36 and scared: did I messed up my eyes to get rid of glasses?
Posted , 6 users are following.
I went to an ophthalmologist and asked about getting rid of glasses. He suggested laser or IOL (recommended the latter since I'm approaching 40). I went for IOL because he presented it as very matter of fact and routine surgery.
10 days after I had my first eye operated and 6 days after the second eye, here I am scared that I messed up:
- I used to wear glasses all the time, but could read with one eye ok,
- now, I can see in the distance clearly and improving, but everything closer than 40 inches is blurred. I can't see details of my face when I shave, I cannot read, can't read my phone screen, I keep my computer at a distance of 40+ inches (font 20p) to be able to keep working (my work is computer-only)
- I have heard that you will have 90% of your final vision after 1 week. I'm so scared.
- My doctor keeps saying that I should see improvements after 4-5 weeks when healing is complete.
Lenses used:
TECNIS Symfony® IOL (ZXR00)
TECNIS Symfony® Toric IOL (ZXT150)
These lenses, I was reassured, are top of the line, and I was getting the best of the best. This seems to be true from my online research.
- Does anyone have experience with near sight improving over an extended period post-op? I could use some good news.
- Could the doctor have taken incorrect measurements? I mean, he did use machines for those measurements...
- Should I ask for a second medical opinion or wait another month and then see the results?
Needless to say, the quality of my life has strongly deteriorated, and while my expectation was to not need glasses (at least most of the time), I now find myself wondering if I will ever see properly without glasses.
0 likes, 38 replies
soks kutez
Posted
yes you messed up. sorry.
janus381 kutez
Edited
It is early days. it is NOT true that your vision at 1 week is "90% of your final vision".it can take several weeks or even a few months for some people to neural adapt to a lens like the Symfony. So your doctor is right that it may take 4-5 weeks (or even longer) for you to neural adapt.
But I don't think your doctor set expectations very well.
As Sue-Ann wrote, the Symfony lens does not promise to provide good near vision -- it only aims to provide good intermediate (computer distance) and far vision. Some lucky people do get good near vision with Symfony, but most will require reading glasses. And while Symfony may have been best of the best for many years after it was introduced, I don't think it is the best of the best in 2020. Most would say for premium lens, tri-focals are the best at present, and since the PanOptix trifocal was approved by the FDA last year, tri-focals are now available in all major markets and tri-focals do aim to provide good near, intermediate and far vision.(tri-focals have been used in Europe and Asia for many years already).
Finally, I agree with sentiment so far, that I would not recommend refractive lens exchange unless current vision is very bad, or you are much older.Getting "cataract surgery" before you have actually have cataracts is a very invasive way of trying to be free from glasses. While most people will be satisfied with the result, but if you are not like most people and do not get the results you hoped for, then you would regret the decision to go for RLE as elective surgery to try to do away with glasses. IOLs improve over time, and getting RLE before you have cataracts locks you out of future generations of better IOLs.
But what's done is done, and your vision will improve as your eye heals and you neural adapt to the new lens. Hope it works out for you.
kutez
Edited
@Sue.An2 @janus381 @W-H
Thank you for taking the time to bring some, well, clarity... and hope.
Yes, I'll be on drops for another 10 days. I have been using some artificial tear drops as well, and also started hydrating more. Dry eyes are certainly an issue for me especially since I spend a lot of time on the computer.
Everything is still blurry under 40 inches. It's strange, sometimes I feel like if I focus my attention I can can almost ignore double vision - like it's there but I can only sneak peak. I mean, I can make out what's on my screen or in a book at 25 in, but it's not confortable at all.
18 inches would be great improvement from where I am now. Anything beyond that would almost feel as a bonus.
You are right, my doctor did not set expectations well at all.
I was expecting to not need glasses at least 95% of the time (book reading included). I wasn't told about trifocals. I was basically led to believe that there is a high probability that I will not need glasses at all, and you seem to say that the higher probability is that I will in fact need glasses for reading.
