You can also get corrective lenses implanted so you don't need glasses - or reading glasses only if you can't do the mono-vision thing.

It's easy-peasy. You go in, they do they surgery under a sedative, go home with a plastic shield over your eye, put drops in for a few days and that's it. Go back the next day for a check up. You do need someone to go along with you. I made one huge mistake and got mono-vision. I can't stand it and am considering having one eye redone. Find the very best doctor you can.

The night time glare improved a lot but I still don't see well for night driving because I need a lot of light to see. It's just a factor of aging.

I'm not diabetic, don't drink or smoke. I don't take any prescription drugs so at 62 I'd say I'm in good health.

My deductible is 6300 so it would probably be all paid by me. I suppose the good news is I meet with a surgeon later this month about my gall bladder so I may meet my high deductible just with that surgery if he determines that I need it.

Ded, how exactly do you decide? I always thought it was up to the doctor.

I'm an artist so I told the doctor that I wanted near vision correction in one eye and far in the other. I had them done a month apart. Both times was a piece of cake, we even went out to lunch after. Four years later, my vision is still 20/20. Don't be nervous, they lightly sedate you before surgery and then you sleep through the whole thing. You walk out an hour or so later.

Holly, your eye doctor should have explained some details to you unless he isn't the opthamologist who will be doing the surgery.

My surgery changed my life for the better. He did each eye separately, a week or so apart. I was given IV valium or something, but without any intention of sedating me. A series of drops prior to the surgery completely numb the eye and lids (which they clamp open).

There is zero pain involved with the procedure nor is there any discomfort afterwards.

He gave me brand new lenses which corrected both my severe myopia and astigmatism, plus tweaked the prescription so that I can pretty much read anything, put makeup on, etc. without reading glasses or a magnifying mirror.

My only glasses are pretty sunglasses! I do have a pair of weak readers for those labels that are practically microscopic.

I did have some very minor side effects, all of which are extremely common and short-lived. I had several months of annoyingly dry eyes, helped greatly by drops; I also had lots of floaters, and a lot of glare/halo effect. Most of that has disappeared, though I'll never be comfortable driving at night.....but that always posed problems for me.

I wore contact lenses for 47 years before I had the cataract surgery. I had to do a lot of prep before for months as you can't have the contacts in at all and have to let the cornea flatten back out . Luckily I was able to do this and was able to ride my bike almost everywhere I needed to go. DH doesn't drive.

I had mine a month apart also as I had to wait for the other eye to settle down from the contacts . You won't have any of that. I also had the monovision implants. I had worn mono vision contacts for many years so was used to it and wan't about to wear any corrective glasses since I can't see at all with glasses since I haven't worn any in so many decades. I have 20/10 vision in one eye and even better in the other. I can read the tiniest print imaginable with my reading eye. The dr was amazed that it came out even better than he hoped.

I took a 'pill' to calm me down about 30 min, before the surgery. I suggest it to everyone. After you have one eye done and you are awake and well aware of all that is going on you may need to be a little "loose" . I know DH was glad to take a pill and so was I. There is no pain but you are awake and aware and hearing and answering and following directions. You have to be so they can be sure about placement.

It is the BEST thing I have done and always tell folks they will be very glad they had it. Make sure and check all the reputations of the Dr you go to. Do not go to a place that says you come in for a consult in the AM and have the surgery that afternoon . You need someone that is going to spend time evaluating your vision and making sure they give you the correction for YOUR lifestyle. Good Luck !!

I had early onset cataracts (50). The surgery was life changing. I was very nervous about it, but it was such a quick and painless process. I had no side effects. I went from being very nearsighted to having perfect distance vision (I do need reading glasses). It's impossible to describe the vast change in color perception, but that was a revelation. If you are hesitant about the surgery not being "worth it," it's worth every penny IMO.

Thank you all for the reassuring words. My doctor didn't go over anything because we felt that the prescription was corrective enough to wait for surgery. I do know though that I won't bother with new glasses next time I'll just have the surgery. I'm not sure if I will even wait it out. If ,y surgeon recommends gall bladder surgery I will surely be at my deductible and just go ahead and make an appt for a surgical consult with my eye doctor.

YaYagirl, I am getting back into sketching and will be pursuing art lessons so my vision is so important. Did you have trouble getting used to different correction for each eye?

