Cataracts & Photography #2

[rjackb]

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 2018 and opted for the toric lenses to correct my astigmatism--they weren't that expensive over the plain distance only lenses. The monovision lenses (supposed to allow both distance and reading) just seemed to have too many complaints. Although I stil have a tiny bit of astigmatism, I can see better than I ever have my entire life except, of course, for reading. I now usually wear progressive glasses to give me good reading vision and to correct the residual astigmatism. I have also found that your eyes continue to change ever-so-slightly over time even after cataract surgery.

 

[Lakeman]

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'll let you know at the end of the month.

 

[merlinator]

Just got the dates for my surgery, can't wait.

 

[RoyC]

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 both eyes done in 2020. Distant lens for both eyes. I had astigmatism petty bad and opted to get Lasik treatment to eliminate the astigmatism. That was $1600 extra for each eye. I have zero astigmatism today. The laser was also used to make all of the incisions and to degrade the old lens so less sonic energy was need to remove the old lens. Post surgery I have 20-15 vision. Reading glasses needed inside 6 feet. The Z9 diopter adjustment allows me to shoot without any glasses. Viewfinder is used for image review normally, if I am really interested in the image right now, I will put on my sunglasses which have a reading lens in the bottom.

 

[Patrick M]

My right eye had lens replacement and I went for distance. The only issue that bugs me is when in bright sunlight. If I'm not wearing a cap the sun makes the lens look like when you breathe heavily on spectacle lenses...you can't see anything... a sunshade, cap with a peak, anything to block direct sunlight works.

 

[Franb]

I had cataract surgery nearly 2 months ago now. I had bad astigmatism in my right eye which couldn’t be corrected with glasses (my left eye is dominant) and moderate in left eye. I opted for distance vision in my left dominant eye and close-up in my right eye. Initially was going to have distance in both but having the dominant one done first and realising how good it was i changed to closeup for the second. I am really glad I did because I now have 20/20 vision for the first time and don’t need any glasses. Having two different ones is becoming more common I have been told

 

[RichF]

had lens replaced due to cataracts. I got distance and medium focus. supposedly good for computer works but only marginal for that. Need weak readers for computer work.

Was it worth it - HELL YEAH from a vision POV. Since I am on medicare, I had to pay extra for the dual focus lens, close to $10K total but your costs may be different. Also produces a fair amount of glare when I look at bright lights at night. I have noticed a slight decline in vision which may be due to film forming on the lens which I am told can be removed by quick laser treatment.

 

[Rixpx]

I had cataract surgery about 4 years ago. I’m a retired optometrist, so I’m very familiar with the variety of implants available. Since I had very little astigmatism and noticed several of my patients who got multifocal implants complained of glare and halos, I opted for single vision with both eyes tuned for distance. I do use reading glasses for close work. Since I was nearsighted all my life, I’m currentry enjoying good distance vision without glasses.

If you have astigmatism, it’s worth the upgrade for toric implants. Multifocals are a personal choice, and I understand the models currently available are better than when I had surgery.

 

[JAS]

It may also be necessary to have follow-up work at some point. I had my cataract surgery in 2019 and my right eye starting getting a bit cloudy. I went in this week and had a quick laser "tune-up". My wife has had the tune-ups on both eyes. Things are back to how they were right after the intial replacement! Arrived at 0800, saw the doc, had some measurements, had the procedure, hung around for 30 minutes to ensure no issues and left at 0950. Good as new!

 

[Abinoone]

A cautionary tale for anyone contemplating cataract surgery. I had one eye done four days ago, and I have not experienced any improvement in my eyesight. In fact, it is worse than before the surgery. I experienced cloudiness the day after surgery, but this cleared up the next day. At this moment, nothing is clear or sharp at any distance. My other, unoperated eye has better clarity than the one “corrected” by surgery. I had a toric lens implant, calibrated for distance. My doctor tells me to be patient, and I am trying to remain hopeful, but from all that I have heard and read, my experience is unusual. I just wanted anyone thinking of cataract surgery to be aware that nothing is guaranteed.

 

[TurtleCat]

A cautionary tale for anyone contemplating cataract surgery. I had one eye done four days ago, and I have not experienced any improvement in my eyesight. In fact, it is worse than before the surgery. I experienced cloudiness the day after surgery, but this cleared up the next day. At this moment, nothing is clear or sharp at any distance. My other, unoperated eye has better clarity than the one “corrected” by surgery. I had a toric lens implant, calibrated for distance. My doctor tells me to be patient, and I am trying to remain hopeful, but from all that I have heard and read, my experience is unusual. I just wanted anyone thinking of cataract surgery to be aware that nothing is guaranteed.