I'll have to wait and see the effect. Will keep you posted after my medical exam in 10 days. I plan to ask for a second medical opinion in the meantime.
RonAKA kutez
Posted
A friend got the Panoptix trifocal lenses and expected to not need glasses at all. She has had the lenses for over a year now and needs to use reading glasses to be able to read.
kutez RonAKA
Posted
I do wonder if wearing reading glasses prevents further neural adaptation. Then again, how long can you endure frustration with not being able to read properly, hoping it will get better.
soks RonAKA
Posted
at least she has the pan optix and could not have done anything better for near. symfony is not even designed for near. maybe it is designed to give the deteriorated near vision of 50 years age. at 36 the OP will have lost significant near vision with symfony.
soks kutez
Posted
kutez my near with symfony never got better. it is actually even worse than after surgery as i now have PCO.
if you are in a country that has Synergy than i would suggest that you exchange the non toric with a Synergy so you can enjoy true near in one eye. and the two lenses together would give you great intermediate and distance.
i have symfony in one eye and planning for trifocal in other eye to get true near. please dont get YAG done as that will prevent the ability to exchange the lenses. sorry you have to deal with this at 36.
kutez soks
Posted
@soks do you have Symfony multifocal or EDF?
soks kutez
Posted
i have Symfony edof in me left eye. right eye is not yet operated. the symfony is only edof. toric or non toric.
kutez soks
Edited
Their website seems to be listing them as separate categories. Maybe I'm misreading something..
soks kutez
Posted
tecnis has multifocals. tecnis symfony is edof. tecnis synergy is trifocal.
janus381 soks
Posted
Soks, I believe Tecnis Synergy combines bi-focal with EDOF. So not a trifocal, but marketing from J&J claims the combination of bi-focal with EDOF is superior to tri-focal. As more people outside US/Canada get Synergy, we will see if actual experience matches marketing, and also get sense of whether the dysphotopsia is better or worse.
soks janus381
Posted
hi janus. that's what i am saying in a previous post in this thread that synergy = edof/trifocal mix.
here i wanted to make a point that synergy would be a better multifocal than tecnis bifocals as it would cover all distances.
janus381 soks
Edited
Soks, I understandthe point you making now (i just read the latest reply).
But to be precise Synergy mixes bi-focal (not trifocal) with EDOF to achieve something that aims to provide good near, intermediate, and distance vision (like a tri-focal). And J&J marketing materials would claim better than tri-focals). So we're saying the same thing, I was just trying to be more technically precise in describing it.
Sue.An2 kutez
Posted
Hoping things have improved for you. Was your doctor able to shed light/ clarify on anything you are experiencing? I found it helpful to see my regular optometrist at 6 weeks to get a refraction test.
kutez Sue.An2
Edited
Just came back from the doctor.
My vision has improved about 30% since I started this topic, meaning that I read things that are about 30% closer, although its not clear enough yet, or consistent.
Doctor said my healing is normal, lens is fixed in place correctly, and he's hoping perhaps in a month when my incision "bumps" heal completely - my 0.5 in one eye would go down to 0.25. He said in a month we will know if I will need reading glasses...
Also, it seems I'm in a minority of people who, after one month, have problems with visual acuity...
I haven't yet seen another doctor, so I don't know if 0.5 is normal. I have heard 0.25 is to be expected - wich most people can live with, and do.
At this point, I'm almost 4 weeks post-op with both implants in place.
Praying and hoping for the improvements to continue.
Sue.An2 kutez
Edited
Not sure why your doctor made the comment about you being in the minority with visual acuity and I assume he meant reading. If he targeted your Symfony lenses for plano I think he may have overstated how well you'd read. Most doctors in describing symfony will say distance and computer distance are good but reading glasses would be s strong possibility.Glad it is improving for you. You may want to visit your regular optometrist to get a refraction test - likely give you more info on how well your eyesight is than surgeon.