I haven't had the surgery but grandmother did about twenty years ago. She had one eye done and the next day declared "That was so easy! I'm going to have the other eye done!" I had gone to her house to take care of her for the days after the surgery. She didn't need any taking care of. And she did the other eye the next month. Made a huge difference in her sight. I will remember that when/if my time comes. If my 90 YO grandmother could do it then so can I.

I just took my father to have cataract surgery on Monday morning. It was so easy for him we went out for lunch right after. He has had no pain at all and will be having his other eye done in a few weeks.

Is there any way to determine beforehand whether monovision is a good fit or not?

The way I learned I couldn't adjust to mono vision was when I tried it with contacts.

Funny cataract story. An older gentleman we know had his done. After the surgery he looked at his wife and said:. "Gee, I never realized before how wrinkled you are".

I live quite far from my Mom but she had catarac surgery about 18 months ago and has been very happy with the results. She's in her 80's and there were no complications at all and it seems like she healed pretty quickly too.

Every time I hear about this type of surgery I think of my Great Uncle who I adored. He had been legally blind most of his life from cataracts. Back in the mid 80's when the surgery was still new he decided it was worth the risk and had it done. Amazingly he was able to see pretty clearly for the first time in his life.. He was almost 90 at the time. I'll never forget his joy at being able to see.

Here is a link Holly...it just depends on how long it will take. Your brain has to get used to it and 10% of the pop. can't seem to. I would try it with contacts first and see how you do. You can get the soft ones and give it a few weeks. It is great that you are willing to explore your options !! Hope it works out well.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20long%20to%20get%20used%20to%20monovision

I had bilateral cataract surgeries with corrective lenses five years ago. The Opthalmologist did one eye and I was supposed to wait three weeks before the other one, but did so well they scheduled the other eye for a week later. It was a revelation to be able to wake up and see without putting on glasses or contacts, which I have worn since third grade. I thought long and hard about mono vision as it would have obviated the need for reading glasses. But I was worried about depth perception and mobility problems as I got older, and also about the admittedly remote possibility of losing my eyesight in the "far" eye. I discussed this at length with the doctor, and he said I needed to choose corrective lenses for the activity that mattered most to me. I chose the best prescription for driving as that will have the greatest impact on future independence. Now I have to wear reading glasses for closeup vision and when on the computer, but just 1.25 strength and I buy them at the Peepers site. I have about 30 pairs of readers in cute colors and styles and they now function as my headband :-)

The funny thing is that while I use the readers for newspapers and magazines, labels and such, I don't need them for reading because of the adjustable font on my kindle and iPads. I am ever so glad I had cataract surgery; the Opthalmologist told me mine went so well I was a poster child for the procedure. But the schedule of drops was rather complicated and I did not see how some (most) of the very elderly people in the waiting room would be able to follow the schedule exactly. My MIL was older when she had the surgery and complained of a multitude of problems, most caused by poor post op compliance.

Thank you all so much. The stories about what a wonderful impact cataract surgery has had on you all has convinced me. I will be calling my eye doctor for a consult after I get the gall bladder situation taken care of.

kswl, cute readers sounds great. I chose a lovely pair of Kate Spade specs this time but now that I've had them for a bit I think the tortoise shell is too dark and overwhelms my face. It is exciting to think that I could actually see the alarm clock without donning glasses first.

My bad vision is one of the reasons that I much prefer an e-book to a regular book. Even with glasses the words can be blurry if I don't hold a book the right way and in the inner corner towards the spine where it is shadowed by the outer portion of the page it becomes near impossible to see. The only books I like in hardback are decorating or reference books.

I was told I have cataracts, my prescription gets stronger every year. I was pretty shocked because I thought it was only old people who get them. The doc told me they can diagnose them earlier now, and it is like having a sunburn on the cornea. So I'm going to see about having mine corrected.

But I'm confused by what the monovision is...is it contacts you use after the surgery or is it something implanted in your eye? I have a bad astigmatism and I wear bi-focals-getting ready for tri-focals actually. Some times I have to put on readers OVER my bifocals so I can read books. I haven't done research into this surgery yet, but now you've all inspired me to do so.

Cindy, your well trained cataract specialist is the only person who can determine how you can get the most benefit from cataract surgery.

Neetsie to my understanding it is a corrective lens that is placed in the eye. One eye is corrected for near and the other for far vision. I'm not sure of that but I deduce that is so from the conversation.

