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Eyeglasses vs. Contacts After Eye Surgery
Dr. Edwin M. Schottenstein is proud to be a premier ophthalmologist in and around Manhattan and NYC with a comprehensive selection of eye care services. From simple eye exams to more complex eye surgeries, such as cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery, our team is well-equipped to cater to your every visual need. If you ever need one of these surgeries that we provide, you may wonder what will happen to your vision afterward and if you’ll need glasses or contacts after undergoing the surgery. As your trusted eye doctor and staff, we’ll be glad to explain it.
Glasses or Contacts After Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery will also typically correct a patient’s vision in the distance, therefore cataract surgery patients will end up with little or no prescriptions. Even patients who used to wear contacts before cataract surgery will rarely have a need to go back to contacts after cataract surgery. However, most of the people who undergo cataract surgery are over the age of 60, meaning that they don’t wear contacts regularly anyway. The great majority of the time, older patients already just wear glasses due to dry eyes, dexterity issues, or one of a number of other reasons.
However, a patient who had cataract surgery will probably still need eyeglasses for a couple of reasons. While there are bifocal implants (these implants correct the vision both up-close and in the distance), the majority of implants are meant for distance-only. Therefore, they’ll still need to use reading glasses when trying to see things clearly up-close.
Glasses or Contacts After Glaucoma Surgery
Unlike cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery doesn’t usually change the prescription so you’ll most likely still need glasses or contacts after glaucoma surgery. Glaucoma surgery is just to reduce the eye pressure so it won’t usually affect the prescription. If you had to wear glasses or contacts before, you’ll still need them afterward. However, glaucoma surgery could leave your eyes drier, making it more difficult and less comfortable to wear contacts.
Contact Your Manhattan and NYC Ophthalmologist Today!
If you’d like to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor, feel free to give us a call at (212) 874-2300. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about glaucoma, cataracts, or any of our services. We’re looking forward to helping you achieve the best vision possible!