Hi Debbie. Thank you so much for making this very detailed video. I'm a 64yr old boat captain with mild cataracts. I need to pass a vision test every 2 years for my license, and I barely passed last time. I have prior PRK surgery, and was really worried about a refractive calculation surprise. I'm really happy this technology exists and excited to have great vision in 2025.
How cool that you are a boat captain! Yes, the LAL lenses are amazing technology for circumstances such as yours. My husband had LASIK surgery 20ish years ago, so they strongly encouraged the LAL for that same reason (refractive calculation surprise). They were able to adjust his vision and it is perfect! I wish you the best of luck with your surgery! I’m sure it will go very well, let me know if you have a chance after surgery what you think about it. I’d love to hear!
I just did my first light adjustment, its my third day now, I can see better than before but still far from perfect yet. Will see doctor after four days, hope it will works better for me.
That can be a bit stressful when it is not perfect, but hang in there! It is a process, but so worth it! I was so fortunate that I only had one adjustment. My husband has the LAL lenses also and it took him several adjustments. But, it is wonderful to have that ability to try different prescriptions until it is just right! Good luck, I hope you end up extremely happy with your end result!
Hey Debbie thanks for such a thorough retelling of your experience. I'm scheduled to have my eyes done early next month and it was very encouraging to hear how well your procedures went. I don't think I'm a candidate for the LAL but it was very informative to follow your story. I'm happy that everything went so well for you.
Thank you so much for such a kind comment! I hope your surgery goes very smoothly and that you are thrilled with your results. It’s incredible the more people I talk to, the more stories I hear about how amazed everyone is after cataract surgery. I am excited for you to get to experience how life changing it is when you can see so clearly. If you have a chance in the future and can let me know how it went for you, I’d love to hear! Take care & good luck!!
Hi, Debbie! I can't believe it has already been 3 1/2 months since you had this done. I bet the summer was nice with your new vision! I'm a tiny bit jealous, however, I know you wrestled with vision issues prior to this, so I guess I'm not actually jealous! So glad things are so clear for you now and you can enjoy distance, computer and reading, too. I totally wouldn't have been able to read the shampoo/conditioner etc without my readers and I do find myself thinking sometimes "why on earth are they printing everything SO SMALL!!" Glad you got to have it done earlier than most so you can enjoy! Have a great week, friend! 👓🚫👀❤
Hi Dawn, Yes, thank you for your sweet words! Oh gosh, I completely feel for you on the loss of the closeup vision. I always felt like I needed to keep a small magnifying glass with me before! It has been wonderful to enjoy the new vision this summer! I want to be sure and always keep this appreciation for it and not start taking it for granted! Thank you for watching and commenting! I hope you have a wonderful week! 🤗❤️
Hi Debbie!! Thank you for sharing this with us!! It is truly amazing!! I’m so happy your vision is clear!! I wear glasses for driving and reading. 80% of the time my glasses are on top of my head. lol Have a wonderful week!! ~Tammy
Hi Tammy! Thank you, it is so nice to have such great sight after so many year of poor sight! I am just in awe every day! 😊 Ha, well that is good that you don’t need the reading glasses 80% of the time and they make a great hair accessory! (I love having them on my head to keep my hair out of my face! 😁) I hope you have a wonderful week too!!
Debbie, thanks for the video’s of your cataract IOL lens replacement, I’m going thru the confusing process of choosing the correct lens implant after cataract surgery. The health of my eyes: 18 years ago, I had lasik surgery in both eyes to correct near sided vision (since I was 8 years old). Loved it. Still needed glasses for reading and computer. I have astigmatism & the start cataracts in both eyes. Did you have an astigmatism? I’ve been to 2 highly regarded surgeons for a complete exam & consultation. Surgeon 1….(who had light adjustable lens procedure in both of his eye) Advised to go with the Vivity Toric lens with a LRI (Limbal Relaxing Incisions, a minimally invasive surgical procedure that treats corneal astigmatism). And maybe do monovision with the new lens. Surgeon 2 Advised the light adjustable lens with monovision (dominant eye for distance, non-dominant eye for near vision). I’m doing a trial run with contacts to see if I can tolerate monovision. Having a hard time being able to see mid & close up. Distance is fine, but have tried 3 different powers on the near vision eye. Going back to the optometrist for the 3rd time. She does say the vision from the contacts is not as good as the vision after the LAL. When covering my distance eye, I can’t see very well close up with the n non-dominant eye. Thought I’d be able to see close. I know it’s blended vision, but how can I make the correct choice? I probably should trust the surgeon. At least with the light adjustable lens, the vision can be adjusted after. Any thoughts? Since LAL are monofocial lens, did you have yours set for distance only? Thank you David San Diego, CA