Hope your vision improves very soon! I’ll be having mine done in May. I’m quite myopic but the doubling this cataract causes is quite annoying. So it’s my only hope for decent vision again.

 

[Ralph]

A cautionary tale for anyone contemplating cataract surgery. I had one eye done four days ago, and I have not experienced any improvement in my eyesight. In fact, it is worse than before the surgery. I experienced cloudiness the day after surgery, but this cleared up the next day. At this moment, nothing is clear or sharp at any distance. My other, unoperated eye has better clarity than the one “corrected” by surgery. I had a toric lens implant, calibrated for distance. My doctor tells me to be patient, and I am trying to remain hopeful, but from all that I have heard and read, my experience is unusual. I just wanted anyone thinking of cataract surgery to be aware that nothing is guaranteed.

With some people it may take a couple weeks to adjust. It’s possible that he may have to do a quick follow up with a laser due to scare tissue. Stay positive.

 

[AlanB313]

Keep us posted on your progress! My wife gets hers on Wednesday. She's pretty nervous. She's been told two to 3 weeks for clarity to return but she has complicating corneal conditions.
Good luck! I hope it gets better.

 

[Mark Garfinkel]

Keep us posted on your progress! My wife gets hers on Wednesday. She's pretty nervous. She's been told two to 3 weeks for clarity to return but she has complicating corneal conditions.
Good luck! I hope it gets better.

I was clear the next day for both eyes, second one was 4 weeks after the 1st.

 

[Abinoone]

Keep us posted on your progress! My wife gets hers on Wednesday. She's pretty nervous. She's been told two to 3 weeks for clarity to return but she has complicating corneal conditions.
Good luck! I hope it gets better.

Thank you. It’s been a week since my surgery and unfortunately my eyesight has not improved one iota. In fact, my vision is worse than it was before the surgery, plus now I have to read or watch TV with my “new” eye closed (glasses no longer work). But, as I’m sure you’ve read from other posts on BCG, the vast majority of people get great results from cataract surgery, so chances are your wife will do just fine. I’m afraid that I’m just one of the few exceptions.

 

[Rixpx]

Thank you. It’s been a week since my surgery and unfortunately my eyesight has not improved one iota. In fact, my vision is worse than it was before the surgery, plus now I have to read or watch TV with my “new” eye closed (glasses no longer work). But, as I’m sure you’ve read from other posts on BCG, the vast majority of people get great results from cataract surgery, so chances are your wife will do just fine. I’m afraid that I’m just one of the few exceptions.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems. Issues with cataract surgery are rare, but not unheard of. Most problems are manageable, but stay in close contact with your doctor regarding this.

 

[TurtleCat]

I thought I’d follow up on this one. I had my eyes done last month. I’m on the younger side of the surgery as I was having some significant double vision with my right eye. I ended up with Eyehance non-toric IOLs. For those who haven’t had it yet, it’s not that big a deal. The first surgery is always easier. Most people, including myself, just lie there looking at red and blue shapes swirling with some white light. The second surgery most people, like myself, tend to be more aware and alert and you get a sense of what they are doing and you just take a deep breath and wait it out.

For me on both eyes I could see clearly almost immediately sort of. They used betadyne on my eyes so that had to wear away plus the stuff they give you to make your eyes dilate needs to dissipate. It takes about a day or two. It’s definitely important to take the eyedrops as they prescribe, too, for a good outcome. If they offer a compounded formula it’s worth it since there are SO MANY eyedrops to take. Restrictions on activity seem to vary based on who does the surgery and probably your general health. For me the restriction was 3 weeks (I had mine done a week apart due to extreme prescription differences).

For those who haven’t done it or are nearsighted and are going farsighted I can give you some additional thoughts which may help. I definitely like being able to see distance with clarity for the first time since I was 13. You’ll notice, even if it’s subtle, a shift in tones and brightness when the cataracts are gone. You will also likely experience light glares and even dark glares at contrast surfaces. It’s called dysphotopsia and it’s normal. Your brain will auto correct for some of it but it’s just a fact of life. Not being able to see closeup is a bummer, of course. You’ll probably want readers from a place like readingglasses.com since cheapo readers have barrel or pincushion distortion and no anti-glare coatings. It’s an adjustment, too. You’ll probably feel your eyes have nystagmus for a while as they adjust in the first few weeks, too.

You’ll probably have a secondary cataract needing a YAG surgery. They told me within 2 weeks it was going to be needed for me. On the whole it is an adjustment but the pros outweigh the cons when you get to the point of surgery.

