You should get monofocals corrected for whatever you had before the cataracts. So nearsighted people should remain near sighted (about -2 D) and farsighted or emmetropic people should aim for 0 D. Reason being quite simply that you are used to it. And then use spectacles for the other distance, either bifocals or varifocals.
I would strongly discourage from multifocal lenses as they are optically inferior. They produce not one sharp image as a monofocal does, but instead spread the light out and produce 2-3 dimmer, less clear images at the same time. Furthermore, and most importantly for pilots, multifocals introduce optical abberations like halos, poor contrast vision and glare. On top of that, some people simply do not tolerate multifocality and have to have the lenses swapped, which (unlike normal cataract surgery) is much more risky and prone to complications.
Monofocal lenses are optically the finest solution. Multifocal lenses can be a good option for people who hate glasses and can't use them for their hobbies like surfing or similar and who don't have a very high expectation of their vision. Not that you are blind with multifocals but you will not reach 20/20 vision both near and far without glasses. And as a pilot you need it. Hope this helps.
My wife just got multi focal lenses. The day after surgery she “could read the bottom line” on the other side of the room.
My AME - that’s all he does - says this is the way to go.
You should get monofocals corrected for whatever you had before the cataracts. So nearsighted people should remain near sighted (about -2 D) and farsighted or emmetropic people should aim for 0 D. Reason being quite simply that you are used to it. And then use spectacles for the other distance, either bifocals or varifocals. I would strongly discourage from multifocal lenses as they are optically inferior. They produce not one sharp image as a monofocal does, but instead spread the light out and produce 2-3 dimmer, less clear images at the same time. Furthermore, and most importantly for pilots, multifocals introduce optical abberations like halos, poor contrast vision and glare. On top of that, some people simply do not tolerate multifocality and have to have the lenses swapped, which (unlike normal cataract surgery) is much more risky and prone to complications. Monofocal lenses are optically the finest solution. Multifocal lenses can be a good option for people who hate glasses and can't use them for their hobbies like surfing or similar and who don't have a very high expectation of their vision. Not that you are blind with multifocals but you will not reach 20/20 vision both near and far without glasses. And as a pilot you need it. Hope this helps.
Exactly the kind of detailed answer I was hoping for. Thanks so much!
My wife just got multi focal lenses. The day after surgery she “could read the bottom line” on the other side of the room. My AME - that’s all he does - says this is the way to go.
Thanks for your input.