ETA: Monovision can be achieved with contact lenses too.

Neetsie, Holly-Kay is correct and, to your other question, they are permanent lenses that become part of your eye, so to speak. You won't believe how wonderful they are. I was out like a light when I had mine. My dr. prefers it that way. I also had to have laser on them six months later as the film on the lens they implant generally dissolves but mine didn't. The laser took less than a minute. Then my eyes were completely clear.

YaYa, I would much rather be put under because my eyes are so sensitive. I had breast surgery (removal of an adenoma) under a local and I had no issues at all but it freaks me out thinking of someone messing with my eye while I'm awake. My eyes are so sensitive that I am always with my eyes closed on photos because as soon as they see a flash they close.

I would not be put under for this surgery because it is so quick. There are more risks from the anesthesia than the surgery. I thought it would be freaky having something done to my eyes while I was awake, but you get a local for your eye and I felt nothing.

Anesthesia type will be something your doctor decides. General anesthesia is quite expensive and most insurance carriers will not pay for it if it isn't the standard of care for a particular procedure.

Holly the tiny bit of Valium 30 min. before procedure will take care of any nervousness. Believe me I was amazed as I am extremely sensitive about my eyes also and was prepared to " freak out" . Instead it was completely fine both times. Also a person may think they are completely under but the surgeon has to have the person's cooperation with the eye movement when placing the lens . The wonders of Versed given with the other drugs at surgery time is that you have no memory :) You will be fine .

Also about depth perception. I don't sew or do any work that requires fine depth perception. walking and stairs etc are not interfered with at all by the very subtle mono-vision in the lenses.When fitted properly the mono-vision lenses work together and only if you close one eye do you note the difference.

As others have said it is important to tell the MD what exactly are your priorities. Mine was that I have perfect reading with no glasses and I needed to be able to read bike maps on my handlebars in a see-through holder while pedaling along...you can see what he was up against LOL !! I got everything I desired plus great distance. Good Luck and it is wonderful to read all the success stories. c

I have never taken Valium but after I had bunion surgery my dr prescribed Vicodin and it made me so sick that I refused to take anything stronger than Aleve. Hopefully Valium wouldn't make me sick. My system would be very susceptible to any medication because I'm not on any prescription meds.

my distance vision is still ok though not as good as it was so actually my close vision is the most important..

Nothing in 5 mg of Valium to make you sick at all...the Vicodin makes almost everyone sick !! You will be great and surprised at how easy it all is. Yes to telling your MD exactly what you need the most and then take the time to evaluate the possible choices he will give you . A good rapport with your MD is the most important part. I hope you will post back and let us all know how it goes and certainly if you have more questions that lay folks can answer I am sure we will all do our best. c

About monovision:

I have had one nearsighted eye and one farsighted eye all my life, but I didn't know it. I just wondered why I had no depth perception and kept bumping into things. Basically, my brain would cue in the nearsighted eye when I needed to look at things up close and my far sighted eye when I needed to look at a distance. Eventually, my eyes got old enough that I needed glasses, so now I have binocular vision, and I much prefer it to monocular vision.

I haven't read all the comments but I did have cataract surgery in late Dec. Holly-Kay did your eye doc tell you your cataract was a certain number on a scale of 1-5? My optometrist had been watching mine so when my left eye reached a 3, she said insurance would cover the procedure. I had noticed a deterioration in vision and a cloudiness and she advised me I could wait a while if desired. Some wait until their condition progresses to a 4 or 5 but I didn't want to wait til it got that bad so I waited about 5 months and had it done after Christmas. My vision is much better. The surgeon would have corrected for some astigmatism if it had been bad enough but mine was not.

I don't do well with mono vision at all. I had Lasix surgery back in 1999 and had near perfect vision except for reading after that. Couldn't understand why anyone would want to force their eyes to focus that way. The cataract surgery was a piece of cake.

OP, I will have to look at the printed report that he sent home with me to see if he rated it. My dr said it is only a problem for me when I feel it is a problem and I do feel that I need to have something done. The new prescription helped a bit but not at all as much as I had hoped for. I do know for sure that my near vision is the most important to me. I rarely drive at night and distance eye sight just seems fine though not as good as it was.

