Surgery for age related long sightedness! OMG! No more reading glasses!

[dogsaremybusiness]

Posting here for traffic. I want to let people know about this. Because I had no clue this surgery existed until I got cataracts. Basically if you have cataracts or need reading glasses due to getting a bit older, you can have an artificial lens placed in your eye and your eyesight will be perfect again. I had this done a few days ago and it is LIFE CHANGING! I’ve never seen any adverts for this, didn’t even know it was a thing. No more glasses to watch TV or read a text! Mind blown!

It is correct. You have been given monofocal lenses. One for distance one for near. They do not provide multifocal on NHS.

One and one is effective for some people whose brain adapts. It's not for everybody. I tried it out with contacts and could not adapt

The other down side is that it affects depth perception.

.

If you need reading glasses, you're long sighted. I've been it all my life but now (70) I'm short sighted as well.

It's surgery -of course there are risks. But this surgery has been around for a long, long time. My grandmothers both had it done in 1984 and it was standard treatment then. Just because you've never heard of it doesn't mean it's a new thing. And why on earth would it be "advertised"? If you need it, it's offered by the NHS.

Nope - so short-sighted that I couldn’t read a book without glasses. It’s a thing!

Of course there are risks. I deal with medical complaints and had a case where they put the wrong lens into the eye. There are always risks with any type of surgery even something as basic as getting an infection.

Highly irresponsible to say "there are literally no risks"

If you can't see things far away, that's short sightedness (myopia). If you can't see things close to you, you are long sighted (hypermetropic). Hypermetropia is generally the thing that happens as you age - the classic having to hold things at arm's length to see them properly - though some people are born with it, like me and my son. Having said that, eyesight does generally deteriorate with age and lots of people like me end up being both myopic and hypermetropic.

@Allsizes8to14not sure if you’ll see this, but I have recently been diagnosed with cataracts but I have severe myopia (-13) and thin retinas. Is there any hope of successful surgery for people like me?

Advice from anyone else with experience / knowledge of this gratefully received.

Any surgery has risks. I wouldn't have something done which is easily correctable with glasses.

I don't really need glasses but my husband had some cheap reading glasses before he got his varifocals so I can use those the odd time I need help (or a magnifying glass) eg to see instructions on cosmetics with the tiny print! Way less risk than unnecessary surgery.

If I have cataracts in the future, then I might look into killing two birds with one stone.

I didn’t know about this until my mum had a cataract removed last week and they told me they had put in a corrective lens so would only need cheap reading glasses once the other one has been done.

Sorry, I should have said low risk, rather than no risk. It's been around for a long time. I'm surprised they don't advertise. You see adverts for Laser surgery all the time, so why not this? I had cataracts, so I could not improve my vision with lenses or glasses, as it was as though I had vaseline smeared on my eye ball. So I really had no choice. But I know a few people who are considering this, just to stop all the faff with glasses. It really is life changing!

@dogsaremybusiness I got it done in July just to get ride of glasses and contacts. Multifocal. Can see at all distances.
It's just bloody brilliant.

Turns out during the exam in Prague that I have a small cataract in each eye ( pretty pissed my opticians in UK never noticed), so I would probably have ended up spending the next 10 years with deteriorating sight and then get a fixed focus NHS Cataract operation.

This way, the rest of my life with good sight near and far and the cataracts will never grow.

Hi where did you get yours done if you don’t mind sharing. PM me if you would prefer. Looking to get it done myself.

Who told you there were no risks and no one needs glasses after. Sorry but this is bullshit! I am pleased you had a good outcome but this really isn't the case for everyone and you are massively over simplifying this.

If you have your treatment on the NHS you have to choose distance or close up lenses. Most people choose distance and many will still need reading glasses. Mutifocal lenses are only available privately and are not suitable for everyone.

I had cataract surgery in both eyes just over 2 years ago. My surgeries were 9 weeks apart so that was interesting. It fucks about with your depth perception having two eyes with massively different prescriptions. While the first one went to plan, during the second I suffered a posterior capsule rupture (which happens in about 1-2% of operations). They were unable to use the original lens they had planned and so the one I have has a slightly different (worse) prescription. This combined with the astigmatism that was caused by the surgery (I didn't have it before) means I have a worse outcome than was expected. I had stitches at my second surgery and the recovery took several months. For the first few weeks I was worried that eye would not recover. I could not drive for 6 months and had to wait 4 months post second surgery before I was able to get new glasses.

