Cataract ops for only one eye

I wonder if this is a recent thing due to Covid? I have never heard of this before. My local eye hospital is running so far behind. Mr Stardust should've had a laser procedure to restore the sight in one eye after a common post cataract problem in March. He is still waiting and he was marked as urgent! He is really struggling and has virtually no useful vision in that eye. His other eye is compromised too due to a genetic visual impairment. So perhaps someone with at least one good eye is not such a priority right now. I know how frustrating it must be for your friend who was looking forward to restoring her vision. But sadly in the current times I suspect it might be a long wait!

I recently had a cataract removed from my only good eye. The consultant said there seemed no point in doing the other and I agreed.
I had a GA because I was so worried about anything going wrong. Now, after 5 weeks of poor vision and problems, I’ve been told the new lens has dislocated and I need another operation. I could weep but that might not be good for my poor precious eye.

I had just one cataract removed at Moorfields Eye Hospital. No one suggested I wait for the other eye which, six years later, still doesn’t require an operation.

My cataracts were needed and done 5 years apart, as were DH's. We both started with cataracts in one eye only, when that became troublesome it was treated. Some years later we both developed cataracts in our other eye and that was then treated.

Bigred I have been short sighted since I was 10 and one eye was nearly twice as shortsighted as the other, it never caused any problems, even when I wasn't wearing glasses.

They only do one eye 'just in case'. I know a foolish person who didn't obey the instructions; they got some dirt in the eye and ruined the newly operated on eye. They were told that they had lost all sight in that eye , so the other eye could not have the surgery. Only one eye at a time ensures that you still have some sight if you don't follow the rules and lose sight due to neglect of the instructions. My DH has had both eyes done , but ONLY after a successful first op. Hope that explains!

Bigred it doesn’t actually, your good eye compensates, and your brain does a lot of the ‘seeing’

Thinking about it, if you have reasonable sight in both eyes, having only one eye done would make your sight very lopsided.

I have only one good eye, which is almost ready for the op. Had my other eye done last year because it was bad although it hasn't made any difference to my sight, which is minimal. Surgeon won't operate on good eye until it's absolutely necessary, which will be soon I think. Here in Australia ops on both eyes are usually carried out two weeks apart. Incidentally my bad eye is because a boy threw a stone at me when I was 7 and living in Liverpool. The eye hospital then was good. Its mostly done privately here, about $4000 per eye.

Sounds like an excuse not to do it. Can she go privately