full disclosure:
i have not had any surgery yet, i am doing my due diligence first with massive research and asking many questions. one answer leads to more questions. but its important to understand.
i see quite a few comments about patients feeling rushed, like they are on a conveyor belt during the whole process, from initial visit to after surgery support.
the opposite should be true. nothing is more important than our vision. NO OTHER SURGERY involves the patient making so many of the choices and needing to do their own research. a heart surgeon will not ask you for your choice of heart brand. and because opthamologists only work with a few of the many brands of iols available, they have limited knowledge of other choices out there. not to mention their upselling of the more expensive options like multifocals. a knee surgeon is probably not going to suggest a better, pricier replacement.
it also seems no other surgery (perhaps other than plastic) is as quick and profitable as cataract surgery, to me, its only money and time greed that rushes a process that should absolutely never be rushed.
in my two visits to two separate doctors i found them a bit inpatient and a little exasperated that a patient would dare ask questions. my advice to myself and others is to do meticulous research here on this tremendous forum, make your own choices, and find a well respected doctor and tell him what you want and expect. its a little like going into your mechanic blind (Sorry the pun) as opposed to knowing a bit about mechanics. i plan on going in with my decisions and a doctor who will use the brands i choose and respect my choices (Unless he has more info to give me) since its my risk. but also to acknowledge the variability from eye to eye. hope for the best outcome…
and ill bet you will be way more informed than the surgeon (who i only want to be a SKILLED technician anyway, after all, i don’t ask my mechanic what car i should drive) about who actually has no skin in the game besides his rep since im sure you sign most rights away.
btw, no disrespect to the doctors out there would try to empathize a little with their patients and help alleviate their fears and worries. i also read about the good ones in the comments.
did u decide what u r going to do?
oh no. pretty undecided at this point but i have already ruled out multifocals and edof since i want the best chance at no visual night time disturbances. even though i dont drive at night these days i am annoyed its more difficult. i see it as a handicap and limitation. i love walking around at night on warm evenings and now when i do, its a constant reminder with the halos. im thinking monofocal or mini monovision. i have used the contacts to simulate mini mono but have not been disciplined enough to stick to a daily routine, which is critical. i think our personalities really affect our perceptions and being a bit neurotic, ill have to do mini mono for awhile to see if i can adjust to. i actually prefer glasses off and super blurry when i can because then i am reminded of my myopia but less of the cataracts and floaters. still doing my research
good luck to you. sounds like you have a plan.
DapperDan
You are exactly right about cataract surgery. It differs from all other surgeries because of the choices patients have in the brand of IOL that can be used and in the refractive setting for the IOL. Many doctors do not fully communicate with patients about this because Medicare and private insurers have reduced their payments to cataract surgeons and they are under pressure to get patients in and out. Also, more patients than ever before are having cataract surgery and depending on where you live, there are not that many cataract surgeons available for the demand. But not all cataract surgeons are like that. Some will take the time to fully inform you of all the options. You just have to look and do your research.
That said, most patients who have cataract surgery just do what their cataract surgeon tells them and most seem to do fine.
But it is good you are doing your due diligence. I wish you well.
I hear you, Dan. I felt exactly the same. I learned 10x more from this forum than from the three doctors I talked to.
On the other hand, I suspect that we tend to be more on the perfectionist side. Most of my friends are more of the “go with the flow” persons and just went with the dr recommendation … and are OK with the results, without obsessing about this issue or that.
The reality is that you will probably adjust to the outcome even if not perfect, and you’ll be seeing much, much better than you did with the cataracts.