Cataract Surgery Question

I had both eyes done in Jan 2024 at age 73. I went for the upgraded tri-focal lens, PanOptix, and I'm thrilled. Vision is 20/20 maybe better in both eyes and I can read a medicine bottle or a distant road sign and need no glasses. I was on the computer 2 hours after the 1st eye and and did not need readers even with one eye uncorrected. Cost was $6500 for both eyes and follow up visits. This is in addition to what medicare paid. Lucky to have one of the top eye surgeons in the country 5 miles from home, Dr. Black's Eye Associates and my surgeon was Dr. Kris Pugh. I highly recommend Dr. Black's office and the PanOptix tri-focal lens.

Did mine 5 years back. Doctor did not recommend the optional lens as some don't benefit from it. Surgery was a walk in the park! Could not believe the difference when comparing the done eye with the other. Much clearer and colors are more brilliant. Never paid a dime with Medicare and my supplement insurance which covered the rest. Good luck

I've worn glasses for extreme nearsightedness since the third grade. In high school they stabilized somewhere between 20/200 and 20/400. By my 50s, I needed bifocals, in my 60s, I developed astigmatism, and in my 70s cataracts began to form. I had successful cataract surgery on both eyes a year ago. It was totally painless, and as Rusty pointed out, it featured a great Fillmore Auditorium-quality light show. I chose to have only my distance vision corrected because I'd been wearing glasses for 70 years, I was used to them, and didn't feel the need to pay the $8,000 premium for having the astigmatism-correcting lenses to make me eyeglass-free. Because Medicare and my Blue Cross supplemental insurance covered the distance vision correction almost completely, I was out of pocket very little money. And if you have both eyes done, Medicare will pay for a pair of glasses that will take care of whatever additional corrections you may need. However, you must get the glasses from a Medicare provider optician. Not all eyeglass retailers are providers, so ask around. It's also possible you'll need to have your prescription tweaked after surgery. I just had my 9 month follow up exam, and my left eye required a stronger correction for distance, but that was easily accomplished with a new eyeglass lens.

One huge benefit of cataract surgery is that you will see colors much more vividly. Most eye surgeons will only do one eye at a time, allowing you to compare. The colors you see through your new lens will amaze you with their brightness in comparison to the yellow-brown cast you'll see through your old lens. Your night vision should also improve. Finally, it always amazes me that for the first time in my life, I can drive without glasses if I need to. When I have my next driver's license renewal exam, I'm going to peer into the vision testing machine without my glasses to see if I can get that pesky corrective lenses restriction removed from my license. Wish me luck!

spricks said:

I had the surgery with the corrective lenses over 12 years ago. I think my out of pocket cost was $4,000 per eye. Well worth the money if you don't like glasses. I do wear sun glasses when needed though. I still have 20/20 vision.
It kinda P'D me off that the insurance considers it cosmetic surgery and won't pick up the tab.
If I could do it over, I would go the same route.

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My wife and I had the corrective lens in 2023. I think it was in the $5,000-$6,000 for each of us. I recommend it if you can without being in a money bind. No need for readers. I can read my phone, iPad, a menu even in the darkest restaurant. Most important I can see the front sights of my pistols and see the crosshairs in scopes and green dot on optics.
Worth not carrying readers and having them all over the house.

JeffD607 said:

I just had both eyes done with the standard procedure covered by Medicare. The total cost out of pocket for me with my secondary insurance was $95.00 per eye for outpatient surgery because my doctor did the surgery in a participating hospital. The outcome was fantastic! I now have 20/20 vision (for distance) in both eyes. I still need glasses for reading, which I am okay with. The only bad part, so far, is that I can now see things like the dust on my dashboard.

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I had this exact surgery done in 2019. Cost me $100 per eye. Dome about 4 months apart. I know have 20/20 in both eyes, for distance.
I go to the dollar store and buy a few pair of "cheaters" for reading, close up work etc. They last about 6 months or so before I break them
but no big deal. I highly recommend the surgery to anyone who needs it. It's open up a whole world of vision and colors to me. Had been
wearing glasses for 60 years before that.

JeffD607 said:

I just had both eyes done with the standard procedure covered by Medicare. The total cost out of pocket for me with my secondary insurance was $95.00 per eye for outpatient surgery because my doctor did the surgery in a participating hospital. The outcome was fantastic! I now have 20/20 vision (for distance) in both eyes. I still need glasses for reading, which I am okay with. The only bad part, so far, is that I can now see things like the dust on my dashboard.

