Outcomes / Comments on single-eye cataract surgery

A close friend of mine needs cataract surgery, but apparently is only a
candidate to have the lens replaced in one eye (at least for now).

difficult, particularly since she is extremely nearsighted.

Can anyone provide comments or useful information on unilateral
cataract surgery?

Thanks, in advance!

-Cloy

 

how nearsighted is your friend in the non-operated eye?

oftentimes when only one eye is operated on, the refractive power of
the implanted lens is chosen so the operated eye turns out to be of
similar prescription to the non-operated eye. this way adjustment is
less of a problem.

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Was the cataract caused by injury? If so, skip the rest of my post.

Otherwise, the second eye will probably develop cataract also.

Been there, done that.

My OMD strongly recommended switching from glasses to contacts. That
did the trick for me. I was very interested in ditching my very thick
glasses.

I had the surgeries five years apart. That meant that it was difficult
to wear glasses for that period. The contacts worked fine.

 

I also was very nearsighted and developed a cataract in one eye
following a vitrectomy. My cataract surgeon "found" a cataract in my
second eye, and my insurance paid for the second surgery. (It would
have been about $10K out-of-pocket for a clear lens exchange with a
monofocal IOL.) I hope your friend is as fortunate as I was, and I
remain grateful to my surgeon. I would have been very unhappy wearing
a contact lens all the time. The alternatives were leaving the
cataract eye very nearsighted or having laser vision correction.