Will Near Vision IOL Help Distance Vision Too?
SEP 16, 2014
Question:
I'm nearsighted and my uncorrected vision in one eye is about 20/200. I can see up close but have a cataract (cloudy natural lens). If I have an intraocular lens set for near vision implanted during cataract surgery, what will my distance vision change to in that eye? I'm thinking it could only get better?
Answer:
This is an impossible question to answer. There isn’t a precise way to predict your uncorrected distance vision for a given amount of nearsightedness. I’ve had patients with less than one diopter (-1.00) of post-cataract surgery nearsightedness who see only 20/80, and others with more than four diopters (-4.00) of post-cataract surgery nearsightedness who can see 20/30. I can say that if your nearsightedness is lessened after cataract surgery, your distance is vision is likely to be better: both for refractive reasons and because the cataract will be gone!