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This. I had it several years ago with private insurance and it cost around $200 per eye. I still need readers but what the front door. Have heard nothing but horror stories about the specialty lenses

Been there, done that.
Recommend you go with what your Doc recommends.
If it’s an extra charge, throw down!
As far as I know, you only got one life and one pair of eyes!

I have had exceptional eyesight most of my life. Deterioration was mostly limited to focal range. Needed readers for close work or reading.

Then I had chemo for lymphoma. Chem induced accelerated cataract development resulted. Primarily in my right eye. Quickly became so bad that I began target shooting left handed, left eye dominant to compensate.

Had two consultations with eye doctors. Discussed my priorities and decided to go with the fixed distance vision option. Distance vision in my lifestyle and primary interests was most important.

Since I was already accustomed to using readers, it wouldn’t be a problem.

We discussed the multi- focus option. But my understanding is that if something does many things , it doesn’t nothing well. As I understood that option the clarity and focus wouldn’t be as crisp as the single function lens. There was also potential issues with starburst or halos especially at night.

My eyesight isn’t as good as it once was. But, a vast improvement over my cataract experience. It was like permanently wearing a pair of glasses smeared with vasoline.

In some practical terms. Shooting typical two handed hold I can’t quite get the front sight in sharp focus. But, still well enough for decent groups.
Arm extended bullseye fashion, front sight in crisp focus. Although I do “okay” it’s unfortunate that style is not my strong suit.

I had the dubious honor of having a cataract op in the mid 60s when I was a kid. Got the other eye done in the late 80s, and they refused to give me implants because I was too young. They were worried about the implant picking up proteins and becoming cloudy, sort of a synthetic cataract. I've worn hard plastic or gas permeable contact lenses for nearly 60 years.

Two coworkers got their cataracts done in the 2010s. One was a roaring success, 20/15 vision and quick recovery. The other guy was left with starbursts and halos at night.

I see many of you who have had the op done comment on the bright colors. Do the implants filter out UV light properly? I can see way into the UV spectrum, apparently, and it is a pain. I have to be careful picking out sunglasses that are not only polarized but also have an excellent UV cut. The night driving glasses I bought also double as eye protection for my scorpion hunting with a UV light. Their UV cut is superb.

Onomea said:

... Plus, prescriptions change with time, so we wonder if the enhanced procedure is supposed to fix vision issues forever...

Anyway, for those who have some knowledge or experience, we'd appreciate some informed comments.

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I did not have a prescription lens implant, but now at age 82, after having near 20/20 uncorrected distance vision 19 years ago at age 63 with that implant, my uncorrected vision in that eye has deteriorated quite a bit. I asked the doctor about that last week during my annual exam, and he said the change is not in the lens implant, but aging changes in the shape of my cornea. So, over that time, I would have lost some or all the benefit of the lens prescription. During those same years, I have tweaked my prescription reading, computer (mid distance), and now distance eyeglasses about every three years and now have 20/30 vision in that eye.
OTOH, I've had a no prescription lens in the other eye for six years, and my uncorrected distance vision is still 20/20. Both lenses are fixed focal length, so I wear glasses for reading and computer.
Another option that Medicare and private insurance doesn't cover is to have the old lens disintegrated with a laser rather than the the traditional method of the surgeon breaking it up with a probe for extraction. The supposed laser benefit is that the disintegration is finer and more uniform, so that when the lens particles are sucked out, there is less likelihood of some debris remaining in the capsule to interfere with post surgery vision. I opted for this on my second eye, and IIRC, it was about a $1,500 upcharge.
It's nice to have options, but I'm no doctor, and you'd best ask your surgeon for a little more info and clarification of pros and cons.
You're both going to love your new clear vision, and especially the surprise bonus of how bright colors are again. Good luck!

swsig said:

Finally, it always amazes me that for the first time in my life, I can drive without glasses if I need to. When I have my next driver's license renewal exam, I'm going to peer into the vision testing machine without my glasses to see if I can get that pesky corrective lenses restriction removed from my license. Wish me luck!

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Why wait that long? I was able to get a form from the DMV in PA that my eye doctor filled out and stated that my uncorrected vision was good enough to drive without corrective lenses. DMV sent me an amendment to my driver's license to remove the corrective lenses requirement and when I renewed my driver's license the condition was gone from my new license.

I had both eyes done 15 or so years ago. We have a large and very highly respected eye clinic in town and my optometrist recommended I go there. I chose to spend the extra money for the multi-focal lenses and consider it money well spent. I am a much better shooter now that I can see the targets. The procedure takes less than 30 seconds per eye and they typically do the eyes a week or 2 apart.