 

[Abinoone]

I thought I’d follow up on this one. I had my eyes done last month. I’m on the younger side of the surgery as I was having some significant double vision with my right eye. I ended up with Eyehance non-toric IOLs. For those who haven’t had it yet, it’s not that big a deal. The first surgery is always easier. Most people, including myself, just lie there looking at red and blue shapes swirling with some white light. The second surgery most people, like myself, tend to be more aware and alert and you get a sense of what they are doing and you just take a deep breath and wait it out.

For me on both eyes I could see clearly almost immediately sort of. They used betadyne on my eyes so that had to wear away plus the stuff they give you to make your eyes dilate needs to dissipate. It takes about a day or two. It’s definitely important to take the eyedrops as they prescribe, too, for a good outcome. If they offer a compounded formula it’s worth it since there are SO MANY eyedrops to take. Restrictions on activity seem to vary based on who does the surgery and probably your general health. For me the restriction was 3 weeks (I had mine done a week apart due to extreme prescription differences).

For those who haven’t done it or are nearsighted and are going farsighted I can give you some additional thoughts which may help. I definitely like being able to see distance with clarity for the first time since I was 13. You’ll notice, even if it’s subtle, a shift in tones and brightness when the cataracts are gone. You will also likely experience light glares and even dark glares at contrast surfaces. It’s called dysphotopsia and it’s normal. Your brain will auto correct for some of it but it’s just a fact of life. Not being able to see closeup is a bummer, of course. You’ll probably want readers from a place like readingglasses.com since cheapo readers have barrel or pincushion distortion and no anti-glare coatings. It’s an adjustment, too. You’ll probably feel your eyes have nystagmus for a while as they adjust in the first few weeks, too.

You’ll probably have a secondary cataract needing a YAG surgery. They told me within 2 weeks it was going to be needed for me. On the whole it is an adjustment but the pros outweigh the cons when you get to the point of surgery.

Very happy for your positive experience and good outcome. Just for a somewhat different perspective: I had my cataracts removed in February - right eye first, then the left. I had foggy vision in my right eye for about 7 days, then everything cleared up nicely and I have great distance vision in the eye (I opted for Toric lenses tuned for distance). Unfortunately, my left eye wasn't as successful. The prep nurse apparently didn't give me enough numbing drops, and when it was time for the laser removal of my old lens & cataract, it hurt like hell and I jumped a bit. My doc was slightly alarmed, gave me more numbing drops, then proceeded with the surgery. The end result is that my vision in my left eye isn't nearly as sharp as my right eye, plus now I have terrible "floaters" in it that obscure my vision. Ironically, pre-surgery my vision was much better in my left eye. Needless the say, I'm not a happy camper. In a couple of months I go for a checkup, and to see if anything can be done to correct the problem.

For anyone contemplating cataract surgery, be realistic in your expectations, and be sure that everyone - not just your surgeon - is highly experienced. Yes, it's most often a highly successful procedure, but not always. I had no prior eye problems other than cataracts, so my experience wasn't due to "existing conditions".

 

[Fishboy1952]

Very happy for your positive experience and good outcome. Just for a somewhat different perspective: I had my cataracts removed in February - right eye first, then the left. I had foggy vision in my right eye for about 7 days, then everything cleared up nicely and I have great distance vision in the eye (I opted for Toric lenses tuned for distance). Unfortunately, my left eye wasn't as successful. The prep nurse apparently didn't give me enough numbing drops, and when it was time for the laser removal of my old lens & cataract, it hurt like hell and I jumped a bit. My doc was slightly alarmed, gave me more numbing drops, then proceeded with the surgery. The end result is that my vision in my left eye isn't nearly as sharp as my right eye, plus now I have terrible "floaters" in it that obscure my vision. Ironically, pre-surgery my vision was much better in my left eye. Needless the say, I'm not a happy camper. In a couple of months I go for a checkup, and to see if anything can be done to correct the problem.

For anyone contemplating cataract surgery, be realistic in your expectations, and be sure that everyone - not just your surgeon - is highly experienced. Yes, it's most often a highly successful procedure, but not always. I had no prior eye problems other than cataracts, so my experience wasn't due to "existing conditions".

Sorry to hear that! Hopefully you and your medical team can come up with a solution.

I was not aware they are using lasers for the old lens removal. I had mine done in 2014, and my surgeon used an ultrasonic probe to “emulsify” the old lens and then used suction to remove it. I know she uses a laser to clean up scar tissue if needed, but that’s post operative and done in her office.

