Sandy had this done a few months ago. She had worn glasses or contacts since she was 6 and they had gotten stronger and stronger over the years. Even corrected her vision had reached the point where she had trouble reading street signs, product labels, and everything else in between.

After the surgery, which was done one eye at a time over a couple weeks, she now has very close to 20/20 vision. Her distance vision is great and she can easily read a book without reading glasses. She would agree with windhund's description of the results. It has been life changing for her.

 

To solve the problem of cataracts, the most common way is to actually remove your clouded lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens. It is not just removing the cloudiness. It is removing the entire lens. So, it is not a matter of having additional surgery so that you do not need to wear glasses. You have to have a new lens implanted anyway because the old one was removed! So you might as well pick a new lens that suits your needs. And that is where you need to make choices regarding the different lens options.

Mayo Clinic

 

I had it done primarily hoping it would make night driving glare better - it did not. The good - I've always worn glasses for distance and now have 20/20 without any. Still need glasses for close up. The bad - When I come into a dark location, i.e. garage, after being in a bright location, i.e. sunny and bright snow, I can't see anything for what seems a very long time until my eyes adjust. If I had it to do over, I would not have had it done.

 

I've been developing cataracts for a while. I started noticing it 5 or 6 years ago when I couldn't follow a golf ball anymore.
My standard bad joke is " I always wanted to be able hit the ball out of sight, I guess you need to be careful how you wish for things."
Of late I've realized that when reading, I tend to just use my left eye and not my right, almost to the point of closing my right eye.
It seems when I'm tired I also have shadow ( double) vision on text on the TV. I had been concerned it was neurological, but it appears to be my eyes. .

I've done enough procedures done to develop a bit of reticence. nothing is free without some lingering effects.
This is one of those ever so slowly developing conditions. It reminds me of my first stent.
I had been slowing down for a while, as in years, but I couldn't believe how much better I felt afterwards.
I think I function relatively well as is but it not's like I suddenly woke up with it this morning.
I was slightly put off by the enthusiasm of the doctor to book this. My cynical side was set up edge.

Monday they will do ultrasonic measurements of my eye.

 

Had both eyes done about six years ago, no problems at all.

 

Sandy was offered a choice of two types of lenses. One would only correct far vision and would require the patient to use reading glasses for near vision. These lenses are covered under Medicare. A more advanced type of lens benefits both far and near vision. These cost a couple thousand dollars more than the simpler traditional replacement lenses.. Medicare will only pay up to what the less expensive lenses cost. A friend got the "good" lenses and did not feel the results justified the cost. But Sandy feels her advanced lenses were worth every out-of-pocket penny. So your mileage may vary.

 

My husband did not retire until 2020 so we were both still under employee health insurance rather than Medicare when we had our cataract surgeries. He specifically decided to have the surgery before he retired for that very reason. Our coverage under employee health insurance was better than under Medicare so that is something to consider if one is still employed.

I have a friend who chose a very expensive option for her implants. She paid $4,000 per eye so a total of $8,000, and that was a few years ago!

 

Sandy's Medicare copay for the advanced lenses was $2000 total.

 

I'm still on employer benefits, so I don't really see cost as a driver.
I'm more concerned with specific changes in view.
I don't 'get" how the multifocal lens solutions work. If they are similar to bifocals, screw that.
I need to be able to look down at a golf ball and hit it and then look up and see it.
I can always put glasses on when I need to read.
The lens change for my glasses was nothing more than an annoying expense.
Swapping lens surgically isn't all that appealing.

 

I also don't "get" how multifocal lens solutions work. But Sandy says they are nothing like bifocal glasses or "multifocal" contacts,, and she has lots of experience with both.

I don't think I would opt for the surgery unless I was dealing with cataracts that seriously impaired my vision to the that point where swapping lenses surgically would be my only option if I wanted to see the golf ball at all, or read, or operate a motor vehicle. At that point if I was getting bionic eyes anyway, I would go for the best I could get.