After the procedure, I got a letter from the doctor asking if I would write something to show to prospective patients. I had read these testimonials in his waiting room. I sent him a target I shot with my Gold Cup and said "A picture is worth a thousand words." Last time I looked, the target is still in one of his books in the waiting room.

The same optometrist sent my wife to a different specialist at the same clinic. We had different problems. She is very pleased with her results also.

You need to research your doctor and choose someone who does a LOT of the procedures. I consider my results to be a miracle. I had worn glasses since I was 9 and they kept getting thicker and I kept having trouble seeing things. I can read without glasses in sunlight or a very well lit room. Otherwise, I wear readers. There were some halos around lights after but they went away as did the floaters.

My wife's is almost exactly as MAX above, laser then the best lenses. 2025 in one eye 2020 in the second. Doctor used laser and cost was $13,000 because her insurance sucked. My co-worker had his done but our company insurance would not cover laser. He has had no issues. Thinking about doing it myself because I am tired of wearing glasses for 44 years. The only issue with the wife is if she can not read it at regular distance, holding it closer will not help.

Onomea said:

My wife has decided to have cataract surgery. (I am not far behind. Perhaps next year or so in my case.) In doing a bit of research, she has learned that there is a standard procedure, which insurance typically pays for, and an optional, enhanced procedure, which entails out-of-pocket costs. The enhanced procedure, per her reading, involves inserting prescription lenses.

For those of you who have looked at this, or experienced this, is the enhanced procedure worth doing? We assume the enhanced, optional procedure is to eliminate or reduce the need for prescription eyeglasses, but we wonder if it is as effective as simply wearing prescription glasses. Plus, prescriptions change with time, so we wonder if the enhanced procedure is supposed to fix vision issues forever...

Anyway, for those who have some knowledge or experience, we'd appreciate some informed comments.

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Did all that over the past year. Lifelong nearsighted with astigmatism.
Reg eye Doc sent me to specialist. He offered me lenses to fix astigmatism, I jumped right away. I was not a textbook case, but made it through. Ciot $995 PER EYE. I do not now need glasses for distance, but need them for close up like reading.
Have a card they game me with details, and I put it somewhere safe.
Outpatient operation was not difficult. Not sorry I did it. Now I can see far away, but not close up without glasses. A complete reversal. Headlight glare from cataracts is gone too. Odd, but when Doc told me fix cost $995 her forgot to tell me it was each eye. He rejected first lens for cause, so he was working on my behalf.
Have met lots of people who have had the surgery, not so many with custom lens implant.

I just got back from having my eyes measured.
Standard distance lenses were fully covered, but close up vision would be an issue.

PanOptix and Vivity multi-distance lenses cost an additional $1818 per eye. They explained that PanOptix provides better close-up acuity and Vivity has less glare issues while driving at night. I chose the Vivity lenses. My first eye surgery is scheduled for the end of next month, the second a few weeks later.

I'll report back after the procedures. Wish me luck!

Its been two months since I've had mine done. WOW, just WOW! Much brighter colors and contrasts. Driving without glasses at night . No halos around lights at night. I have the standard lenses and have prescription glasses with nothing on the top half and readers on the bottom. I told my wife after the first trip to the shooting range that it felt like I have a safe full of new scopes.
We have a friend who had her right eye fitted with a far seeing lens and her left eye with a reader lens. She says it worked out great. She says the correct eye just takes over when you are looking at distance or reading.

sjmjax said:

Shooting typical two handed hold I can’t quite get the front sight in sharp focus. But, still well enough for decent groups.
Arm extended bullseye fashion, front sight in crisp focus. Although I do “okay” it’s unfortunate that style is not my strong suit.

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OP here. Above my question was in prep for my wife's impending cataract surgery. (My own is probably a year or two out.) But I wanted to respond to the above issue about the front sight of a handgun not being in perfect focus with a standard a two handed hold grip.

My shooting glasses are set up so that my right, dominant, eye lens focuses on the front sight of a handgun with a 4" bbl, the length I most commonly shoot, with a standard two handed grip. My left eye's lens is focused for distance/the target. This approach works well for me, and does not feel disorienting. (Apparently for some people it does feel disorienting.)

Since most of us are either required by our ranges or by our inclination to wear safety glasses anyway when shooting, I suggest you get a pair that has a front sight, dominant eye focus when using a two-handed hold.

Aggie1906 said:

Have a card they game me with details, and I put it somewhere safe.

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If your driver's license is coded for corrective lenses, keep that card in the car or in your wallet just in case you are ever stopped for a traffic violation. It will prove that you had lenses implanted and no longer require glasses.

Had both of my eyes done. Worked out well. would I do it again? Yes!