Any of you had your old catarct eyes done?

[GeraldB]

I've developed cataracts in both eyes and will have them operated on in May and June. The ophthalmologist has presented me with some options and I wondered what choices other photogs have made.
I'm right eye dominant and I'm thinking that I'll have the right eye corrected for distance and the left for reading distances. I can then shoot with my right eye as I do now and chimp with the left. Ones brain is supposed to adapt to this and not really require looking with one eye for close work.
Another alternative would be to have both corrected for distance and then wear reading glasses for any close up work. So shooting will be a process of shooting and putting on glasses to see the histogram or change settings. Sounds like a real hassle to me. For computer work this option may even require bifocals.

Anyone one here had cataract ops and what options did you go for and how did it work for you?

[Gary Brown]

FWIW, here's a three-part essay on that topic: Doctor My Eyes (Part I), Doctor My Eyes (Part II), and Doctor My Eyes (the Coda—and a Caution).

There was also a thread on this forum here.

[GeraldB]

Thanks Gary, I found the links quite interesting but what I already know. The question that is not answered is whether for photography its better to have both eyes corrected for distance or have what is called mono-vision, one eye distance and one eye close up, the dominant eye being for distance. In the former case one will need to use reading glasses when looking at the camera settings and in the latter one would not. But this is just my theory, and I'd love to hear from someone who has actually experienced either case.

[RSL]

Gerald, Better check with your ophthalmologist before you make any final decisions. I've had both eyes done. It's a miraculous operation but choosing a lens isn't as simple as it sounds. Your doctor will make some tests to determine what focal length lens to use, but the testing is partly a guessing game. He'll probably run the same test several times and use an average as a starting point. I ended up with distance vision in my left eye and somewhat nearer vision in my right eye, even though the objective was to make both roughly the same. From what I've observed, a good ophthalmologist will fudge his bet toward nearsightedness rather than toward farsightedness since evidently it's easier to correct for nearsightedness than it is to correct for farsightedness. I'm right-eye dominant too, but I find that even though my right eye is somewhat nearsighted without correction, with my glasses on everything is just dandy. I do find that an SLR is easier to use with glasses than is a rangefinder, by the way.

[seanconnery]

I've had both eyes done and what a beautiful cyan sky!! Keep your lens selection simple -no fancy combinations as the technology is not there yet I have been told. No regrets and I can rely on previous habits and approaches - don't fool Mother Nature.

[seanconnery]

I was told to wait 6 months to do the other eye so that it stabilizes - a month later seems a little too soon.
I too put on my readers, take them off during a shoot - not a big deal....

[B-Ark]

I've had my right eye done, and the left is naturally near sighted, which is similar to what you hope to end up with. That arrangement seems to work quite well. I can now drive safely, and also read the instruments.
The biggest change that I noticed from the cataract surgery, was the enormous difference in my white balance. Its as if I had been looking through straw-coloured glasses before.

[Richard Morwood]

Hi Gerald
You really need to think about what you would like outside of photography too. Presumably you drive and having a "monovision" correction like you are contemplating can have a very big affect on your stereopsis (3D vision). You are also assuming that you will end up with zero correction in your dominant eye and as an optometrist I can assure you that this rarely happens. If nothing else you may end up with astigmatism due to the shape of your eye post-surgery and this in turn may benefit from correcting.
That is not to say that you will need a corrective lens for your dominant eye all of the time but for something as critical as photography you may find that even a small correction makes a significant difference.
It is quite rare for an optometrist to successfully fit monovision contact lenses to a patient requiring the sort of difference in prescriptions that you are likely to require.
I don't wish to burst your bubble and you may indeed be very happy with the outcome that monovision gives but being on the end of cataract surgery where we have to deal with the resultant visual problems things are inevitably not just as straight forward as they are sometimes made out.
Hope this is of some help.
Regards
Richard

[GeraldB]

Thanks for the comments. I would like to stress that I've seen an ophthalmologist, the one that will do the operations and he has presented me with the choice. So its not something I've invented. I'll ask about the stereo vision issue next time I see him before the ops.
It seems different folks find both approaches work for photography. I've got about 7 diopters of short sightedness in both eyes. I was hoping to be able to not use glasses except for some specific situations, say low light reading or very closeup work or long stints on the computer. I've tried mono-vision contacts and did not find the mono vision an issue although contacts were a problem due to drying out.

[RSL]

Gerald, Good luck. I think you'll love the change whatever you decide. Sean has a good point though. My ophthalmologist flat refuses to do a second cataract until six months after the first, not only because he wants it to stabilize but because there's always a tiny chance the operation will fail and you'll end up in worse condition than when you started. I'm sure you'll sign a form stating that you understand that before your guy will be willing to do the job. Nowadays the failure rate is almost infinitesimal, but it can happen.

[dgberg]

Gerald, Good luck. I think you'll love the change whatever you decide. Sean has a good point though. My ophthalmologist flat refuses to do a second cataract until six months after the first, not only because he wants it to stabilize but because there's always a tiny chance the operation will fail and you'll end up in worse condition than when you started. I'm sure you'll sign a form stating that you understand that before your guy will be willing to do the job. Nowadays the failure rate is almost infinitesimal, but it can happen.

Which is why I am holding off. I have the start of a very small one in my right eye and vision is still excellent at slightly under 20/20. I fly a corporate jet for my day job and am good until it goes down to 20/25.
Here is the dilemma. My occupation is tied to me passing a flight physical with very stringent vision requirements. At age 60 I have 5 more years to fly and probably will not get this done unless it worsens to that 20/25 limit. The Dr. tells me it does not hurt to wait until that point, so that is what I'll do.
If I have the operation (minor as it is for you folks) they pull your medical until you are absolutely 100 percent.
One of very few occupations in this country that your livelyhood is based on passing a medical exam.

[RSL]

Dan, Believe me, I understand your situation very well. I was an Air Force pilot for ten years and know about the physical requirements for people who are flying. Best of luck. I hope the cataract development holds off for you.

[bsdunek]

It will take you out of flying for a while.  I had my eyes done about six weeks apart.  Six months later my doctor filled out Form 8500-7, which the FAA accepted.  That's probably about as quick as it can be.  Also, I'm just a private pilot, so I only need a class 3.  I don't know what might be different for a class 2.