Do You Need Glasses After Cataract Surgery?

Health Line

04-06-2025

Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy lens inside the eye with an artificial lens. Cataracts are common as you age, and surgery is usually safe and effective. Depending on your replacement lens, you may need glasses after cataract surgery.
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside the eye due to many different causes, like aging, toxic exposures, or injury. Cataract surgery is a procedure where the damaged lens of your eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens implant.
Cataracts become more common as you get older, and more than half of Americans over age 80 develop them. Cataract surgery is usually a safe and effective procedure, but you may need to wear glasses after the surgery, depending on what type of artificial lens is implanted.
Who needs glasses after cataract surgery?
The lens is a curved piece of clear tissue in your eye. Situated behind your pupil, it changes the way light enters your eye and helps you focus your vision at different distances.
Cataract surgery involves replacing the lens in your eye with an artificial replacement called an intraocular lens (IOL). Whether you'll need glasses after cataract surgery largely depends on what type of IOL you get.
There are many IOL options. Take the time to talk with your eye surgeon beforehand so that you make the choice that's right for you
The main types of IOLs include:
Monofocal: Monofocal IOLs are the most common, and also the only IOL that is usually covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance. They focus at only one distance, either close, far, or intermediate range. Most people get them for distance vision.
Multifocal: Multifocal IOLs provide both distant and near focus simultaneously. They contain different zones, shaped like concentric rings, that allow you to focus on objects far away and close up.
Extended depth of focus: Extended depth of focus IOLs have only one corrective zone, which is stretched to allow distance and intermediate vision.
Accommodative: Accommodative IOLs change shape like your eye's natural lens to allow you to focus at different distances.
Toric: Toric IOLs correct astigmatism, a vision issue that's caused by an irregularly shaped cornea.
Light-adjustable lens (LAL): This newer type of IOL is the only one that can be customized after surgery. Adjustments are done through a series of office-based light treatment procedures.
In one 2017 study, 81% of subjects who had cataract surgery in both eyes regularly wore glasses before their procedure. After the procedure, only 49% regularly wore glasses.
If you get a monofocal IOL, you'll need glasses or contacts to see outside your lens's focus range. For instance, if you opt for an IOL for distance vision, you may still need glasses for reading or to see things clearly up close.
If you're having surgery in both eyes, you may have the option to choose monovision to reduce the need for glasses, especially if you have worn monovision contacts. Monovision involves selecting the focusing power of one IOL for distance and the other for near sight.
If you get multifocal IOLs, you may find that your vision is still blurry when focusing at certain distances, and you may need to wear glasses to focus in this range.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, most people with accommodative IOLs don't need to wear glasses, but some people still prefer to do so for long periods of reading or activities that require near vision.
What kind of glasses are needed after cataract surgery?
The type of glasses you'll need after cataract surgery will depend on what type of IOL you receive.
In the case of a monofocal IOL, most people receive an IOL with distance vision correction and wear glasses for reading and activities that involve near vision. Some people get IOL lenses for near vision and wear glasses for distance vision. However, if you have a fair amount or significant amount of astigmatism and did not get Toric IOL, you will need glasses for distance and near.
If you have IOLs that allow you to focus at different distances, you may still find certain distances are blurry. In this case, you may want to wear glasses that allow you to see clearly at those distances.
Frequently asked questions about glasses after cataract surgery
How long should you wait before getting new prescription glasses after cataract surgery?
It's important to wait for your eyes to fully heal and your vision to stabilize before getting a new prescription. You may be able to get new glasses as soon as 2 weeks after your surgery. It may be longer if you have swelling or other complications.
It's important to wait for your eyes to fully heal and your vision to stabilize before getting a new prescription. You may be able to get new glasses as soon as 2 weeks after your surgery. It may be longer if you have swelling or other complications.
Are there any signs that indicate you need new glasses?
It's typical to have some blurriness and trouble seeing for a few days after cataract surgery. If you notice persistent changes to your vision, you may need to change your prescription.
Some vision changes you might notice include:
blurry vision
squinting a lot
tired eyes
frequent headaches
light sensitivity
It's typical to have some blurriness and trouble seeing for a few days after cataract surgery. If you notice persistent changes to your vision, you may need to change your prescription.
Some vision changes you might notice include:
How do you know which glasses are right for you?
After you've healed from your cataract surgery, your eye doctor will perform an updated refraction to determine which eyeglass prescription is best for you. It's most common that people who undergo cataract surgery will need reading glasses after their vision has stabilized.
The bottom line
Cataract surgery is typically a safe and effective procedure that can correct vision blurriness or cloudiness caused by cataracts.
The most common type of replacement lens is a monofocal IOL. These lenses allow your eye to focus at only one distance: either near, far, or intermediate. Most people get monofocal IOLs for distance vision and wear glasses for reading.
If you get multifocal lenses that allow you to see at multiple distances, you may not need glasses. If you're unsure about what type of IOL you need or whether you'll need glasses after cataract surgery, be sure to talk with your eye doctor.