Hi David, It sounds like you have done a great job seeking out two very knowledgeable surgeons with great options. I bet either one would give you excellent results. I did not have an astigmatism, so I can't speak on that. However, I can tell you that my husband and you have very similar eye history. He also had an astigmatism and very successful Lasik about 20 years ago. He was starting to have blurred vision just due to time and the beginning of cataracts. His surgeon told him he would absolutely recommend the LAL lenses due to reshaping of the cornea during the LASIK. He said it is very difficult to know the exact right lens after Lasik, there is a bit of guessing involved due to the change of the shape of the cornea. If the lens is not adjustable even with a really good surgeon they might be off a bit when a person has previously had Lasik. With the LAL lens, they will still try to get really close to putting the right lens in but if it is not perfect it can be adjusted. So, his surgeon felt very strongly that the LAL was by far the best choice. My husband is extremely happy with the results from his LAL lenses. I did not have an astigmatism, however as a child I had one eye that needed correction and I could never adjust to wearing a contact or glasses. I felt disoriented and off balance. I was scared I would have a really hard time adjusting to new vision but I actually adjusted almost immediately. So I would agree with the surgeon...in my experience, the vision with the new lenses is so much better than with contacts. My dominant eye is for distance. I can still see my phone at arms length the with distance eye. My non-dominant eye is for close up. I can read extremely small print and mid range, but it is blurry at distance...say across a large living room, the television is blurry with my closeup vision eye if the distance eye is covered. My husband did have a harder time adjusting to the mono vision. He had 7 adjustments trying to get it just right and a couple of times he took about a month between adjustments to try to adjust. So, I do think some people take more time to adjust. His surgery was 10 months ago, he has adjusted well now and loves the new vision. But, it did take time for his brain to adjust. One other thing to note, my husband had the LAL lenses. They came out with the LAL+ just after his surgery and before mine. So, I was able to get the LAL+. I feel I have more of a range of vision than he does. So, I would recommend the LAL+ if you do go with the light adjustable lenses if you can. I hope our experiences help some. Good luck, it is absolutely amazing. It feels like a miracle after you get the new lenses. I'd love to know what you end up choosing!
Hi Debra, what was your prescription before you had the cataract surgery? Did you wear 'Transition' lenses in your glasses and when wearing your contact lenses? Also, you mentioned in your last video that you did NOT get a laser treatment in your right eye (distance). Can you please explain why it wasn't required? Confirming, you only had the laser to lock in the final prescription. Is that correct? Thank you for all the info! It's very helpful.
Hi, thank you so much for watching. I do not remember what my exact vison was prior to cataract surgery. I was never able to successfully wear glasses or contacts. I always felt very unbalanced and disoriented when I tried to wear them and just gave up. My left eye had poor distance vision since 10 years old. My right eye had perfect vision until about age 45 when I started loosing my closeup vision in both eyes. I did not ever get transition lenses. I did try progressive multifocal contact lenses prior to cataract surgery and I couldn't adjust to them either. When they do the light adjustments, they have to do one light treatment per eye before the lock in even if you don't want any change. I am not sure why, they just said there had to be one light treatment. The doctor decides what lens to put in your eyes based on the pre-evaluation and all the information they gather about your specific eye. My doctor nailed it in the lens he chose, so that is why I didn't need any adjustment in my right eye! My vision was excellent after they put in the new lenses other than I wanted to see a bit closer up. So, the solution was to leave the right eye as it was and just bring the left eye in a little closer. This gave me excellent far, mid and close vision. So yes...this is what they did: Right eye - one light treatment with no adjustment, two lock ins Left eye - one light adjustment bringing my vision in a bit closer followed by two lock ins
Hey Debbie, came across your video and glad I did hoping you can answer a couple of questions that I had regarding the light adjustable lens. More specifically, were you looking at other options such as the Panoptix, Clearview3 Ect? I'm asking because like you I'm in need of a cataract surgery on the right eye, but I will need to have both because they can't just do one eye in my situation anyway, I don't know if that's the same for everyone. Went through all of the testing already and have been approved for the light adjustable lens and I'm just concerned because if I wanna have dialled in reading that I need to have more of a mono vision which I'm not crazy about in part, because I've never had mono vision before, and I don't think I'm gonna tolerate it based on my anatomy and how picky I am overall, I know people can have significant side effects from mono vision if they haven't had it before such as feeling dizzy, headaches, depth, perception, issues, and others. I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about the pros and cons and any other advice that you might have. By the way, you're way too young to have cataracts lol they've indicated mine was probably from being outside in my right eye and not wearing sunglasses may be way too much tanning over the years who knows but my left eye is fine. Maybe it's just easier to blame it on anything other than age lol kind disregard Stephen.
