Cataract Surgery with Restore Multifocal 2.5? Anyone?
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi All! I'm scheduled for Cataract Surgery next Wednesday on my left eye, right the following wednesday. I'm getting extremely anxious as this gets closer and have a call into my surgeon in hopes to answer a few last questions before surgery.
Background:
I'm a 46 year old female who was told I was developing cataracts 6 or so years ago. Posterior subcapsular cataracts. I have had pretty poor vision since my teens and wear contacts of -7.5 in each eye. I do need readers but have been in denial and just deal with it. The past few years my vision is worse - very cloudy in the left, less in the right, but it has been affecting my night driving and I can only see a persons shape when a light source is behind them. Also note I have light blue eyes that are extremely sensitive to light - I wear sunglasses on any kind of bright day - even the cloudy bright days. My regular eye dr does perform cataract surgery. However, when I started looking around I wanted the best and most experienced surgeon. On the recommendation of a co-worker whose wife worked at an opthamologist, I looked into their doctors and ultimately picked a dr. based on reviews and posted experience. Of course he is at the one location 45 minutes away but to me it is worth it. He performs the surgery with the femtosecond laser as an option and is recommended if you choose a multifocal lens.
I met with him for the first time last November (2018) and he did all the measurments for the lens/surgery. We discussed the pros/cons of the multifocal. I love the idea of being free of glasses for most things (distance, driving, computer) but don't mind so much if I wear readers to read fine print or menus. Via a follow up call to answer some of my questions, he said he uses Restore multifocals and would use a "active focal distant dominant" lens in my first eye and then see how he'd need to adjust the second based on my vision.
So after rescheduling this surgery twice, i thought i was ready to go. Until I started researching the lenses. Then I got confused and scared.
My concerns are this:
Picking the wrong lens - I've read there are more side effects with the multi than mono but I'd really prefer the multi.
I don't know the surgeon well and don't have that relationship and I guess comfort level i would like only seeing him once. Though when i asked if this was normal, his scheduler said it was and people have flown in for surgeries never meeting him until that day.
I've also read and seen a few horror stories about pupils being mis-shaped after surgery. Or glow in the dark pupils. Please tell me i won't look weird to people after surgery (I know it is vain). I'm wondering if this is lens related or just a possibility with any cataract surgery?
I also read somewhere the restore multis have a higher rate of glistenings?
I'm also worried about light sensitivity after the cataracts are removed.
A final note - I decided not go with my regular eye doctor because she doesn't have the experience or number of surgeries as the surgeon 45 minutes away. She also does not use the femtosecond laser and said it hasn't proved to have any better outcomes. She uses Tecnis multifocals. She told me I can transfer all of the measurements to her or anyone and suggested I wait until my dry eye under control. My eyes aren't overly dry, but they become irritated from contacts and I think it's more the contacts than dryness, but not sure.
So that has me a bit confused. Did any of you use a surgeon other than your regular eye dr? Is it normal to only meet a surgeon once and go for it?
Sorry for the long post. Thank you all for your time and any input!
0 likes, 20 replies
derek40125 crista83503
Posted
Crista:
I am 52 and had a Restor 2.5D implanted in February, 2018. I have written many posts about it on this forum, so if you search you will be able to read all my comments. I even posted a picture of the "glistening" in the eye.
Here are some general comments:
In the US, the Restor and Symfony represent the majority of all Multifocal IOL's. Symfony is an EDOF design, which is different than a traditional multifocal, like Restor. Tecnis also makes traditional multifocal IOL's, so if you go that route, make you research what you’d be getting.
The Restor 2.5D is a low-add multifocal, that means that the "near" focus point isn't as close as it is with a Resto 3.0D or 4 (or other designs from other mfg's).
The Restor 2.5D is a newer design compared to their 3.0D and other products. It more than simply a lower add version of the older designs. They really put a lot of work into improving distance and night vision. I have no complaints at all about distance and night. I can drive for hours and hours at night on a rural highway, interstate or downtown San Francisco without feeling that my vision is compromised in any way.
The closer focal point, I would describe as "functional." I need good lighting to read well and the background can sometimes be a bit fuzzy (which is actually the out of focus distance point). Illuminated electronics like phones, tablets, and monitors work well but, for me, it’s clear at full arm’s length.
Read through some of my posts and you are welcome to PM me with anything more specific you want or post to this string.
Thanks.
janus381 crista83503
Posted
I agree with other posts. You should wait for your surgeon to get the PanOptix. No reason to go with the older Restor bi-focal when the PanOptix is now FDA approved. In particular, PanOptix will provide much better intermediate range (computer distance) vision than the Restor.
On laser or not, you can read my post.My surgeon was very honest and said outcomes are pretty much the same after one year whether you go with laser or traditional. I did choose laser for various reasons, but felt no pressure to pay extra for laser.
julielyn crista83503
Posted
hi, i originally had the restor 2.5 implanted( dec 2017 one week apart) but eventually exchanged to the 3.0 version( nov 2018& april 2019 )
here are some differences
the 2.5 has 9 rings of vision
the 3.0 has 12 rings
the 2.5 will give you mid and distance clarity
the 3.0 will give you near and far clarity ( mid is slightly out of focus...i could use a +1 reader lens to see car dash better, but then the glasses get in the way)
my near vision is 20/20 with both eye working together 20/25 independently
my distance vision is roughly the same measurements with an astigmatism causing slight fuzziness ( .75 astigmatism)
nighttime driving is better than before iol implant. now those starbursts and glare produced by on coming lights is now cut into those concentric rings. on a two lane wet road, i have better vision of my lane...not perfect, but better than before)
i wanted the near vision so exchanged to 3.0 for more than this reason ( and you will find several comments from me in the last year or so)
im happy to hear about the pantopic. because if i could get that mid range vision life would be complete. although i do not have crystal clear mid range vision, ive learned to adapt. move closer. add more light.
i would also wait if you can between surgeries to see where your eye sight settles because your catarct is so dense now. this could change your numbers slightly
multifocal iol have to be placed in the perfect position to get optimal results. if you are off slightly it will cause a host of problems like ghosted images, fuzzy vision and even depth perception issues ( i had all of these because my first iol 2.5 was inserted improperly at an angle )
my choice in surgeons is now about the successful outcomes he/she has had, and the ability to exchange if there is a mistake or problem.
i ended up traveling 3 hrs to my second surgeon to correct the local guys screw up!! well worth the more $$ out of pocket in the long run
good luck to you, please keep us posted
julie