Alcon Clareon IOL review (said no to Vivity but still got similar result)

I got a lot of good info out of this sight when researching IOL implants for cataract surgery and wanted to offer my experience so others might benefit. I'm adding some lifestyle info as well so it can give some perspective to why I chose what I did. It's a real struggle to determine if the drawbacks of the premium IOLs are really worth the risk. So here's some background.

I'm a 55 year old male. Have been wearing contacts since I was 12 years old for being nearsighted. The correction was always the same in both eyes, starting out not so bad but has been in the -4.25 range for the better part of 30 years. I had EXTREMELY good closeup vision without contacts/glasses. I also had what I would call EXTREMELY good corrected vision. 20/15 if I kept my contacts fresh and clean. At age 48 if I wanted to see something up close while also wearing contacts I began to need readers. Otherwise, I was pretty happy with my corrected vision. I considered lasik when I was younger but just never got there. I like to hike, cycle, shoot sporting clays, build furniture, maintain my own home and autos. Vacations are typically trips to see natural wonders, so color, clarity, and contrast are extremely important to me....even though 90% of what I do is considered in the up-close to intermediate range.

I developed a cataract in my left eye in late 2021. Literally went to bed seeing just fine and woke up the next morning with considerable blurring. The right eye was just fine. In January of this year I needed some retinal repair work done in both eyes with a laser by a retinal specialist. Once that process was complete I was cleared to go get cataract surgery. I agonized over my options. The cataract was aggressive and by late April my left eye was little more than a garnish on my face. My initial consult was 4/11 and I could have literally had surgery the next day if I'd wanted, but I scheduled it a month out to give myself time to fully grasp my options and their potential downsides. Since it was my eyesight, money wasn't even a factor. Vivity really stood out and seemed to be the best option since I was already wearing contacts that corrected some for presbyopia. But there was that nagging loss of contrast issue with Vivity that I couldn't wrap my arms around. I relaxed, took a vacation, took inventory of just how much up close/intermediate vision I engaged in. (a lot) I waffled at least 3 times before finally coming to the conclusion that I'd have to kick my own backside if I went with anything other than whatever gave me the best color, clarity, and contrast even if it means I have to wear readers for that 90% up close things I do. So I confidently went with the Alcon set for distance vision and made sure it was the Clareon version.

So on 5/11 I got that left eye done and had 20/20 vision before 8hrs had passed. I also took note that I had pretty decent intermediate and functional close up vision, but up close was a little more comfortable with 1.25 readers (looking at my phone or reading a book). I went for a walk that afternoon and there was an unexpected depth perception issue between my right eye and my newly clear left even though both could see clearly. It felt as though judging rough terrain or throwing a ball could be more challenging that I was used to. Also, being able to compare, I realized my right eye was a little subpar compared to the newly fixed left. I went for a drive when the sun went down and there were no halos or starbursts. I could also see the dash just fine. The only thing I noticed apart from my natural lens was during the day, a little flickering at certain angles when light was coming from the side during eye movement.

The doctors office called to check on me and based on my progress, offered to do the right eye as early as 2 days later. At that point I needed no convincing. 5/13, just like the previous surgery, within 8 hours I could see 20/20. The depth perception issue was also gone. I'm typing this with my naked eyes and can see just fine. Even though I was formerly wearing presbyopia correcting contact lenses I need readers less now than I did with those, really only in low light. I'm really super happy with my decision. I have great color, clarity, and contrast and I basically have what was promised with Vivity without the risk of contrast loss. But truthfully, even if I had to wear readers for all things intermediate and closeup, I wouldn't complain one bit. Glad I took the time to settle in my heart what was important and didn't knee-jerk react to what seemed best to me in the beginning.

3 likes, 80 replies