Question about vision after Cataract surgery with lens implants

N

NevadaP

Well-known member
I had cataract surgery just 3 and 4 days ago on each eye. I opted for the lens implant for 'far vision', knowing that I'll likely need reading glasses. At first blush, the surgery was tremendously successful. I can see perfectly from about 3 feet to infinity. Better vision than since I was 20 years old (I just turned 75). I'm told there will be a two week healing process where swelling diminishes, etc. before I should be tested and fitted for reading glasses. My expectation is to play pool with no glasses.

But here is my problem: when I returned home and played pool last night, I discover that the object balls, although perfectly in focus, appear as 'ovals', almost like a football lying on it's side. I consistently was overcutting as though I was aiming at the wrong part of the 'oval'. This is disturbing and alarming, since I thought my vision and pool game would improve if changed at all.

I have a call in to my ophthalmologist to learn more about this phenomenon, but likely won't hear back before next week. Even then, I fear my concerns over my 'pool game' are not likely to be given any serious consideration since the surgery was otherwise successful.

Has anyone here experienced anything like this? If so, what was the outcome/solution?

Do any of you 'science type' guys have any explanation for what I'm experiencing?

Thanks in advance for any help.
NP
 
When I had mine done, I was told not to bend over like that for at least a week.
I do not see oval balls.
My eye surgeon was off on correction and my sharpest vision is about 3 to 4 ft, but still see distance well enough to pass a drivers test. Do not need glasses for reading.
A year after having it done they had to Lazer some cloudiness off my left eye.
 
I had cataract surgery 4 years ago. As you know, one eye at a time. With just one eye, my world opened up in bright colors. When I closed or blocked the eye that had surgery, everything remained darker and harder to see, let alone read or play pool.

Then when I switched and looked through my surgically repaired eye, it was magical. Colors that were actually different with my bad eye changed when I used only my corrected eye. I have a pair of pot holders I bough5 thinking the color was dark green. After surgery I discovered the pot holders were blue…..frigging blue and for the past couple years I thought I bought dark green. The surgeon waited a month between operating on both eyes. When both eyes got repaired, with just standard lenses instead of prescription, my vision became 20/25. I see pool balls clearly & there’s no distortion. I struggled before and so for 8 years I relied on billiard glasses using a blended prescription my optometrist formulated. I got a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses frames and used his prescription for the lenses. It was a very cool looking pair of billiard glasses instead of those goofy looking glasses. Cataract surgery has made playing pool exciting again. If you are having distorted images of pool balls, it sounds like it’s the lenses or the prescription to me.
 
I had cataract surgery on both eyes in 2012; with about a month between the first eye and second. For me, I could see much better right away, but I did have some distortion at first. This was most noticeable at night when driving. It turned out (for me) that it took some time for my eyes to adjust to the implants - about a month or so. During that time, I could see well enough to drive and work, but fine detail things had to wait. I also waited a couple months before getting new glasses. By then my eyes had settled down and adjusted. Now over 10 years later, I'm glad I had it done. I'd just give yourself time to adjust to your new lenses.
 
NevadaP said:
I had cataract surgery just 3 and 4 days ago on each eye. I opted for the lens implant for 'far vision', knowing that I'll likely need reading glasses. At first blush, the surgery was tremendously successful. I can see perfectly from about 3 feet to infinity. Better vision than since I was 20 years old (I just turned 75). I'm told there will be a two week healing process where swelling diminishes, etc. before I should be tested and fitted for reading glasses. My expectation is to play pool with no glasses.

But here is my problem: when I returned home and played pool last night, I discover that the object balls, although perfectly in focus, appear as 'ovals', almost like a football lying on it's side. I consistently was overcutting as though I was aiming at the wrong part of the 'oval'. This is disturbing and alarming, since I thought my vision and pool game would improve if changed at all.

