Cataract Not Ripe & Clear Vision

Question: I have a cataract that isn’t ripe and wear progressive lenses. About 4-5 months ago I noticed that I have to take my glasses off to see at a distance and I can see clear as a bell. What would be the reason I can see clearly without my glasses?

Answer: What you are describing is often referred to as “second sight’ and accompanies cataract development of certain types in farsighted people. If you have been farsighted and required glasses, as the cataract forms in the “nucleus” of the crystalline lens of the eye, it is often results in a shift toward becoming nearsighted and thus offsets the farsightedness rendering your distance vision clear without correction for some period of time. However, this does indicate that the crystalline lens is changing and indicates the progression of the cataracts. Even though you might be seeing clearly it is likely that colors are becoming faded, you might notice glare and light sensitivity and difficulty in dim or dark illumination which further indicate the progression of cataracts.

Now, the notion that a cataract has to be “ripe” in order to be removed is completely outdated. Today, with modern cataract surgery and lens implants it is possible to remove a cataract and replace it with a permanent clear lens implant as soon as you personally feel like your vision or mobility are compromised. You need to find the best cataract surgeon in your area and schedule a consultation BEFORE your vision is so disturbed as to cause you more serious symptoms.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Monovision Cataract Surgery & Astigmatism

Question: Is monovision cataract surgery for near vision possible if you have astigmatism?

Answer: Monovision cataract surgery to help you with near vision correction after cataract surgery is certainly a possible option for many people. Depending on what your near vision requirements and demands are and what your expectations are it is possible to find monovision cataract surgery using astigmatism correcting toric lens implants a good solution. This does require very careful measurements and calculations as well as meticulous lens implant selection and placement. In addition, if you have no previous experience with monovision contact lenses it would be important to have a trial with them if your vision allows in order to determine your tolerance to defocus which is a predictor of monovision correction success. Your most appropriate next step is to schedule a cataract exam and consultation with the best cataract surgeon you can find in your area-and it may be helpful to find a cataract surgeon who is also a refractive surgeon as they may be a bit more experienced in providing specialized refractive solutions such as monovision. 

Feel free to check out our seewithlasik.com blog and LASIK website too for a great discussion on astigmatism.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Frosty Vision after Cataract Surgery

Question: Upon awakening after my cataract surgery I had frosty vision. It was like looking thru a frosted window. It has slowly become better. Why did I not see the bright vivid colors and the clarity others told me about?

Answer: It is difficult to know exactly why you experienced frosty vision after your cataract surgery but there could be several reasons. The important thing is that it has cleared. One of the more likely causes was that for whatever reason or reasons, you experienced some swelling of your cornea or corneal edema. This can happen from time to time during cataract surgery and if your eyes are otherwise healthy returns to normal in short order.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Cataract Surgery & Astigmatism Correction

Question: My mom is scheduled to cataract surgery in one of her eyes and her cataract surgeon insists on correcting her astigmatism at the same time as cataract removal. Besides extra cost for astigmatism correction I would like to know is this really necessary as she is 76 years old? How safe it is considering her age? Does it make sense to do only cataract removal without correcting astigmatism or we should go for this extra procedure?

Answer: In order to have the best results and vision after cataract surgery, patients who have astigmatism need to have it corrected. It can be corrected in eyeglasses-that you will have to purchase, probably several times over the  year, it can be corrected with a second surgical procedure called Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI), or it can be corrected with a toric lens implant. Both the LRI and the toric lens implant provide your mother with less dependence on glasses for seeing clearly at a distance which is a safer and more comfortable correction in terms of mobility. She could however wear glasses if the astigmatism wasn’t too bad and didn’t limit her mobility. I am sure you would NOT want to see your mom take a fall and break a hip due to uncorrected astigmatism blurring her vision. So, yes it needs to be corrected and you should follow the advice of her cataract surgeon.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Insurance for Toric & Multifocal Lens Implants

Question: Is there ever insurance coverage (even partial) for toric lens implants for astigmatism or multifocal lens implants for cataract surgery?

Answer: Generally there is no insurance coverage for astigmatism correcting toric lens implants or multifocal lens implants. What is possible is if you are still employed you may use your Flex Plan to pay part of the cost. Flex Plans were severely limited and cut back under Obamacare so even these employer based benefits will only cover a portion of the lens implant fee. In very rare instances an employer might offer some stipend toward these implants but it is quite unusual.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Cataract Surgery, Astigmatism, Eyeglasses & Flomax

Question: I have astigmatism and take Flomax and need to have cataract surgery on both eyes. I have been wearing progressive lens glasses for 20 years and am very happy using this type of eyewear. Is it possible to have surgery and still use progressive lens eyeglasses after? I take Flomax. How much before the cataract surgery should I stop taking Flomax? Is it better to have the surgery done by the new laser assisted method or the "old" fashion way. Will it be possible to have 20/20 vision after the surgery while using progressive lens eyeglasses?

Answer: It is quite possible to continue wearing progressive addition spectacle lenses to correct your near and intermediate vision as well as your astigmatism should you so desire. It is also possible to have an astigmatism correcting toric lens implant in which case your distance vision could very well be clear enough to not be dependent on eyeglasses for seeing far away at all. This is entirely your choice. If your eyes are otherwise healthy-especially the retina and cornea-it may very well be possible to achieve 20/20 with the progressive lenses after cataract surgery. Now, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you discontinue your Flomax until you have discussed this with your cataract surgeon and your urologist. Your cataract surgeon will ABSOLUTELY need to be involved as there are surgical procedure modifications to be employed when someone has taken Flomax prior to cataract surgery. They will advise you of whether and when to alter your medication. Either traditional or laser cataract surgery can produce good results for you in the hands of a skilled cataract surgeon.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.