See without glasses!

When people are thinking about cataract surgery, they often think they will be able to get the surgery and be able to see without glasses. Sometimes this is the case, but most of the time glasses are still needed to some degree or another. Cataract surgery is done to remove the clouding of the lens. This clouding will cause glare, and blurred vision regardless of the glasses prescription. Medical insurance will pay to remove this clouding, and place a standard intraocular lens. Glasses or contacts may then be necessary in order to focus the sight. The good news is that cataract surgery can usually correct for the glasses prescription also. A standard lens can correct for spherical error in the prescription; if the eye is shaped like a basketball, a standard lens can usually make the vision clear at distance or up close, but not both. Sometimes mono-vision can be used to expand this range of vision with the standard lens. Many eyes are shaped like footballs and the standard lens cannot correct for that shape. That football shape is astigmatism, and if astigmatism is not corrected, the vision will be blurred at distance and up close. There are lenses called toric lenses and limbal relaxing incisions that can correct for astigmatism. This will allow the vision to be clear at distance or up close. Lastly, there are lenses that are accomodating like the crystalens or that are multifocal (Symfony, Restor, Tecnis Multifocal) that can correct for distance and near. In many cases, people that have these lenses will not need glasses for most activities. However, these lenses have their own risks and many people are not good candidates for these types of lenses. The insurance companies think of the astigmatism, accomodating, and multifocal lenses as being like LASIK, and they do not cover their use. You can schedule an appointment at Reveal Eye Care & Surgery, and we will will give you the options, and recommend the best lens for your individual needs.