I have a call in to my ophthalmologist to learn more about this phenomenon, but likely won't hear back before next week. Even then, I fear my concerns over my 'pool game' are not likely to be given any serious consideration since the surgery was otherwise successful.

Has anyone here experienced anything like this? If so, what was the outcome/solution?

Do any of you 'science type' guys have any explanation for what I'm experiencing?

Thanks in advance for any help.
NP
Click to expand...

Your brain has not adjusted to the new input from your eyes and the swelling has not subsided. Four days is not anywhere near enough time for that to be done. Maybe after a couple of months or more.
 
NevadaP said:
I had cataract surgery just 3 and 4 days ago on each eye. I opted for the lens implant for 'far vision', knowing that I'll likely need reading glasses. At first blush, the surgery was tremendously successful. I can see perfectly from about 3 feet to infinity. Better vision than since I was 20 years old (I just turned 75). I'm told there will be a two week healing process where swelling diminishes, etc. before I should be tested and fitted for reading glasses. My expectation is to play pool with no glasses.

But here is my problem: when I returned home and played pool last night, I discover that the object balls, although perfectly in focus, appear as 'ovals', almost like a football lying on it's side. I consistently was overcutting as though I was aiming at the wrong part of the 'oval'. This is disturbing and alarming, since I thought my vision and pool game would improve if changed at all.

I have a call in to my ophthalmologist to learn more about this phenomenon, but likely won't hear back before next week. Even then, I fear my concerns over my 'pool game' are not likely to be given any serious consideration since the surgery was otherwise successful.

Has anyone here experienced anything like this? If so, what was the outcome/solution?

Do any of you 'science type' guys have any explanation for what I'm experiencing?

Thanks in advance for any help.
NP
Click to expand...
I happen to be 70. I had cataract (lens replacement) and LASIC surgery in Jan both eyes.

My right eye healed up 2-weeks my left eye took 6-7 weeks.

Do NOT try to do things that require very fine focus with your eyes until the veiling glare is gone.

They could have given you a perfect correction enabling you to see perfectly. But, if you squint to read or drive, or otherwise modify the same of the eye while it is healing, you could lock the error into the healed eye and loose the ability to go without glasses.
 
Bavafongoul said:
I had cataract surgery 4 years ago. As you know, one eye at a time. With just one eye, my world opened up in bright colors. When I closed or blocked the eye that had surgery, everything remained darker and harder to see, let alone read or play pool.

Then when I switched and looked through my surgically repaired eye, it was magical. Colors that were actually different with my bad eye changed when I used only my corrected eye. I have a pair of pot holders I bough5 thinking the color was dark green. After surgery I discovered the pot holders were blue…..frigging blue and for the past couple years I thought I bought dark green. The surgeon waited a month between operating on both eyes. When both eyes got repaired, with just standard lenses instead of prescription, my vision became 20/25. I see pool balls clearly & there’s no distortion. I struggled before and so for 8 years I relied on billiard glasses using a blended prescription my optometrist formulated. I got a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses frames and used his prescription for the lenses. It was a very cool looking pair of billiard glasses instead of those goofy looking glasses. Cataract surgery has made playing pool exciting again. If you are having distorted images of pool balls, it sounds like it’s the lenses or the prescription to me.
Click to expand...
my world opened up in bright colors

I definitely have experienced this!
 
MitchAlsup said:
I happen to be 70. I had cataract (lens replacement) and LASIC surgery in Jan both eyes.

My right eye healed up 2-weeks my left eye took 6-7 weeks.

Do NOT try to do things that require very fine focus with your eyes until the veiling glare is gone.

They could have given you a perfect correction enabling you to see perfectly. But, if you squint to read or drive, or otherwise modify the same of the eye while it is healing, you could lock the error into the healed eye and loose the ability to go without glasses.
Click to expand...
I’m looking into this as well. When I saw the op I thought it was strange that it was fixed to be “quiet”good. I thought the idea of that surgery is to get it back to normal with no glasses needed at all?
 
