Anyone had Catarac Surgery?

Scooby Doo · ‎03-14-2010

Went to the doctor today and got scheduled for catarac surgery in 10 days. He gave me two choices and I'm having an issue deciding which one to do. First is the standard procedure that insurance will pay for, but I'll still need to wear glasses for distance.

Second is the special lens that will correct both distance and near vision but the cost for that lens is $2850 per eye. I'm having a hard time justifying the cost of that, mostly because (1) that's a lot of money and (2) I'm used to wearing glasses. Also, I have astigmatism and that would probably need to be corrected for another $1600 per eye.

Anyone have the special lens put in, and is it worth all that money?

I've heard the surgery is pretty easy. Was that your experience?

pdlinda · ‎10-23-2011

I had trifocal lens implants put in both eyes about 4 years ago and couldn't be more pleased with the results. My vision is 20/20 and I haven't used eyeglasses since the surgery. Yes, I was very expensive (about $8,000) but I think it was well worth it to get the results I have achieved.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Yes. I had both eyes done back in 2009. Needed tri focals for many years so I had all ranges of vision

I paid $1700 over what is payed by Medicare because I wanted to not wear glasses. I thus went with a Multi-focal iol in my left eye. It right away allowed to be ab!e to read even very small print.

I did not get my right eye done as quickly as I wanted, as my bleeding colon canceled the appointment while I spent 2+ weeks, and 3 colonoscopies later getting the bleeding found and repaired.

I went with the $0 cost Mono-focal for my righr eye, at the advice of my eye doctor. Haven't needed glasses since so the Multi-focal saved me more money than I would have paid over the years buying new lenes about every year.

Easiest thing, medically I have had done.

hckynut(john)

I am still oxox · ‎03-09-2010

I am 61 and had both eyes done before I turned 50, I had some sort of an anomaly that caused my eyes to age prematurely. When I had the surgery there was no choices offered.

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive what could go right.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

When I had my surgeries, I had no idea there were other lens available but if they come to $8,000, I would have passed. I've worn glasses for years and they're no big deal. For that sum of money, I'll continue to wear thrm.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

It depends a great deal on how your vision used to be (before the cataracts). If you had pretty good vision and only wore glasses sometimes, to drive or sew, but you could see across the room, or watch TV pretty well without glasses, then yes, it's likely that you wouldn't need 18-hr/day eyeglasses after surgery with the progressive implants.

But if you have worn glasses all your life and are very nearsighted, chances are fair that you would still need to wear glasses even so.

I have worn glasses since I was six and have always been very near-sighted. I had astigmatism in one eye, so paid for a toric lens in that eye (about $1500). I could not afford the $2800 lens in the other eye on top of that, so got the freebie lens.

My very close up (reading, eating, menus) vision is good without glasses, but in all, I have to wear glasses all the time just as I did before surgery. They now cost me slightly less, but I still need them to do much of anything.

Because I'm SO nearsighted, I doubt I could totally give up glasses no matter what was promised. And I learned from the experience I had with my surgeon that what you are promised, assured will be your result, etc. is not necessarily what your result will be. In short, I was skwoowed. I'm as eyeglass-dependent as I ever was, and I'm not sure things would have been very different even if I'd had the progressive implant.

If your eyesight has been pretty good and you have not been totally eyeglass-dependent, you should do well with the progressive implants.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Carolm · ‎09-05-2013

I had cataract surgery on both eyes two weeks apart in 2011. It was a breeze. No shots -- my surgeon did it all with drops. We discussed choices and I decided that I wanted to see at a distance without glasses, so I could drive, go to the movies, watch tv, etc without glasses. So I use reading glasses when I read or work on my laptop. I've been pleased with the results and no regrets. Good luck with your surgery.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@Kachina624

My Multi-focal iol cost me $1700 out of pocket. With what I would have paid for new lenses and glasses the last 7 years? That Multi-focal iol has already paid for itself.

My job of 33 years required me to wear heavy safety lens glasses, with extra weight side shields. Try that working in over 105+° for a couple days and you will get my drift. I also went to bi-focal's for a few years, then to tri-focals for many years.

I had a way to get completely away from ever wearing anything but sunglasses, and I took it. Haven't worn anything but shades since, and it paid for itself in about 5 years. One of the best decisios I havs ever made. Fewer eye doctor visits also.

hckynut(john)

Floppo · ‎04-07-2012

Had severe cataracts in one eye and moderate cataracts in the other. Had AcrysofIQ Restor Multifocal IOL lenses put in both eyes. Medicare covered the surgery but not the "high premium" lenses($5,000 out-of-pocket for that). Pricey,yes,but having instant clear vision with no surgery side effects was well worth the money.

No more struggling to read fine print with reading glasses. Would do it over again! You only have one pair of eyes---opt to see near & far!!

BlingQueen022 · ‎09-23-2012

@Kachina624 wrote:
When I had my surgeries, I had no idea there were other lens available but if they come to $8,000, I would have passed. I've worn glasses for years and they're no big deal. For that sum of money, I'll continue to wear thrm.

ahhhhhhh, the cost of being so vain.