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sjfcontrol wrote:I recently complained to my ophthalmologist that everything seemed dark. If I drop something on the floor and it rolls under the desk, I need a flashlight to find it (even though the room is adequately lit). If I need to adjust controls on a piece of equipment in a cabinet, again I need a flashlight to see what I'm adjusting. It's frustrating!

His response was that I had about five things going on, and each of those blocked a little light. From the outside-in... 1) I wore glasses. 2&3), I've had both RK (radial keratotomy) and PRK (pre-lasik laser corrective surgery) which has left at least one cornea a bit hazy. 4) I have the beginnings of cataracts, and 5) I have the beginning of retinal degeneration (presumably under control with eye vitamins).

Guess I'm lucky to be able to see at all. I don't drive at night if I can avoid it.

In two years I'll be elegibility for Medicare (if it's still in existence) and cataract surgery, and I'm hoping that will improve at least one of those deficiencies.

My opthalmologist knows that I am also a pilot. He tried to get me some lenses with some uv protection that. When you are on medicare you are going to probably going to get the cheapest lenses that the hospital will buy. Not that they aren't good but they are the least expensive. There may be some specialized lenses that you may want to try to buy that cost extra on your own. Find out before surgery. Even the cheapest lenses are very very good.

I should have have clarified. I have always been nearsighted and wore glasses for correction for distant vision. As i got older I eventually needed bifocals to read closeup while wearing my glasses and eventually trifocals while wearing my glasses. After my cataract surgery I am still nearsighted, still need glasses for distant vision and still need trifocals to read closeup while wearing glasses but of course I can take them off and see really close up without them. The difference is that I don't have the cataracts. So, I think you will find things a win win situation. With aging eyes though I doubt that you will be able to handle the near-far like you could at say age 20. But then lots of things don't work the same as the did at age 20 do they?

I have good friends who are optometrists(OD) and opthalmologists. I have my eyes examined by my opthalmologists ( MD or DO ) and my glasses made by my optometrists (OD). My cataract surgeries were done by my opthalmologist. I don't fully understand your question though. Your vision after cataract surgery will be improved both in near and far and night and day as well as color perception. Do not hesitate having the surgery if it is recommended. I think optometrists are much more skilled at fitting for specialized glasses and contacts especially for special shooting glasses and probably even for measuring your vision for special type of lens like some pilots need with overhead switches. I know when I go to my opthalmologist his girls measure my vision and they may not be as accurate as the optometrist might be. The surgery will be done by an MD (or DO -not to be confused with an OD) though. My wife exclusively sees an optometrist and has special contacts with near lens in one eye and far lens in the other.