Cataract surgery

[goofyernmost]

Wow, that is disappointing to hear. I have worn glasses full time for 60 years, and right now just having vision out of my right eye even with glasses would be amazing.
But my regular eye Doctor, and the two cataract specialists who have now evaluated me say with the basic mono-focal lenses I should only need dime store readers for close up, and should have 20-20 vision beyond arms length, which has been the experience of my circle of friends who have had the surgery. I don't know anyone that has paid for the toric or light adjustable lenses. Everyone I have talked to have called their cataract surgery a "miracle".

I better clarify a little. Those glasses were my idea because I spend a lot of time on You Tube watching at more then arms length, but that wasn't the motivation for me, it was because I spend so much time looking at a screen it might be beneficial to have them. That leaves me with two choices while online of the cheap readers, which I am wearing right now, or the special lenses that are really only good sitting back a distance from the screen. Not a requirement, just an option with no other recommendation.

My vision is still changing since my surgeries. I started out as basically 20/20 to begin with but as I age other things started to happen that pushed the need for regular trifocals, but only a mild prescription for all but my closeup needs. My vision is still very clear and I can see easily with or without my glasses for distance and for some reason especially at night. When other people my age are feeling that they can no longer drive at night, that's when I excel. For me it is better than daylight even though my daylight vision is still very good.

 

[LKing]

My vision is still changing since my surgeries. I started out as basically 20/20 to begin with but as I age other things started to happen

If you have had cataract surgery, there aren't many aging issues that would cause your prescription to change this many years later. The posterior capsule of the lens can become hazy. When it does, it is easy to treat. In that scenario, you wouldn't be seeing great at any distance, with any glasses.

 

[tvguy]

I better clarify a little. Those glasses were my idea because I spend a lot of time on You Tube watching at more then arms length, but that wasn't the motivation for me, it was because I spend so much time looking at a screen it might be beneficial to have them. That leaves me with two choices while online of the cheap readers, which I am wearing right now, or the special lenses that are really only good sitting back a distance from the screen. Not a requirement, just an option with no other recommendation.

My vision is still changing since my surgeries. I started out as basically 20/20 to begin with but as I age other things started to happen that pushed the need for regular trifocals, but only a mild prescription for all but my closeup needs. My vision is still very clear and I can see easily with or without my glasses for distance and for some reason especially at night. When other people my age are feeling that they can no longer drive at night, that's when I excel. For me it is better than daylight even though my daylight vision is still very good.

Well, the Doctor's office called late yesterday and they had a cancellation two MONTHS from now, so the process begins. If your eye Doctor is not aware of the issues you are having, make sure they are. Not heard of your situation in my circle of post cataract surgery friends.

 

[goofyernmost]

If you have had cataract surgery, there aren't many aging issues that would cause your prescription to change this many years later. The posterior capsule of the lens can become hazy. When it does, it is easy to treat. In that scenario, you wouldn't be seeing great at any distance, with any glasses.

From my understanding of it, that's not true. I have some movement in the jell like substance that more or less dictate the depth and width of the distance between the retina and the cornea. Those differences can either temporarily or permanently alter ones clarity of vision. Cataract surgery is the lens replacement which initially has no influence with our vision other than replace a cloudy natural lens with a brand new Crystal clear one. If all remains the same that is a permanent fix as far as the lens is concerned, but there are many other things that can change that have a roll in focus but it relies on a lot of other components that work together to focus vision.

I personally have had separation of the vitreous humor (jell) inside my eyes that now are able to move around and from time to time alter my vision as far as focus is concerned. It is relatively rare, I think, but even though it doesn't constantly affect me, it will occasionally show up in my line of vision.

 

[LKing]

From my understanding of it, that's not true. I have some movement in the jell like substance that more or less dictate the depth and width of the distance between the retina and the cornea. Those differences can either temporarily or permanently alter ones clarity of vision. Cataract surgery is the lens replacement which initially has no influence with our vision other than replace a cloudy natural lens with a brand new Crystal clear one. If all remains the same that is a permanent fix as far as the lens is concerned, but there are many other things that can change that have a roll in focus but it relies on a lot of other components that work together to focus vision.

I personally have had separation of the vitreous humor (jell) inside my eyes that now are able to move around and from time to time alter my vision as far as focus is concerned. It is relatively rare, I think, but even though it doesn't constantly affect me, it will occasionally show up in my line of vision.

Is this what your doctor told you? Was it their explanation for why your prescription keeps changing?

Vitreal syneresis does not change the length of the eye or the distance between the retina and the cornea. It can cause a very slight myopic shift but it isn't as significant as what you are describing. It wouldn't cause you to go from 20/20 at both distance and near post-op to needing glasses for reading. If anything, a myopic shift would make your distance blurrier and your reading better. Again, it is such a small change that most people don't notice it. When your liquefied vitreous moves within your eye(s), it can temporarily blur your vision. That blur is not a change in prescription. It wouldn't be a reason for glasses to not work at a specific distance.

 

[goofyernmost]

Is this what your doctor told you? Was it their explanation for why your prescription keeps changing?

Vitreal syneresis does not change the length of the eye or the distance between the retina and the cornea. It can cause a very slight myopic shift but it isn't as significant as what you are describing. It wouldn't cause you to go from 20/20 at both distance and near post-op to needing glasses for reading. If anything, a myopic shift would make your distance blurrier and your reading better. Again, it is such a small change that most people don't notice it. When your liquefied vitreous moves within your eye(s), it can temporarily blur your vision. That blur is not a change in prescription. It wouldn't be a reason for glasses to not work at a specific distance.

I needed reading glasses long before I had Cataract Surgery. I never said that it affected my closeup vision. Since I'm the one that is dealing with it. It is something that isn't supposed to be moving (it should be a solid gel) the movement can temporarily cloud my vision during an eye exam and be mistaken for a change in prescription even though my eyesight hadn't really changed that much.

Since at my age everything has the potential to change and does, the error is made. It sounds to me that you are saying that after the surgery no change in vision is possible seems unrealistic. The lens is only one part of the way the eyeball does it's job. Changing that lens will sometimes adjust things so ones eyesight will improve, but that doesn't stop the rest of the makeup of the eyeball from changing. The problem with the gel movement is that depending on it's movement it can be confused with a permanent change in vision. So at my last appointment the test showed a difference and a new RX was given. I later found that it must not have changed because my older RX allowed me to see better. That wasn't immediate it was over a span of a few months. Sort of an accident of occasion because it was affecting my vision at the time of the exam, but due to it's ability to move, ever so slightly, it caused a mistake in the reason for the change during the vision exam.

I'm no eye doctor and it sounds like you are. That is OK and for the most part you may be correct in theory. You would be amazed at how many years it took for them to figure out what was happening. And these were specialist from the best of Duke Medical School to finally discover that it may be what was happening. If you are in the medical field you must be aware of how somethings do not adhere to what everyone thinks it has too.

At any rate I'm not going to discuss it further since this site seems bent on just shutting down my writing process every 10 letters, I'm out!