Monti said:
I’m looking into this as well. When I saw the op I thought it was strange that it was fixed to be “quiet”good. I thought the idea of that surgery is to get it back to normal with no glasses needed at all?
Click to expand...
There are options, and I expect there are variations on the procedure. The way it was explained to me: there is a set of 'standard' replacement lenses which can essentially restore your vision to something similar to how it was before cataracts. In my case, I was told that I could have essentially perfect far vision, but would need reading glasses, or I could have perfect near vision and likely need help with distant vision. These lenses are basic and covered by most insurance.
A second option, at significant cost and not covered by most insurance, is a custom replacement lens which corrects your particular vision for all adjustments. As I understand, even this is 'hit and miss' and you could still need slight correction.

Since my far vision has always been very good, I opted for that outcome, and will likely need reading glasses.
 
Monti said:
I’m looking into this as well. When I saw the op I thought it was strange that it was fixed to be “quiet”good. I thought the idea of that surgery is to get it back to normal with no glasses needed at all?
Click to expand...
A opthalmologist will tell you that post cataract surgery can still require the use of glasses for reading.
It depends on the state of your vision before surgery. Improving the passage of light does not correct
astigmatisms or all other eye problems. In fact, cataract surgery can worsen any astigmatisms and
corrective lenses would be necessary. Cataract surgery can be wonderful for the majority of people
but everyone is different and so can surgery outcomes. Talk with your ophthalmologist to learn more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bbb
NevadaP said:
There are options, and I expect there are variations on the procedure. The way it was explained to me: there is a set of 'standard' replacement lenses which can essentially restore your vision to something similar to how it was before cataracts. In my case, I was told that I could have essentially perfect far vision, but would need reading glasses, or I could have perfect near vision and likely need help with distant vision. These lenses are basic and covered by most insurance.
A second option, at significant cost and not covered by most insurance, is a custom replacement lens which corrects your particular vision for all adjustments. As I understand, even this is 'hit and miss' and you could still need slight correction.

Since my far vision has always been very good, I opted for that outcome, and will likely need reading glasses.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily so…..I needed reading eyeglasses, distance eyeglasses and billiard eyeglasses.

Requiring 3 pairs of glasses was cumbersome and bothersome. My eye doctor said before surgery
I may need reading glasses for smaller print and he couldn’t predict my surgery outcome as all of
us are different. Well, it turns out I don’t need glasses for anything. Being able to see clearly, read
tiny print on medicines and prescription bottles and most importantly, play pool sans any glasses
is absolutely glorious. My doctor wasn’t surprised at all but as he said, he doesn’t make predictions.

Why? Well, surgery outcomes, despite being usually successful, can vary from patient to patient. So
it’s normal that some patients fare much better with vision improvement after surgery than others do.
 
Finally had my right (dominant) eye done yesterday.

24 hours later, and it's still a little dilated, but a definite improvement. I should have a better feel in a couple of days.

I'm hoping this whole "being able to see" thing helps my pool game!
 
You'll like it. I did have to go back about a year later for them to Lazer out some cloudiness that formed, and that brought everything back to how it should be. They say that won't ever return now.
No more vision excuses for you now.
 
30 hours after surgery. My first follow up visit and my far vision is 20/20! Two days ago I couldn't see the big E on the eye chart uncorrected.

I can see colors again and didn't realize that I haven't seen "white" anywhere close to what it really is in years!

I drove with no glasses for the first time in my life.

Another follow up in three weeks and then hopefully schedule my other eye.
 
David in FL said:
30 hours after surgery. My first follow up visit and my far vision is 20/20! Two days ago I couldn't see the big E on the eye chart uncorrected.

I can see colors again and didn't realize that I haven't seen "white" anywhere close to what it really is in years!

I drove with no glasses for the first time in my life.

Another follow up in three weeks and then hopefully schedule my other eye.
Click to expand...
Happy you are having. Great result
😀
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top