BASEBALL VS FOOTBALL EYES By Dr. Martha Jay, Ophthalmologist at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals with offices in Mequon & Saukville, Wisconsin

Are your eyes more like a football or a baseball?

Been following the Brewers? Baseball is not just a sport but also a way to explain the shape of your eyes.  You have “football eyes” if the front of your eyes are curved like a football. This is called astigmatism.  You have “baseball eyes” if the front of your eyes are more rounded like a baseball.

It is important to know if you have “football” or “baseball” eyes if you are considering cataract surgery.  The differences between the two determine which implant options are available to you at the time of surgery.  Cataract surgery is a very safe and relatively easy procedure to go through.  We gently remove your natural cloudy lens and replace it with a clear implant to improve your vision.

The latest advancements in cataract surgery allow us to take advantage of more implant choices than previously available. If you have football eyes, you would see better afterwards if we place a Toric implant at the time of your cataract surgery.  If you have baseball eyes, then you could benefit from a Multi-focal implant that allows you to see far away, intermediate and close up after your surgery without glasses.  These bifocal-like implants let you turn back the clock and be relatively free of glasses after your procedure.

How can you tell if you have football or baseball eyes?  How do you know which implant is optimal for you at the time of your cataract surgery?  We guide you through the options available to you during your cataract evaluation.  Remember, you only have cataract surgery once so it is important to consider all the possibilities to optimize your vision.

Martha F. Jay, Ph.D., M.D.

Dr. Martha Jay is a board certified ophthalmologist (Eye Physician & Surgeon) specializing in medical and surgical eye care such as small incision cataract surgery and blade-free LASIK.

For more eye care information, call 262-241-1919 or visit www.LakeShoreVision.com.