Sue, I am thinking that mono vision may not be right for me. I already have issues with balance ( always have had) so anything that may worsen that isn't for me.

Trail, I didn't know that Vicodin makes most people feel ill. I wonder why in the world they prescribe it. When a person would rather deal with pain than the side effects of a pain med there is something wrong. If 5mg of Valium is fine I'd rather have two to three times that amount.

haha....don't think you will need more than 5 mg Valium LOL. I am a retired RN and I can assure you it is plenty. Your MD will make sure you are comfortable and they ask you to tell them how you are and adjust accordingly. I chatted with the anesthesiologist and the surgical RN ( they were friends) for the whole first part...you will be GOOD. Stop worrying. If you look up Vicodin and codeine you will see they are both part of the opioid family and that Vicodin is the most strong of the two. Look at the side effects of Vicodin and there you have it.

The most common side effects of Vicodin include lightheadedness,dizziness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, drowsiness,constipation, headache, mood changes, blurred vision, ringing in your ears, dry mouth, and difficulty urinating.Apr 25, 2015

Side Effects of Vicodin (Hydrocodone Bitartrate and ... - RxList

www.rxlist.com/vicodin-side-effects-drug-center.htm

As it happens an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen combined with Tylenol ( 2 of each) taken every 12 hrs will give you MUCH more relief as the opioids only mask a problem and do not stop the inflammation that is causing the problem . Too bad that so many MD's reach for the high powered narcotic rather than the OTC that is actually doing something and is cheaper and way fewer side effects.

Not sure about the insistence on unbalance etc with mono-vision. When prescribed by the Opthamologist it isn't a random occurrence as suero is describing. It is a very well thought out ratio. I won't say any thing further but it certainly doesn't lead to unbalance etc or forcing of the eyes...it is extremely subtle and the brain gets used to it almost immediately except in a small percentage of cases. Enough said :) Good Luck and you WILL be fine. c

Haven't read every comment, but I wanted to say that if you can hold off on cataract surgery until you are on Medicare, it is entirely covered. This was one of several mistakes I made. I was about six months away from Medicare when I had my surgery and had to pay $1,000 co-pay. I could easily have waited the six months or even longer and saved $1,000. I got a lot of bad advice or just lack of advice.

Anyone considering monovision should definitely try it with contact lenses first to see if you can tolerate it.

I meant to add that your reading glasses or other prescriptions may change slightly after cataract surgery also. Some insurance will pay a small amount toward new glasses after. Worth checking that out as well. In my case my other eye isn't ready for cataract surgery yet as it has only started formation of a cataract (stage 1).

Wow, these are fantastic reviews. I don't want to rain on the parade but just want to say that the results are not always this good. There are things that can go wrong and sometimes they do go wrong.

I had cataract surgery on both eyes (a week apart) two or three years ago and it was easy. I was awake the whole time as doctor has to ask you questions during the procedure. I never felt anything and I am so sensitive about my eyes I do the camera flash thing, too, and couldn't ever put in contacts. My distance vision is great, but I do wear readers for reading and computer. I don't have any trouble with night vision. I just got the basic lenses. My spouse had his done, but he had an astigmatism, so he got the lenses that correct that and he just uses readers. I think the hardest part is the drops that need to be put in before and after the surgery. I believe I had three different drops (antibiotic, steroid & NSAID) that were put in 3-5 times a day and for differing lengths of time-some were I think for three weeks. I made a chart or I would have never remembered.

Trail, I found that Aleve was great. I had some pain but not much and I can tell you I had almost all of the side effects from Vicodin that you listed. My DH had to come to my business and drive me home. I thought I was dying. I had the surgery on a Thursday and insisted on going back to work on Monday. I probably should have waited for a few days.

Ded, My deductible is 6300 but since I may need gall bladder surgery I most likely will have met the deductible. If I do I will see what amount my insurance covers after the deductible for cataract surgery. If they cover most of it I will have it done right away, if not I may wait but it will be a very long two and a half years.

OP, I will be delighted to be able to see better so I will gladly pay for new glasses if my insurance doesn't cover it.

Acdc, results aren't always good regardless of the type of surgery and there is no way that anyone can guarantee a good outcome so it is risk but imo one worth taking.

Lizbeth, I'm so glad to hear of all the good results with cataract surgery. I'm sure I will need to make a chart also. I am not good at remembering any type of medication because I am used to not taking any!