Hi Stephen, Thank you so much for watching and your questions! I completely relate to your concerns and all the thought that goes into this big decision. I did look at the Panoptix which I think would have also been excellent but I wanted the ability to have the prescription changed if I didn't like how it was and I also didn't want the chance of needing reader to read small print. I was scared of a "fixed" prescription incase I didn't adjust well to it. I had one eye that needed correction since 5th grade and the other was perfect. I tried for many years to wear glasses and contacts and had that awful dizzy, dioriented feeling that you described and hated it. I was really worried that would happen when I had lens replacement. The crazy thing was that it did not at all! I was shocked how well I adjusted to the new vision immediately. When I had my adjustment where it was mono vision, it didn't bother me one bit. I don't even notice! So, my experience was so positive! If you have the opportunity to get LAL+ instead of LAL I would see if that is possible. They have a extended depth of focus. Aww, thank you for saying that I look too young for cataracts! When I was about 30 my doctor told me I had the cataracts of an 80 year old woman and was born with them! They got progressively worse over the years. So, I was 50 almost 51 at surgery...and I think the average age of cataract surgery is 72! So, they called me a baby at the surgery center! One way to feel really young! LOL On the flip side, my husband had cataract surgery just before I did. He had the LAL lenses, not the LAL+. He had a more difficult time adjusting to mono vision than I did. I think he ended up with 7 adjustments to get it where he felt comfortable. It ended up terrific, his vision is very clear...I think 20/20 distance, excellent mid-range but he can't see quite a closeup as I can. He had them adjust it where he has to hold his phone slightly away from his body, just a little less than arms length to see it clearly. He said every once in a while he can note the difference in the vision but not often. He is very glad that he got the LAL lenses though. He loves his vision. That makes total sense about the sun creating the cataracts! I wonder if that accelerated mine also. I should have listened to my mom about wearing sunglasses all the time to protect my eyes! :) Good luck, I wish you the best. I know there is so much to consider when approaching cataract surgery. I am sure it will be incredible whatever you decide. I hope our experiences help!
@ hello Debbie, thank you for sharing your experiences for both you and your husband. I think I’m probably gonna head down another path when instead of the light adjustable lens simply because I cannot tolerate Monto vision. I didn’t realize that I actually tried to do this six years ago and I didn’t even leave the doctors office. I hated it that much from what I understand. There is one of four outcomes, unfortunately with these lenses one is they adjust you to Plano and I suppose then you can opt for glasses the other is a mono vision, blended vision, and a mini mono vision for my understanding, with adjustment starting at 0.5 in going to 1.50 interestingly, the notion of spending 10 K to not see well near becomes a little problematic for sure. I wasn’t explained this enough during my optometrist session and I’m definitely going up for another lens simply because of the mono vision aspect. The real question is whether or not I would be OK with Mona vision and I am simply not willing to take any chances and even the thought of Mono vision makes my skin crawl lol so probably look at another lens type. But I do think, it’s so important to let people know that they will be into some sort of mono vision if they choose this lens, most importantly, after researching literally 30 different website/videos. There are only a couple that talk about it, but don’t really tell you the implications if you’re not going to the Mono. OK, that was pretty long-winded. Cheers. Have an amazing day.
Thank you for such a helpful video. How was your vision before having cataracts? I am fairly myopic ( -4.0 D) with a developing cataract which will need to be replaced before long. I am hoping not to lose my present very near acuity (8-10") while getting as much distant range vision as possible with an IOL and appreciate your remark that the LAL+ does give you additional range. The Technis Odyssey is also under consideration but I have read that the LAL+ may be sharper, especially for close objects.
Thank you for watching! I'm so sorry for the slow response. I have been out of town and just getting back. My vision prior to cataract surgery was terrible due cataracts. As far as corrected vision not due to the cataracts...I was supposed to wear a contact in my left eye for distance since 5th grade. My right eye needed no correction. I am not sure what the exact prescription was because after years of trying to wear contacts and glasses I gave up on corrected vision. I was able to get by on the vision from my right eye. (I never could adjust to the correction in my left eye. It left me feeling unbalanced and a bit of a disoriented feeling) At about age 45 my closeup vision became blurred in both eyes where I couldn't read small print or see clearly up close and found I was using my phone camera to enlarge everything. The cataracts made it very difficult to see if the sun was going down and driving at night was dangerous. My vision now is so clear, even very tiny print up close is crystal clear! I couldn't thread a needle before because I just couldn't see to do it! Today, I needed to repair a dress and it was amazing...I could see the tiny hole in the needle and was able thread it with ease. It's amazing the difference in every day life! My mid-range and far-range are also extremely clear. Yes, the vision from these lenses are very sharp. I don't ever remember this much clarity in my vision at any distance and how vibrant colors are. I do not have any knowledge on the Technis Odyssey lenses, I am sure any premium lens replacement is excellent. I can just speak on the LAL+ and I am a fan for sure! :) Thank you for watching and I wish you the best on your lens replacement!