 

[TurtleCat]

Sorry to hear that! Hopefully you and your medical team can come up with a solution.

I was not aware they are using lasers for the old lens removal. I had mine done in 2014, and my surgeon used an ultrasonic probe to “emulsify” the old lens and then used suction to remove it. I know she uses a laser to clean up scar tissue if needed, but that’s post operative and done in her office.

I think the option depends on how rigid the natural lens is. That’s what my surgeon said. Since I’m 50 he said my lens is quite flexible still and would be easy to remove with the ultrasonic probe. I also asked for a bit more versed before the procedure just in case

 

[TurtleCat]

Very happy for your positive experience and good outcome. Just for a somewhat different perspective: I had my cataracts removed in February - right eye first, then the left. I had foggy vision in my right eye for about 7 days, then everything cleared up nicely and I have great distance vision in the eye (I opted for Toric lenses tuned for distance). Unfortunately, my left eye wasn't as successful. The prep nurse apparently didn't give me enough numbing drops, and when it was time for the laser removal of my old lens & cataract, it hurt like hell and I jumped a bit. My doc was slightly alarmed, gave me more numbing drops, then proceeded with the surgery. The end result is that my vision in my left eye isn't nearly as sharp as my right eye, plus now I have terrible "floaters" in it that obscure my vision. Ironically, pre-surgery my vision was much better in my left eye. Needless the say, I'm not a happy camper. In a couple of months I go for a checkup, and to see if anything can be done to correct the problem.

For anyone contemplating cataract surgery, be realistic in your expectations, and be sure that everyone - not just your surgeon - is highly experienced. Yes, it's most often a highly successful procedure, but not always. I had no prior eye problems other than cataracts, so my experience wasn't due to "existing conditions".

I’m glad that at least things are better than when you first reported months ago. I can understand the frustration. I totally agree, too: talk with your surgeon and understand as much as possible before you go in. I’ve got a bit of doubling on my right eye but I think it’s the secondary cataract. I won’t have my YAG for a while since I’m still going through the post op process.

 

[Ralph]

I think the option depends on how rigid the natural lens is. That’s what my surgeon said. Since I’m 50 he said my lens is quite flexible still and would be easy to remove with the ultrasonic probe. I also asked for a bit more versed before the procedure just in case

Yes. I had the option as well . I opted for the ultrasonic.

 

[AlanB313]

A follow up on my wife's cataract. She has a genetic condition called Fuchs dystrophy, a cornea issue that complicates things. She had one eye done in January.
The first month she was basically blind in that eye. She saw a sheet of white for about 2 weeks. Gradually shapes returned. Lots of black spots and floaters. After about 6 weeks her surgeon said she'd probably need a cornea transplant after all even though her Fuchs was mild.
But, things gradually, slowly, incrementally got better each visit over the months. Vision went from blind to shapes to 20-60, to 20-30 now with the pinhole testing. Her surgeon says that she won't need a transplant and in another month can get a new prescription which will probably correct the rest of that eye's Vision. Keeping fingers crossed.
We basically lost a Spring, but are greatly relieved. We'll wait for round 2 until after the first eye is as good as it will get.
I should emphasize this is an unusual experience with an underlying condition.

 

[Franb]

I diid something different. I had cataract surgery in my left eye for distance vision first (dominant, viewfinder eye) and made sure I could see through viewfinder and in distance alright (it was better than with glasses) then a week later I had the right eye done for near vision. it works well, I have better vision than before and don’t need to wear any glasses at all. I can notice that my eyes are different but I am still very pleased with the result. It has been 6 months now

 

[Camatose]

Had both done this spring, 2 weeks apart. Now have 20/20 distance vision without correction, but it's not perfect. I have 20/15 with correction. This is almost exactly the same as I had prior to the surgery, except I couldn't see distance without correction.

I still wear blended bifocals, but before, I could sit at my desk and work on a computer without glasses. Now, I have to wear them all day.

Yes, everything is brighter. The biggest difference is that I had no idea how yellowed my whites had become. This was extremely obvious in between surgeries when I could compare. It's a damn good thing I use auto white balance or all of my images would've been blue!

So, for me not 100% happy. I traded near vision for distant vision. I can drive and watch TV without glasses, and can see my dashboard well enough, but have to wear them all day at work. I had hoped that I would need only reading glasses.

I still wear them for photography. I can adjust the diopter in the EVF for glasses on or glasses off, but with glasses off, I wouldn't be able to see the screen. Might just stop me from chimping! Still, I have transition lenses so I don't need to carry around sunglasses.