Glasses after LASIK & Cataract Surgery

Question: I have a question about the need for glasses after LASIK and cataract surgery. I wore thick horrible glasses for over 50 years and had LASIK 12 years ago and found such freedom. I now have cataracts and the fear that I will need glasses again and this is making me a total wreck. I'm a vegetable farmer and I love it but I pick tomatoes all day and if I have to wear glasses they slide down my nose and break all the little veins and just make me miserable. Is anyone who first had LASIK lucky enough not to need glasses after cataract surgery?

Answer: While there can be no guarantees, it is entirely possible not to need glasses after cataract surgery even if you have had a previous LASIK surgery. However, there are some things you need to know.

The measurements for Lens Implants after Cataract Surgery are quite critical and considerably more complicated and less precise if you have had LASIK. Changing the shape of the cornea during LASIK makes these measurements and calculations somewhat less reliable. That said, you can be of great help to your Cataract Surgeon in most precisely obtaining these measurements and calculations if you can provide them with copies of ALL of your pre LASIK eye measurements including your prescription, the corneal topography, the corneal thickness and the keratometry or corneal curvature measurements, at a minimum. Also, the operative report of your LASIK would be helpful as well. This information along with the use of advanced measurement and imaging equipment can help improve the Lens Implant calculation a great deal. Now, it may or may not be possible to offer you some help for intermediate and near vision by using a the technique of Monovision Lens Implants or possibly an Accommodating Lens Implant such as the Crystalens® Lens Implant. While there is a difference of opinion among Cataract Surgeons, in general the use of Multifocal Lens Implants does often produce less than optimal results after cataract Surgery whereas the Crystalens® Lens Implant may offer a better compromise for the intermediate and near vision correction. For certain, you should seek a consultation with an eye surgeon who is BOTH a Cataract Surgeon and Refractive Surgeon as the goal of being glasses free does require a more disciplined approach to measurement, calculation and Lens Implant selection than ordinary Cataract Surgery.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.