@@love2shop242 I similarly lived without prescribed lenses, in a mostly Impressionistic world, for several decades. Cataracts have caught up to me and I want to make the most of this chance to replace them and see more clearly and easily. Best wishes to you, too, and thanks again for the further information!
Congratulations! I hope you are doing well! Oh the time will fly by and you will be where I am before you know it. It is incredible! The chart on the official website says the first treatment is usually 2-3 weeks after surgery. I think mine was 3.5 weeks after the surgery of my first eye. (2.5 weeks after the surgery in second eye) Let me know how you are doing if you have a chance!
Hi!! On my last visit, my vision was 20/15 (both eyes together). I don’t know individually. Closeup, they did not give me a specific number, but when they gave me a card to read the small print. I could almost read the smallest print, and easily read the second to the smallest print. So, my closeup vision is very clear.
Hi, the prescription of the lens in each eye is different. My left eye is for closeup and right eye for distance. (But even the right eye for distance can still read my phone at arms length.) I had no problem adjusting to the difference. My husband also has these lenses and it took him a little bit of time to adjust.
Hi Debbie. Glad everything went well for you! I’m scheduled to have LAL in both eyes in 2 weeks. I need them for distance but also close up. Do they do the same distance for up close. I don’t have mono vision. Do you feel off balance up close with one eye? I wanted the same for both eyes near and far. Would like your thoughts. Thanks. Susan
Hi Susan, That is very exciting that you are scheduled for your surgery with LAL lenses coming up! When the placed the lenses before any adjustment my vision was excellent. I could have kept it as is but I couldn't quite see up close as clearly as I would have liked, I would have needed readers for my phone or really small print on things such as food labels. So, he did bring my left eye in just a bit (He said it was like wearing .75 readers) I immediately adjusted, I have not had a bit of trouble feeling off balance. I don't notice the difference at all. The only time I can tell there is a difference in the eyes is if I cover one one eye. Then, I can tell one sees more clearly up close and one see further. I was so worried that I wouldn't adjust because I have had trouble with my vision my entire life. I could never adjust to glasses or contacts, I felt off balance and even a bit disoriented. So, my fear was that I couldn't adjust. But, it worked and my vision is crystal clear. I actually never remember seeing this clearly in my entire life. My husband on the other hand, did take a little time to adjust to the difference. He had them play with the prescription bringing the closeup vision in and out multiple times to feel just right. He finally adjusted and is extremely happy with the outcome also. That is the amazing thing about these lenses, you can test out the vision and get it exactly how you like it! But, if you are worried about having different prescriptions in each eye, have you looked at the panoptix lenses? I had considered those also, since it provides vision at different distances. But, ultimately I am very glad I decided on the LAL. I didn't want the chance of needed to wear readers. Good luck, I'd love to hear how things turn out for you! I know it will be amazing!!!
@ thank you Debbie for your input. I really appreciate it. I did put it off to after the holidays. So glad you are doing well with the new lenses. That’s fantastic! Will let you know how I make out. 🙂
Hi, the LAL+ lenses were $5K out of pocket each...so $10K for the lenses. My insurance paid for the surgery. I think most insurance companies do pay for cataract surgery and a regular lens, you just have to pay extra if you want a premium lens. I wanted the ability to adjust the prescription after surgery so I chose the LAL+ lenses. But, after surgery even before any adjustment my vision was incredible! So, I would have been happy with the regular lenses other than I would have needed to wear readers for up close vision. I think my total out of pocket for the lenses, deductible and copays were somewhere between $11-$12K. You would want to check with your insurance on coverage, deductible and copay. My surgeons name is Dr. Roy Lehman in Sherman, Texas. I can't say enough good things about him, his staff and the facility. Both my husband and I went to him and are extremely happy. We went out of state to have the surgery done by him and well worth it for us! He is outstanding!!!!
Oh wow, looking at the word phonetically I see it would be pronounced as you explained. Pronunciation differences depending on where a person lives is so interesting! I have surveyed a few people in my area and all but one pronounced it as I do! I am sorry if my southern dialect was distracting or irritating. :)
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Debbie. Thank you so much for making this very detailed video. I'm a 64yr old boat captain with mild cataracts. I need to pass a vision test every 2 years for my license, and I barely passed last time. I have prior PRK surgery, and was really worried about a refractive calculation surprise. I'm really happy this technology exists and excited to have great vision in 2025.
How cool that you are a boat captain! Yes, the LAL lenses are amazing technology for circumstances such as yours. My husband had LASIK surgery 20ish years ago, so they strongly encouraged the LAL for that same reason (refractive calculation surprise). They were able to adjust his vision and it is perfect!
