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Presbyopia Correction during Cataract Surgery
Presbyopia is the loss of reading vision that most people experience in their 40's. Cataract surgery offers the opportunity to correct this issue with custom designed intraocular lenses. Your insurance does not pay for these lenses.
Presbyopia correcting lenses work well but not perfectly, and they have side effects that are discussed elsewhere on this site. The best candidates for presbyopia correcting lenses have the Four P's: Personality, Physique, no Pathology, and the right Predispositions.
I. Personality
Your personality can play a big role in how happy you will be with presbyopia correction. It pays off to do some honest introspection before opting for presbyopia correction. Below are candid comments regarding what I look for in patients who desire presbyopia correction during cataract surgery:
Good characteristics:
Easy going
Value distance vision
Natural vision is distance or far sighted
Active- sports, skiing, hiking
Flexible- OK with wearing readers for fine reading
Poor characteristics:
High strung
Highly particular
History of reading without glasses before surgery
II. Physique
Taller is better than shorter. This is because the lenses with the fewest side effects achieve this by opting for weaker correction. With presbyopia correcting lenses may find yourself holding things a little further away from you than you are used to to get the best focus. The longer your arms are, the better. Being short is not necessarily a deal breaker. Many people who are shorter than average height are very happy with presbyopia correcting lenses, but this consideration should not be ignored.
III. No Pathology
Your eye exam should show a healthy cornea, retina, and optic nerve. The cornea should not have much astigmatism, and whatever astigmatism is present should be regular. It is best if you do not have a history of corneal refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, RK).
IV. Predispositions
How you like to spend your time is important. The multifocal lenses and extended depth of focus lenses optimize distance vision and provide near vision as a second priority. The best candidates are active, such as skiers, hikers, and athletes- people who only occasionally sit down to read, and when they do they don't mind pulling out a pair of readers if the print is small.
Poor candidates are people who prioritize near tasks such as reading or doing detailed crafts.
If you have the right Personality, Physique, no Pathology, and correct Predispositions, then it is more likely that you could be happy if you presbyopia correcting lenses for your cataract surgery.
What are my options for presbyopia correction?
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