I was reluctant to have both eyes done at the same time, so had one about 18 months ago and the other last October. A few thoughts:
- The surgery itself is basically a breeze. Tip: Book the earliest appointment you can get on surgery day. Why: You're not allowed to eat or drink before the surgery (rules vary; I was told nothing after midnight) so if you are scheduled for later in the day, you will be miserably hungry and thirsty by "go" time. If you get an early appointment, you won't have as long to be miserable!
- Choice of your intraocular lens is a big deal and you should make sure the surgeon doesn't just brush it off when you go in for your pre-surgery consultation. The biggest choice is what distance range you want for your correction (this isn't super-exact; they only recognize four categories: close, reading distance, middle distance, and distant.) The surgeon told me that for men, usually they use a distant-vision IOL without even asking the patient, because "most guys want to be able to play golf without wearing glasses." At that point I put up my hand and said whoa: I told the surgeon I had been wearing glasses for distance vision since I was six and don't mind continuing to do so; I'd rather be able to read or use a computer without having to wear glasses. (So he set me up with a "grandma" prescription; he said a lot of older ladies having cataract surgery want to be able to read or do needlework without glasses, so they get a reading-distance IOL.) Incidentally, this is how I lucked into my Canon RF result, although I would not recommend choosing your IOL based solely on what will work best with your favorite camera. Still, it might not hurt to tell the surgeon you're a photographer and want to be able to use a camera comfortably.
- Another IOL consideration: If you have any significant amount of astigmatism (ask the eye doc, or look for a big number in the "spherocylindric" section of your prescription) you will still need to wear glasses for perfect vision even at the target distance for your IOL. How big a nuisance this is depends on your amount of astigmatism and your tolerance. Personally, I have a fairly large amount of astigmatism, but can still see well enough to read or use a computer (or a Canon P) without needing to wear glasses, but I need them if I want to enjoy stage shows or read the street signs while driving. Suggestion: Give your vision a month or so to settle down after surgery and then get a refraction done to see what you need (and don't be afraid to pester them so they don't just rush through it.)
- There are IOLs that are advertised as correcting astigmatism, and others that are advertised as covering multiple distance ranges. I immediately ruled those out because besides reading, stage shows, and photography, my favorite thing to do is driving, and I like driving at night. The special IOLs have multiple curvatures that can cause double images and flaring when looking at light sources at night, so no-go for me.
- The glasses you end up with after surgery play a big role in your overall satisfaction. It took me four months and three tries to get the opticians to fix me up with glasses that were actually right. They'll probably recommend "progressive" lenses (aka no-line bifocals) set up to correct whatever distances your IOL doesn't cover, plus whatever astigmatism correction you need. This is usually a pretty good compromise, but if you've never worn progressives before, be aware that they take getting used to (there's only a small zone appropriate for each viewing distance, so you have to learn to point your nose at what you want to look at and then raise/lower your chin until it's in focus.) They also make it harder to use many kinds of cameras. I got a pair, but what I wear most of the time is single-vision lenses set up for distance vision plus astigmatism correction. My IOL lets me see well enough without glasses to get by at reading and middle distances, while the single-vision glasses let me enjoy a full field of sharp vision while driving or watching a show.
Key points: Don't let anyone rush you into anything, and don't feel embarrassed about insisting that people listen to what you want and do their best to deliver it. You really don't want to need a do-over on your cataract surgery!
Ranger 9's answer was so thorough and so close to my own experience and conclusions I want to encourage others to look it over. To start with, I agree that the tri-focal lenses should be considered carefully before getting them, for exactly the reason ranger9 gave: the flare/glare problem when driving at night. I avoided them for that reason, and I'm glad I did. I opted for a milder degree of nearsightedness than I had always had. This resulted in a prescription change from a fairly strong minus 4 1/2 to a moderate minus 2 3/4. I was thrilled with that! I can see well enough for many things without wearing my glasses; can still read and see the computer without them; can photograph without them by using corrective diopter lenses on the cameras, and I can look out and see what I am photographing, often well enough without them.
My milder prescription now makes it possible to use lower diopter corrective lenses on the viewfinders, and they are easier to find than the stronger ones.
The surgeon waited a couple for weeks after doing the first eye, before doing the second one. You don't see so hot for a few days after surgery, in the eye that was treated; so as not to be functionally blind for a week or so, they do one eye at a time. Even so, they won't do the surgery unless you have a driver to take you home.
One thing ranger9 cautions about, is not much of a problem for me. I did opt for progressive lenses, and I'm glad I did. It took me no time at all to get used to adjusting my head angle to find the point of focus! And I mean no time! It is just the same as turning the focus ring on an SLR to get the sharpest image. For me, it was automatic! One and done. Note that I did say it was "not much of a problem." I didn't say it was no problem. The bottom of the lens where the focus is closest, isn't quite close enough for comfort in my case. So, I just take them off to read. It's not enough to make me go back to tri-focals.
When my Optometrist set me up for the surgery, she made sure to arrange for me to see the surgeon she knew was best for the procedure I needed. I believe that was a good thing. I'll end by suggesting that if you can get some info or guidance on which doctor to use, it will probably by worth doing, even if you have to wait longer.
I've very pleased with my results. I wish you the same!