I wish you the best of luck with your surgery! I’m sure it will go very well, let me know if you have a chance after surgery what you think about it. I’d love to hear!
I just did my first light adjustment, its my third day now, I can see better than before but still far from perfect yet. Will see doctor after four days, hope it will works better for me.
That can be a bit stressful when it is not perfect, but hang in there! It is a process, but so worth it! I was so fortunate that I only had one adjustment. My husband has the LAL lenses also and it took him several adjustments. But, it is wonderful to have that ability to try different prescriptions until it is just right! Good luck, I hope you end up extremely happy with your end result!
@ thank you for the advice, I believe I may need second even third time adjustment
@@FJT2024you are welcome! Yes, it sounds like it. I would be picky and make sure that you get it exactly how you like it!
Hey Debbie thanks for such a thorough retelling of your experience. I'm scheduled to have my eyes done early next month and it was very encouraging to hear how well your procedures went. I don't think I'm a candidate for the LAL but it was very informative to follow your story. I'm happy that everything went so well for you.
Thank you so much for such a kind comment! I hope your surgery goes very smoothly and that you are thrilled with your results. It’s incredible the more people I talk to, the more stories I hear about how amazed everyone is after cataract surgery. I am excited for you to get to experience how life changing it is when you can see so clearly. If you have a chance in the future and can let me know how it went for you, I’d love to hear! Take care & good luck!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
You are welcome! Thank you so much for watching & commenting!!
Hi Debbie! I’m so happy for you that you have wonderful vision now! Thank you for sharing your experiences ❤
Hi Bri! ❤️🐾🏖️ I hope you are soaking up the sun and having a great week! I appreciate you watching!!
@@love2shop242 HI Debbie!! Thank you! It’s beautiful here- I’m sure it’s still hot in OK and I bet you can still use your pool!!
Glad it all worked out Debbie!
Hi Robert! Thank you 😊 It’s great to hear from you. I hope you are doing well.
Hi, Debbie! I can't believe it has already been 3 1/2 months since you had this done. I bet the summer was nice with your new vision! I'm a tiny bit jealous, however, I know you wrestled with vision issues prior to this, so I guess I'm not actually jealous! So glad things are so clear for you now and you can enjoy distance, computer and reading, too. I totally wouldn't have been able to read the shampoo/conditioner etc without my readers and I do find myself thinking sometimes "why on earth are they printing everything SO SMALL!!" Glad you got to have it done earlier than most so you can enjoy! Have a great week, friend! 👓🚫👀❤
Hi Dawn,
Yes, thank you for your sweet words! Oh gosh, I completely feel for you on the loss of the closeup vision. I always felt like I needed to keep a small magnifying glass with me before! It has been wonderful to enjoy the new vision this summer! I want to be sure and always keep this appreciation for it and not start taking it for granted! Thank you for watching and commenting! I hope you have a wonderful week! 🤗❤️
Hi Debbie!! Thank you for sharing this with us!! It is truly amazing!! I’m so happy your vision is clear!! I wear glasses for driving and reading. 80% of the time my glasses are on top of my head. lol Have a wonderful week!!
~Tammy
Hi Tammy! Thank you, it is so nice to have such great sight after so many year of poor sight! I am just in awe every day! 😊 Ha, well that is good that you don’t need the reading glasses 80% of the time and they make a great hair accessory! (I love having them on my head to keep my hair out of my face! 😁)
I hope you have a wonderful week too!!
Debbie, thanks for the video’s of your cataract IOL lens replacement,
I’m going thru the confusing process of choosing the correct lens implant after cataract surgery.
The health of my eyes:
18 years ago, I had lasik surgery in both eyes to correct near sided vision (since I was 8 years old). Loved it. Still needed glasses for reading and computer.
I have astigmatism & the start cataracts in both eyes. Did you have an astigmatism?
I’ve been to 2 highly regarded surgeons for a complete exam & consultation.
Surgeon 1….(who had light adjustable lens procedure in both of his eye)
Advised to go with the Vivity Toric lens with a LRI (Limbal Relaxing Incisions, a minimally invasive surgical procedure that treats corneal astigmatism). And maybe do monovision with the new lens.
Surgeon 2
Advised the light adjustable lens with monovision (dominant eye for distance, non-dominant eye for near vision).
I’m doing a trial run with contacts to see if I can tolerate monovision.
Having a hard time being able to see mid & close up. Distance is fine, but have tried 3 different powers on the near vision eye. Going back to the optometrist for the 3rd time.
She does say the vision from the contacts is not as good as the vision after the LAL.
When covering my distance eye, I can’t see very well close up with the n non-dominant eye. Thought I’d be able to see close.
I know it’s blended vision, but how can I make the correct choice?
I probably should trust the surgeon. At least with the light adjustable lens, the vision can be adjusted after.
Any thoughts?
