(The ophthalmic surgeon I just saw recognized the handiwork of the guy who repaired my left eye in 1989, so there's that!)
Verdict on my eyes currently: wow, my eyeballs are complicated: yes, I have cataracts: yes, they're operable: no, they're not terrible *yet*: recommendation come back in nine months' time for a review (sooner if they get noticeably worse).
(New varifocal lenses have enabled me to get back to work again, in the meantime.)
@cstross if you don't mind me asking, do your varifocals allow you to see your entire laptop (assuming that's what you use) screen in focus at once?
@knirirr Yes—why wouldn't they?
@cstross thanks. I tried some and found they didn't; moving my head around to see different parts of the screen was a pain. I've stuck to bifocals since, but wondered if this experience was common as progressive lenses do seem more popular than I'd expect.
@knirirr I've had bad varifocals; the trick is to go to a specialist, not a high street chain opticians. They'll cost more, but come far better adjusted.
@cstross thanks, I'll have to see what I can do. The local optician charges around £550 for mine and they aren't great (bifocals are under half that).