I still wear varifocals (just with a much smaller prescription) and one lens is set slightly blurry due to the difference between the eyes and to handle the astigmatism. I also have occupational glasses for screen work. It is nice not needing to have my lenses thinned anymore and to have the full choice of frames.

I have no regrets and am happy with my vision but the whole thing was quite traumatic and I did not get the expected outcome. Obviously my sight is better both in terms of my overall prescription and because I no longer have cataracts. I love being able to see all the individual leaves on the trees even if that is only possible with my left eye. Complications can arise following surgery too. Secondary cataracts can form (PCO) and require YAG laser treatment. I had this recently after my left eye became blurry and colours dull causing me issues for several weeks (including with reading). Following the treatment my vision in that eye is lovely and clear again.

I was -13 before my surgery so very myopic. For many years until I was in my 40s I just needed glasses to correct this. Then I started to need different glasses for reading so had varifocals. However despite only being myopic until then, I needed glasses to read because my clear close up vision was literally an inch or two from my eye. I could take my glasses off and hold small print up to my eyes and read it but could not read a book. Many short sighted people need glasses to do all things including reading. It has been weird loosing this tiny bit of clear close up vision after cataract surgery. It isn't really problematic though unless I get an eyelash in my eye!

@Scarlettpixie at -13 were you ever warned about thin retinas, or did you not have this issue? Really glad to hear you had a good outcome.

No, there was no mention of thin retinas in my case. I had issues with the second surgery which I have set out above (I suffered a posterior capsule rupture) but this was nothing to do with my retinas or my prescription. It just something that can happen. Overall, I have no regrets about having it done. Even with the complications I would do it again. You just have to hope you aren't that 1 in 100.

That said, I would only personally do this because of cataracts. Not because I would prefer not to wear glasses. One of the staff in my local Spec Savers had lens replacement surgery though (no cataracts) and she had a great outcome.

Edited just to add, the risks of PCR are slightly increased if you have high myopia. What happens if there are complications during my catarac...

Now with YAG laser surgery, which is what you need if you get the PCO (blurriness after surgery when the membrane behind your lens clouds up), the risks of serious complications are 1 in 10,000. If anyone needs to have that done it really is a quick and painless procedure and nothing to worry about.

I've had this done recently as had cataracts
Gone from -8 to +3 in left eye and -7 to-2.5 in right so don't need to wear glasses unless I want to
Have got some cheap reading glasses for at home but when out and about can read menus etc without

@Gretalpetal
Optical Express. If you happen to fave a blue light card you get 10% discount as it is not cheap!

Thanks for the info @Scarlettpixie 🙏

Really helpful

I had measles at 4 years old and became very short sighted. I have worn contacts since 14. DH had cataracts done a year or so ago and they were Bausch &Lomb lenses which fogged up .cleared up after laser treatment. I now have cataracts or at least until two days ago when I had one eye done. I must admit I was terrified after reading thebumfthey send out. I was convinced everything that was 1 in hundreds Would happen to me. I am wearing glasses with one lens taken out and feel that my right eye vision is equal to the left eye with glasses. I took yesterday very quietly as I felt I was wearing a veil but today it’s fine. I’m watching tv and reading quite happily. Because I’m -8.50 the consultant wanted the second eye done within two weeks of the first. We are blessed with Sunderland Eye Hospital. Wonderful place and state of the art. They are impeccable in their standards. Sorry if I’ve gone on too much but I’m really too old for mumsnet.

@SpringSalvia sorry just seen this. It’s defo an option for you (& have seen higher prescriptions have brilliant success with NHS implants, unsure what the upper limit is for private multifocals) The surgery will carry more risk because of the thinner retina but a surgeon would talk you through risk v benefits for your specific situation

I knew it existed and peple that have had it done. I have had people ask be if I would have it done as I am shortsighted.

I think it may have been mentioned by my optician years ago, as being an option if I wanted to consider it.
However, it isn't something I haveconsidered because the complex nature of my lenses means I would still need to wear glasses even if it was done.
Also I gave been wearing glasses since I was 5. I did try contacts for a while, but didn't get on with them. I think it would now feel odd if I wasn't wearing glasses.
Glad it worked for you though.

Why on earth would you be mortified that you had cataracts?