Since LAL are monofocial lens, did you have yours set for distance only?
Thank you
David
San Diego, CA
Hi David,
It sounds like you have done a great job seeking out two very knowledgeable surgeons with great options. I bet either one would give you excellent results. I did not have an astigmatism, so I can't speak on that. However, I can tell you that my husband and you have very similar eye history. He also had an astigmatism and very successful Lasik about 20 years ago. He was starting to have blurred vision just due to time and the beginning of cataracts. His surgeon told him he would absolutely recommend the LAL lenses due to reshaping of the cornea during the LASIK. He said it is very difficult to know the exact right lens after Lasik, there is a bit of guessing involved due to the change of the shape of the cornea. If the lens is not adjustable even with a really good surgeon they might be off a bit when a person has previously had Lasik. With the LAL lens, they will still try to get really close to putting the right lens in but if it is not perfect it can be adjusted. So, his surgeon felt very strongly that the LAL was by far the best choice. My husband is extremely happy with the results from his LAL lenses.
I did not have an astigmatism, however as a child I had one eye that needed correction and I could never adjust to wearing a contact or glasses. I felt disoriented and off balance. I was scared I would have a really hard time adjusting to new vision but I actually adjusted almost immediately. So I would agree with the surgeon...in my experience, the vision with the new lenses is so much better than with contacts. My dominant eye is for distance. I can still see my phone at arms length the with distance eye. My non-dominant eye is for close up. I can read extremely small print and mid range, but it is blurry at distance...say across a large living room, the television is blurry with my closeup vision eye if the distance eye is covered.
My husband did have a harder time adjusting to the mono vision. He had 7 adjustments trying to get it just right and a couple of times he took about a month between adjustments to try to adjust. So, I do think some people take more time to adjust. His surgery was 10 months ago, he has adjusted well now and loves the new vision. But, it did take time for his brain to adjust.
One other thing to note, my husband had the LAL lenses. They came out with the LAL+ just after his surgery and before mine. So, I was able to get the LAL+. I feel I have more of a range of vision than he does. So, I would recommend the LAL+ if you do go with the light adjustable lenses if you can.
I hope our experiences help some. Good luck, it is absolutely amazing. It feels like a miracle after you get the new lenses. I'd love to know what you end up choosing!
Hi Debra, what was your prescription before you had the cataract surgery? Did you wear 'Transition' lenses in your glasses and when wearing your contact lenses? Also, you mentioned in your last video that you did NOT get a laser treatment in your right eye (distance). Can you please explain why it wasn't required? Confirming, you only had the laser to lock in the final prescription. Is that correct? Thank you for all the info! It's very helpful.
Hi, thank you so much for watching. I do not remember what my exact vison was prior to cataract surgery. I was never able to successfully wear glasses or contacts. I always felt very unbalanced and disoriented when I tried to wear them and just gave up. My left eye had poor distance vision since 10 years old. My right eye had perfect vision until about age 45 when I started loosing my closeup vision in both eyes. I did not ever get transition lenses. I did try progressive multifocal contact lenses prior to cataract surgery and I couldn't adjust to them either.
When they do the light adjustments, they have to do one light treatment per eye before the lock in even if you don't want any change. I am not sure why, they just said there had to be one light treatment.
The doctor decides what lens to put in your eyes based on the pre-evaluation and all the information they gather about your specific eye. My doctor nailed it in the lens he chose, so that is why I didn't need any adjustment in my right eye! My vision was excellent after they put in the new lenses other than I wanted to see a bit closer up. So, the solution was to leave the right eye as it was and just bring the left eye in a little closer. This gave me excellent far, mid and close vision.
So yes...this is what they did:
Right eye - one light treatment with no adjustment, two lock ins
Left eye - one light adjustment bringing my vision in a bit closer followed by two lock ins
Hey Debbie, came across your video and glad I did hoping you can answer a couple of questions that I had regarding the light adjustable lens. More specifically, were you looking at other options such as the Panoptix, Clearview3 Ect? I'm asking because like you I'm in need of a cataract surgery on the right eye, but I will need to have both because they can't just do one eye in my situation anyway, I don't know if that's the same for everyone. Went through all of the testing already and have been approved for the light adjustable lens and I'm just concerned because if I wanna have dialled in reading that I need to have more of a mono vision which I'm not crazy about in part, because I've never had mono vision before, and I don't think I'm gonna tolerate it based on my anatomy and how picky I am overall, I know people can have significant side effects from mono vision if they haven't had it before such as feeling dizzy, headaches, depth, perception, issues, and others. I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about the pros and cons and any other advice that you might have. By the way, you're way too young to have cataracts lol they've indicated mine was probably from being outside in my right eye and not wearing sunglasses may be way too much tanning over the years who knows but my left eye is fine. Maybe it's just easier to blame it on anything other than age lol kind disregard Stephen.
