Cataract question/piggyback lens

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi, I posted on here 2 weeks ago about having my first eye done and the distance vision that Dr was aiming for was not quite achieved. (I'm a previous Lasik patient) Some new questions/concerns have come to light. I'm approaching 3 weeks post-op and my near vision is great but my distance vision is not.

Gonna try my best to explain my dilemma. I'm right eye dominant, my right eye had cataract surgery and although they aimed for distance my best vision is at 2 to 3 feet in this eye. Distance vision is better out of my left eye currently, but the two eyes together I am not seeing well enough to drive. In fact the two eyes aren't working together at all. Like I'm constantly trying to focus. I'm told this is because I'm in between surgeries.

My doctor said that once we decide to do my left eye, he would tweak things to hopefully achieve the better distance vision in that eye. He said this may be advantageous to have one near and one distance eye. But in essence, its what I have currently and its not working well for me. Is this because of the whole dominant eye thing?

He also mentioned if there is still a refractive error in my right eye, that he could do a piggy back lens. Has anyone had this done?

 

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  • Posted

    Do you know what your except prescription (spherical correction and cylindrical correction right now? That may give you a better idea about why you are currently having an issue with having the 2 eyes work together.

    I think that in your situation, I will go along with your doctor aiming the left eye for better distance vision. However, I will suggest aiming for about -0.25 D in that eye. Also, knowing what I do, I will suggest not going for a Symfony lens in the left eye. There is no problem mixing a Symfony lens in one eye with a monofocal lens in the other eye. I have that combination with no related issues. The only issue is due to seeing multiple concentric circles around lights at night. That issue will be a lot less for you if you use a monofocal lens for distance (I use the Symfony lens for distance).

    Once you know what vision you actually end up with in the left eye and how the two eyes work together at that time, you can tweak the right eye, if required, by LASIK  (that will be my choice instead of the piggy back lens).

     

    • Posted

      In the first sentence of my response, "...except prescription..." should have been "...exact prescription..." .

      Also, just to be clear, I was suggesting getting a monofocal lens instead of a Symfony lens for the left eye.

    • Posted

      I do not know exact prescription. It may be written somewhere in his notes. I just know I was at 20/40 in the eye that had CS.  I go see him again in a week. 

      I have a monofocal lens in the eye that had surgery and I’m pretty sure that is the plan for my left eye as well. 

      Thank you for your response. You seem to really know your stuff. 

      So spherical and cylindrical numbers play a role in how the eyes work together?

    • Posted

      IHi Diane - perhaps you surgeon will give you exact prescription.  Mine just had me read a chart and told me I was 20/20.  However to get my exact prescription I needed to make an appointment with my optometrist.  And yes those other measurements are important as they tell you if you have astigmatism.   
    • Posted

      Sorry about my thinking incorrectly that you had a Symfony lens in the right eye. In any case, my suggestions above should still apply.

      Yes. The spherical and the cylindrical correction numbers can make a difference in how the 2 eyes work together. Also, the fact that you have a cataract in the left eye can also make a difference.

      In any case, my suggestions are:

      1. Aim for about -0.25 D in the left eye (as your doctor has suggested)

      2. Then, once you know what vision you actually end up with in the left eye and how the two eyes work together at that time, you can tweak the right eye, if required, by LASIK  (that will be my choice instead of the piggy back lens).

      Wish you the best.

    • Posted

      I am surprised that your surgeon did not just give you the exact prescription when he checked your eyes and that you had to see an optometrist to get that.

      At least in my case (and in my wife's case), the surgeons are the ones, who gave us the exact eye prescriptions one month or so after the cataract surgery. (actually I also got a prescription about 10 days after the surgery for temporary glasses).

      This may be another difference between the usual practice in Canada and USA.

    • Posted

      Yes likely the difference.  I had a 24 hour post op check.  The hospital staff have you read the chart off the wall and surgeon has a quick examination (same people come in for that as say priorvyo surgery.  If I had to guess he does 25 or 30 surgeries all in one day.   All that is done through our hospitals.

      I really did want a baseline of where my eye prescription was do made an appointment at optometrist.  Our surgeons aren’t paid same way in USA.  There are pros and cons to that.

      I waited in emergency last week 9 hours.  Thought I had broken a bone - slipped on some ice.   Our system is free but you wait.

    • Posted

      I am also in Canada (Vancouver).  My eye surgeon wrote me the exact eye prescription one month after my 2nd cataract surgery, after he checked my eye three times in his clinic as my eye healed a bit slow.
    • Posted

      Sue, Right after the cataract surgery at the hospital, I went straight to my eye surgeon's clinic where his ophthalmic technologist checked my eye(s). Two days later, I went back to his clinic to see him, and because he was not happy with my eye not healing as well I had to see him two more times in the following weeks.

    • Posted

      I think Vancouver May have many more options than where I am in Atlantic Canada.  Due to amount of cataract surgeries in a day (group I was in consisted of 10).  We all had the same appointment time 24 hours at the hospital for checkup.  I did have a 6 week follow up at the opthamologist ‘s office just to see how my eyes settled and healed.  Still had to make separate appointment with optometrist for exact prescription.  Glad to say I am glasses free and had a good result.
  • Posted

    Diane,

    ?I had to have a piggy back lens put in my right eye, because the Dr. miscalculated my prescription.  After the cataract surgery I was getting severe eye pain in my right eye & my depth perception was way off, I could not see near or far.  I had also had LASIK 20 years ago, Drs. excuse was that due to LASIK is it hard to calculate prescriptions.  Right eye is not great either, I currently seeing another Ophthalmologist.

    • Posted

      Hi Janice, how was the piggyback lens procedure? Can you see better after having it done? I wasn’t t sure if when you said “right eye is not great either “ if you meant to say left eye. 

      I do believe it’s a lot harder to predict IOL power in Lasik patients.  

    • Posted

      I learned something new here every day. Thanks.

      I did not know before that it is a lot harder to predict IOL power in Lasik patients. My eye doctor is also a Lasik surgeon, and in fact I read a good review from his cataract patient who was also his previous Lasik patient.  Could be because his clinic is equipped with latest advanced hi-tech machines for measurement and calculation.

    • Posted

      diane, I do not have a piggyback lens implanted in my eye. My left eye is low vision, and the eye surgeon decided on monofocal lenses for both my eyes.  The result is great and I am very happy. 

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