Question:
Do you have presbyopia? That is, do you need bifocals or trifocals?
If you *don't*, then my advice as a layman with one IOL is to wait
as long as possible before getting the second IOL. The loss of all
accomodation is a real and permanent nuisance, far more than any
disruption of a schedule.
FYI- the vast majority of cataract patients are presbyopic (over the
ages of 40 and up). If someone is highly myopic or moderately
hyperopic near vision is unattainable w/o correction anyway.
Answer:
Yep, I'm one of them. Whether correction will be needed (it will)
wasn't the point. My experience as a life-long myope was that even
a little accomodation (less than 1/2 Diopter) is much better than
exactly zero accomodation, which is what he'll have after his second
IOL.
I have a cataract in one eye and also macular degeneration. My retinal
specialist says if it were her eye, she would not have the cataract
removed. I have read some citations that some people who had cataract
surgery developed MD due to the trauma on the eye from the surgery altho
this may be because they already had MD and the surgery made it worse.
However, not everyone is effected. Sometimes the cataract is dense
enough the Dr. can't see that the patient has beginning MD until after
the surgery. If I were the lady you asked about and could see pretty
well, I would put off having the cataract removed. On the other hand, if
my Dr. was positive I don't have MD and the cataract really interferred
with my vision, I would have it removed.