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for watching and your questions! I completely relate to your concerns and all the thought that goes into this big decision. I did look at the Panoptix which I think would have also been excellent but I wanted the ability to have the prescription changed if I didn't like how it was and I also didn't want the chance of needing reader to read small print. I was scared of a "fixed" prescription incase I didn't adjust well to it. I had one eye that needed correction since 5th grade and the other was perfect. I tried for many years to wear glasses and contacts and had that awful dizzy, dioriented feeling that you described and hated it. I was really worried that would happen when I had lens replacement. The crazy thing was that it did not at all! I was shocked how well I adjusted to the new vision immediately. When I had my adjustment where it was mono vision, it didn't bother me one bit. I don't even notice! So, my experience was so positive! If you have the opportunity to get LAL+ instead of LAL I would see if that is possible. They have a extended depth of focus.
Aww, thank you for saying that I look too young for cataracts! When I was about 30 my doctor told me I had the cataracts of an 80 year old woman and was born with them! They got progressively worse over the years. So, I was 50 almost 51 at surgery...and I think the average age of cataract surgery is 72! So, they called me a baby at the surgery center! One way to feel really young! LOL
On the flip side, my husband had cataract surgery just before I did. He had the LAL lenses, not the LAL+. He had a more difficult time adjusting to mono vision than I did. I think he ended up with 7 adjustments to get it where he felt comfortable. It ended up terrific, his vision is very clear...I think 20/20 distance, excellent mid-range but he can't see quite a closeup as I can. He had them adjust it where he has to hold his phone slightly away from his body, just a little less than arms length to see it clearly. He said every once in a while he can note the difference in the vision but not often. He is very glad that he got the LAL lenses though. He loves his vision.
That makes total sense about the sun creating the cataracts! I wonder if that accelerated mine also. I should have listened to my mom about wearing sunglasses all the time to protect my eyes! :)
Good luck, I wish you the best. I know there is so much to consider when approaching cataract surgery. I am sure it will be incredible whatever you decide. I hope our experiences help!
@ hello Debbie, thank you for sharing your experiences for both you and your husband. I think I’m probably gonna head down another path when instead of the light adjustable lens simply because I cannot tolerate Monto vision. I didn’t realize that I actually tried to do this six years ago and I didn’t even leave the doctors office. I hated it that much from what I understand. There is one of four outcomes, unfortunately with these lenses one is they adjust you to Plano and I suppose then you can opt for glasses the other is a mono vision, blended vision, and a mini mono vision for my understanding, with adjustment starting at 0.5 in going to 1.50 interestingly, the notion of spending 10 K to not see well near becomes a little problematic for sure. I wasn’t explained this enough during my optometrist session and I’m definitely going up for another lens simply because of the mono vision aspect. The real question is whether or not I would be OK with Mona vision and I am simply not willing to take any chances and even the thought of Mono vision makes my skin crawl lol so probably look at another lens type. But I do think, it’s so important to let people know that they will be into some sort of mono vision if they choose this lens, most importantly, after researching literally 30 different website/videos. There are only a couple that talk about it, but don’t really tell you the implications if you’re not going to the Mono. OK, that was pretty long-winded. Cheers. Have an amazing day.
Thank you for such a helpful video. How was your vision before having cataracts? I am fairly myopic ( -4.0 D) with a developing cataract which will need to be replaced before long. I am hoping not to lose my present very near acuity (8-10") while getting as much distant range vision as possible with an IOL and appreciate your remark that the LAL+ does give you additional range. The Technis Odyssey is also under consideration but I have read that the LAL+ may be sharper, especially for close objects.
Thank you for watching! I'm so sorry for the slow response. I have been out of town and just getting back. My vision prior to cataract surgery was terrible due cataracts. As far as corrected vision not due to the cataracts...I was supposed to wear a contact in my left eye for distance since 5th grade. My right eye needed no correction. I am not sure what the exact prescription was because after years of trying to wear contacts and glasses I gave up on corrected vision. I was able to get by on the vision from my right eye. (I never could adjust to the correction in my left eye. It left me feeling unbalanced and a bit of a disoriented feeling) At about age 45 my closeup vision became blurred in both eyes where I couldn't read small print or see clearly up close and found I was using my phone camera to enlarge everything. The cataracts made it very difficult to see if the sun was going down and driving at night was dangerous.
My vision now is so clear, even very tiny print up close is crystal clear! I couldn't thread a needle before because I just couldn't see to do it! Today, I needed to repair a dress and it was amazing...I could see the tiny hole in the needle and was able thread it with ease. It's amazing the difference in every day life! My mid-range and far-range are also extremely clear. Yes, the vision from these lenses are very sharp. I don't ever remember this much clarity in my vision at any distance and how vibrant colors are.
