What is really cool about these office lenses is that they require very little posture adjustments to use. Look straight out to see the computer and look down to see the keyboard. They are also great for reading, crafts, sewing and even when going out to a restaurant. You can see people across the table clearly and read the menu and see your food. Also excellent for playing cards for the same reasons. They are not a one trick pony.

Here are the things to avoid.  Do not get the implants that claim to offer variable focus.  The present one available here in the US is disappointing at best and many have been removed.  I have talked to several ophthalmologists about this as I have a cataract in progress from either my cancer or chemo.  Our place is where the doc's in town get their glasses so I get to pick the minds of the cream of the crop.

The goal of cataract surgery should be to replace the crystalline lens with an implant and restore the patient's distance vision to plano or no correction.  There are some doc's who want to offer mono vision in the process.  This is the condition where one eye sees far and the other near.  They promise no glasses in the outcome.  The drawback is that the patient loses depth perception.  This is a real problem for navigating elders in the case of driving, walking and negotiating stairs.  I feel very strongly opposed to this.  It can be overcome with distance only glasses to neutralize the effect, but I would rather have perfect distance at all times and use glasses for reading.  The patient is going to need glasses for something so it might as well be reading, rather than successfully getting around without crashing, tripping and stumbling.

Medicare pays for most all of the surgery, it is a universal medical condition and pretty much a standard procedure which Medicare is geared to facilitate.  Medicare also has a once in a life time benefit where the post op patient is entitled to get coverage for a complete pair of new glasses after surgery.  That is a new frame and a lens for each eye.  Surgery done on one eye, get a new frame and one of the two lenses is covered.  Second eye done and the new lens for that eye is covered.  The difficulty is during the time in between having the other eye operated on.  Old lenses will no longer be appropriate or useful. 

Most optical dispensaries will accept Medicare payments for the new glasses, but the benefit will pay most but not all the cost, unless you get the most primitive glasses.  Get what is needed, comfortable and make the patient happy and pay the difference.  More than likely these frames will be around for a long time.  You can change lenses in the existing frame as time goes on.  So choose the frame wisely. 

After the surgery, the eye's vision is unsettled for some six months and the new Rx given in the first few days is going to be pretty different from the one six months later when the patient usually goes in for follow up care.  So when buying glasses, find out what the store's policy is regarding Rx changes.  Stay away from the chains.  Most offices offer a 2 to 6 month window for a one time no charge replacement due to an Rx change or error.  You can find out by calling and make sure you get some written assurance.  This is also challenging for the patient as it does require a lot of running around and time to get things done.  But that's the way it is.  Also find out if the store can replace the lenses without your mom having to leave them behind during the wait while they grind the new lens..  Most should be able to order the lens and then she can go in and have it cut to fit while she waits in about a half an hour.  Stay away from places that do not have that capability.

So fear not about the surgery and don't allow it to be put off.  When it's done properly, it is an immediate quality of life improvement, in spite of all the running around required.  One of the first comments post op patients have is I can see the true colors again.  They are no longer looking through a cloudy yellow tinged lens.  So get your mom thinking about doing it and not putting it off.  When picking the ophthalmologist, the more experience the better.  Have your mom find out whose surgeries went well and whose went south.  I'm sure she has had some of those conversations already and that could be a factor in her hesitance to get it done.  But it must be done.  The alternative is a dog and a cane.

Hope this gives you enough to get the ball rolling.  Please ask me any questions that you may have as they come up.  No question is stupid or silly as you know. 

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