Iol exchange

thanks derek i have 20/20 in right eye now, distance vision i really notice the astimatism more ...about .75

left eye reads 20/40 today with cloudiness at center so we all have a great feeling of 20/20 soon

what i can tell you more about is the procedures being different. the right eye, being a 3rd surgery was much more cloudy, and colors were off for a few days. i believe i was under the lamp for a longer period of time, more instruments were needed to reopen the "bag"( and my surgeon actually makes to tool to open the bag ). i do have videos of both procedures and will watch yesterdays procedure when we get home. the left eye seemed much easier and quicker, in and out, but dr says its the drugs talking haha. anyway, im kicking myself for not going to sight trust first, but now having the comparisons of dr and surgeries, hopefully i can help others to make a more informed choice. sight trust really works as a team, everyone is smiling and happy, courteous and kind, and i hugged my nurse who so delicately inserted my IV( which is never easy on me)

lastely, dr shatz knows his stuff

thanks all, ill give you an update next week 😃

oh grant, ive yet to have the Yag, and dr says when im ready, i will know. from what i inderstand yag will burn away the capsule that actually holds the lens in place, and it is the last resort for clearer vision . dr says it could be 10 years before i need to proceed, im assuming hes joking, but he said honestly, not yet. youre good

just keep in mind that if you get a YAG in the future it makes the lens more risky to exchange so be sure you're happy with the IOL before doing it. The yag just puts a hole in the back of your capsule so the opacities can go away

umm, just to be clear this was my 5th cataract surgery...i will never again exchange an iol. dr in kw west screwed up both original surgeries, wrong lens power he said ( actually wrong lens type) dr in kw exchanged first eye ( non dominate) and couldnt get the toric lens all the way in the bag and left the haptic free floating hitting my iris. he never me tioned any of this of course...went for second opinion to discover not only was the lens misplaced, but it was also tilted. this was the restor 2.5 toric lens and must be placed in the correct position i order to see properly. went to sight trust where the dr there has seen this problem before and exchanged both iols (about 5 months apart, my choosing) to the restor 3.0.

still debating whethet or not to bring a law suit against original surgeon, but formal complaint letter are being drafted to the medical board, surgical center and of course the dr

i am left with a small wrinkle in the bag on right eye, not incommon, since the capsule/bag/envelope (whatever lay mans term you want to use) will collapse back onto the new lens and it is thinner than our normal lens. this wrinkle may be causing some visual distrubances, like slight blurriness, a small halo, but im still left with an astigmatism from multiple surgical procedures. how many times can you cut into something and except it to stay smooth? not many in my case.

so yag will be the last resort for me.

now that my dominate eye is exchanged ( its been 16 'months of seeing 20/40 at best---had perfect distance vision before original surgery. im hoping things will balance out again

thanks elizabeth87 so far so good. my surgery was late afternoon @3pm, im still cloudy today. but if i compare to the last exchange, everything cleared up monday and i was able to drive the 3 hr one way trip solo

besides the entourage of medical drops used, we added muro128, a salt water solution to speed up the process. at first i was hesitant( another $30 bottle of drops that i may not use) because, you know, salt on an open wound feeling, but i was pleasantly surprised about it not being so bad. the sting was equivalant to the moxifloxacin ( generic for vigamox) that is used for @10 days.

also, im using systane natural tears vials(perservative free) 8 times a day. the importance is to keep the wound wet. and im seeing improvement in right eye in also using the natural tears more often as well

the hardest part is the one week of recovery, being still, not working, not lifting, basically not anything i do on a daily basis, so i will have to kick up dieting next week hahaha

dr shatz at sight trust in sunrise fl has put all my fears to bed. i tecommend him and his establishment hands down!! exchanges cost me $3750 per eye and my insurance was billed, i believe i will have an additional $12 charge for the anti-puking medicine i asked the anesthesiologist to give me. the whole experience was very comforting, and every possible question i had was answered. i finally made the correct choice on who would correct my issues

julielynn - take care during healing but hoping you'll get refunded by original surgeon and added funds for pain and suffering you've been through - can't imagine.

wow...you have bern thru the wringer. i hope this last surgery resolves your issues.

Is your surgery for an IOL exchange?

Hoping for a good outcome for you. Let us know how it goes.

yes have symfony multifocals that have been a nightmare

Sorry to hear that. Are they impacting both day and night vision? I have hem too but do enjoy good daytime vision. At night experience the concentric circles around some light sources but I knew prior that would be a trade-off however if I didn't see well other times I would not be pleased.

please keep us updated on your status! im hoping the exchange works wonders for you

i have my one week follow up tomorrow afternoon. Tuesday everything cleared up. i was able to meet a friend away from home. yesterday vision seemed 20/20ish i went shopping was able to read labels, and florescent lighting didnt bother me. i tested my night vision as well, started out at dusk and drove home on a two lane highway without much difficulty. i actually enjoy the 12 concentric rings instead of the glare/starburts/halos i used to see. im also a former lasik patient done in 2001 by sight trust sister company millinium. the only thing that is a complaint, but can not be addressed is the far distance vision, to infinity...i wish i had clarity/crispness forever, and with an astigmatism in the right eye, thats my hang up.

overall, im so happy that dr shatz was able to give me this vision where my original surgeon quite frankly disnt have a clue

if anyone is considering an exchange i highly recommend shopping around for a dr that specializes in exchanges, with a high success rate. someone who is comfortable doing an exchange, and is willing to answer all your questions, including the recovery process, expected outcome...we knew the possiblility of astigmatism would be high because of another puncture to the eye, another healing, etc. do i wish for perfect results, yes, but i know reality is it may not be possible.

one week of doing nothing, is hard for me. shopping was just a way to move around( i live in a small town, most shopping is done at one store), and test my eye sight before i made a long drive to the mainland on the turnpike, through the traffic of multiple lanes(see if left eye can detect things from my side view) depth perception and lastly night vision. more than likely i will be returning in the dark and i would like to be prepared

ill let you know numbers friday, but i think im there at 20/20 range with slight inflammation left

Wonderful news julielyn - pleased for you!!!!! Without significant glare and starbursts the concentric circles I can live with too. Nice to be able to function around the house shopping and work. What type of lens did you end up with finally?

Be curious to hear what your numbers are now. Look forward to your post.