Toric Lens Implant for One Eye

Question: I had a cataract removed from my right eye approximately 8 years ago now my left eye needs cataract surgery. My question is my cataract surgeon offered me the toric lens les implant for astigmatism. But I don't have it in the right eye and I have astigmatism in both eyes. I need glasses to see far with my right eye after I had my cataract removed.  So would the toric lens be a benefit or not?

Answer: It is difficult to answer the question as you do not state the amount of astigmatism that you have remaining in the right eye. If you have an amount and orientation of astigmatism in the right eye that is correctable with Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI)-a minor procedure-when you have the toric lens implant in the left eye after your cataract surgery it is quite probable that you would not need to wear glasses to see at distance. Under these circumstances have a toric lens implant n the left eye and the astigmatism correction procedure in the right has some real advantages. If however there is no chance of correcting the residual astigmatism in the right eye, the advantages of having a toric lens might be diminished as you would still need to wear glasses even with the toric lens as the right eye would require correction.

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