I do not have any knowledge on the Technis Odyssey lenses, I am sure any premium lens replacement is excellent. I can just speak on the LAL+ and I am a fan for sure! :)
Thank you for watching and I wish you the best on your lens replacement!
@@love2shop242 I similarly lived without prescribed lenses, in a mostly Impressionistic world, for several decades. Cataracts have caught up to me and I want to make the most of this chance to replace them and see more clearly and easily. Best wishes to you, too, and thanks again for the further information!
I just had my first eye done today. Anxious to get to where you are! How long before the first adjustment?
Congratulations! I hope you are doing well! Oh the time will fly by and you will be where I am before you know it. It is incredible! The chart on the official website says the first treatment is usually 2-3 weeks after surgery. I think mine was 3.5 weeks after the surgery of my first eye. (2.5 weeks after the surgery in second eye) Let me know how you are doing if you have a chance!
I was wounding what is your vision in each eye for near and far? 20/20 far J? for near?
Hi!! On my last visit, my vision was 20/15 (both eyes together). I don’t know individually. Closeup, they did not give me a specific number, but when they gave me a card to read the small print. I could almost read the smallest print, and easily read the second to the smallest print. So, my closeup vision is very clear.
Hi. Are the lens the same prescription in each eye? Or is one eye for distance and one eye for near?
Hi, the prescription of the lens in each eye is different. My left eye is for closeup and right eye for distance. (But even the right eye for distance can still read my phone at arms length.) I had no problem adjusting to the difference. My husband also has these lenses and it took him a little bit of time to adjust.
Hi Debbie. Glad everything went well for you! I’m scheduled to have LAL in both eyes in 2 weeks. I need them for distance but also close up. Do they do the same distance for up close. I don’t have mono vision. Do you feel off balance up close with one eye? I wanted the same for both eyes near and far. Would like your thoughts. Thanks. Susan
Hi Susan,
That is very exciting that you are scheduled for your surgery with LAL lenses coming up! When the placed the lenses before any adjustment my vision was excellent. I could have kept it as is but I couldn't quite see up close as clearly as I would have liked, I would have needed readers for my phone or really small print on things such as food labels. So, he did bring my left eye in just a bit (He said it was like wearing .75 readers) I immediately adjusted, I have not had a bit of trouble feeling off balance. I don't notice the difference at all. The only time I can tell there is a difference in the eyes is if I cover one one eye. Then, I can tell one sees more clearly up close and one see further. I was so worried that I wouldn't adjust because I have had trouble with my vision my entire life. I could never adjust to glasses or contacts, I felt off balance and even a bit disoriented. So, my fear was that I couldn't adjust. But, it worked and my vision is crystal clear. I actually never remember seeing this clearly in my entire life.
My husband on the other hand, did take a little time to adjust to the difference. He had them play with the prescription bringing the closeup vision in and out multiple times to feel just right. He finally adjusted and is extremely happy with the outcome also.
That is the amazing thing about these lenses, you can test out the vision and get it exactly how you like it! But, if you are worried about having different prescriptions in each eye, have you looked at the panoptix lenses? I had considered those also, since it provides vision at different distances. But, ultimately I am very glad I decided on the LAL. I didn't want the chance of needed to wear readers.
Good luck, I'd love to hear how things turn out for you! I know it will be amazing!!!
@ thank you Debbie for your input. I really appreciate it. I did put it off to after the holidays. So glad you are doing well with the new lenses. That’s fantastic! Will let you know how I make out. 🙂
Can I ask you how much it cost? Who did the surgery for you?
Hi, the LAL+ lenses were $5K out of pocket each...so $10K for the lenses. My insurance paid for the surgery. I think most insurance companies do pay for cataract surgery and a regular lens, you just have to pay extra if you want a premium lens. I wanted the ability to adjust the prescription after surgery so I chose the LAL+ lenses. But, after surgery even before any adjustment my vision was incredible! So, I would have been happy with the regular lenses other than I would have needed to wear readers for up close vision.
I think my total out of pocket for the lenses, deductible and copays were somewhere between $11-$12K. You would want to check with your insurance on coverage, deductible and copay.
My surgeons name is Dr. Roy Lehman in Sherman, Texas. I can't say enough good things about him, his staff and the facility. Both my husband and I went to him and are extremely happy. We went out of state to have the surgery done by him and well worth it for us! He is outstanding!!!!
non-dominant eye
Dilated. DIE-lated. NOT Die-UH-lated. Dialogue, dialectic, diatribe, diameter, etc. NOT Dialated.
Oh wow, looking at the word phonetically I see it would be pronounced as you explained. Pronunciation differences depending on where a person lives is so interesting! I have surveyed a few people in my area and all but one pronounced it as I do! I am sorry if my southern dialect was distracting or irritating. :)