I had cataract surgery in October 2020 and opted for the toric lenses specifically because of my SEVERE astigmatism. My prefeence was to correct for distance and to wear "cheaters" for close work. Three years out and I could not be happier with my decision. My astigmatism is non-existent. I wear 2.0 readers (aka "cheaters) for reading on my ipad and reading in general. For my photography, I opted for progressives. There is almost no correction for distance and minor correction for close. I need the correction for close work so I can see the screens, and using the readers alone just did not work for me. When driving, I don't wear glasses at all.
Please feel free to private message me if you'd like details.