Question:
. I had a cataract removed from my left eye almost 1 month ago. The cataract developed over a few months, so
this was a shock. Since I've worn contact lenses for years, and just turned
40 and never needed reading glasses, my doctor and I agreed 20/20 vision
(and reading glasses) would be too much of an adjustment. Although the IOL
ideally would have left me slightly myopic, my left-eye vision remains
20/10.
My dilemma: Even my outstretched arm to too close for my "fixed" eye to
see, and I'm not adjusting to wearing a contact lens in my other eye (a -12)
from morning to late night. I have severe headaches, nausea, bloodshot
eyes, a phenomenon I can only describe as crossed eyes, and overall
confusion. I can drive, but not read or work on a computer. My eyes just
don't seem to work together. Closing the left eye while trying to read or
use a computer adds to the mess.
As we all know, it's hard to get complete answers from a busy surgeon at a
teaching hospital. I've tried, plus I also realize my eye isn;t fully
healed. I'm guessing my brain is unable to interpret images properly, which
is why my eyes seem to be at war and a contact lens is irritating after 5
hours. My doctor mentioned "visual confusion" when I said I popped out the
left lens in my glasses, but saw clashing images and felt as if I were
falling into a sinkhole. Typically, does this change with time? I've worn
contacts for years, but wore glasses at home in the morning and at night.
I'm comfortable with glasses.
I'm sorry this is so long and negative. I simply need some words of
encouragement and a few coping strategies. While an obvious suggestion is
removal of the other cataract, that's not an option because of the cost.
This surgery was unexpected and expensive, and I'll be paying forever!
Answer:
Indeed, you are suffering from a binocular vision problem, and are
unable to fuse the two images because of the anisometropia and the loss
of accommodation. I would recommend trying the following.
Assuming you have minimal or no astigmatism in the right eye, ask your
optometrist/ophthalmologist if they have any Focus N&D lenses. Those
are the new silicone-hydrogel lenses that are extremely oxygen
permeable and also seem to work better for dry eyes. I believe you can
get as high as -10 diopters in those lenses.
Now, while a -10 may correct the distance vision in that eye, you may
want your doctor to fit you to leave a little residual myopia, which
will enable you to focus at the computer. The 20/10 eye will naturally
want to take over for distance, leaving the other eye to work well at
near.
Try that and see what happens. I hate to hear that the surgeon who
relieved you of so much money for the cataract surgery doesn't seem to
have enough time for you.
