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Just Implanted with Pan Optix IOL - Very Happy!

Posted , 14 users are following.

melanie06783
melanie06783

I was scheduled to get Restor 2.5 implant, but the Pan Optix Trifocal got approved in the US two weeks prior to my scheduled cataract surgery. My ophthalmologist, although an excellent surgeon, refused to make a recommendation either way. I spent countless hours researching IOL's.

I have been a very nearsighted person for at least 50 years of my life.I rarely wore my glasses in school, even though my eyesight was very poor. My mother told me that glasses were probably making my eyes weaker, and I would get dependent on them, so I should try to wear them as little as possible. So, I basically walked around in a blur, until I finally decided I deserved to see better.

I got contact lenses at age 18. Over wore the contacts and became contact lenses intolerant with dry eyes. Had to put up with thick glasses for years, which I hated. I still wore contacts sometimes and they were multifocal with monovision (undercorrected left eye). I adjusted to this very easily. I also wore progressive eyeglasses, which were only correcting my vision to 20/50. I drove pretty well with huge halos everywhere. Only 62 with stage 3 cataracts.

Decision criteria:

I hated wearing eyeglasses

I could neuroadapt to any vision

I didn't want to completely lose my near vision

I work on a computer with dual monitors 10 hours a day all week long

I like reading, knitting

I drive at night, but very used to huge halos - Happy as long as I can see the road and not hit a tree!

I knew I would not be happy with monofocal lenses, since I would suddenly be thrown into the world of "far".

So, I chose the Pan Optix trifocal, and I was thrilled Day One when they rolled me out, I could read the clock. Everything was so bright and beautiful. Driving back from surgery that I could read road signs. Next day, far vision was 20/25. Near was a blur. A week later, near was clear too!!

Second surgery on the other eye, 2 weeks later; first lens had a scratch and had to be withdrawn. Dr. had a replacement lens on hand, however, the eye required stitches. This time vision was not clear right away. The eye had more trauma and suffered from corneal edema. Thankfully, after 3 days of eyedrops and resting, the vision started coming back, and the left eye is now as clear as the right.

In conclusion, I am thrilled to have such great vision at all distances. There are some halos around lights while driving. Headlights look like little sparklers to me, but I find driving 100% better than pre-surgery, and things are very bright and clear, so all is good there. I would highly recommend the Pan Optix.

1 like, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • Meuwth
    Meuwth melanie06783

    Posted

    What is your best near vision at 14inches?

    • melanie06783
      melanie06783 Meuwth

      Posted

      Hi, so sorry for delay in response. I couldn't get back in. My near vision at 14 inches is good. Lighting does help, and I try not to wear reading glasses. A couple of times reading the back of a credit card or medication I did need them, but near is good. Not perfect, but definitely happy to have useable near. Easy to put on makeup and read average size font. Don't have to worry all the time about glasses, so very happy about that.

  • Sue.An2
    Sue.An2 melanie06783

    Edited

    Congrats - very happy you have such good vision. What good fortune these were approved in US prior yo your surgery. They were not yet approved here in Canada when I had mine but I did go with Symfony for same reasons.

    All the best.

    • soks
      soks Sue.An2

      Posted

      at the time edof was considered superior to trifocals. so r u sure u wud have gone trifocal route. i remember there was a poster from US who got lisa in malaysia while on cruise and did not like it so got lara in the other eye. i think her name was glenda. it appears from all these experiences trifocal needs some adapting and some like it and some don't. also it seems the near vision from trifocals in many folks clears up a few days later.

    • Sue.An2
      Sue.An2 soks

      Posted

      Not 100% sure I would have gone with trifocals and there does seem to be a linger adaptation period. Within a day I could see well with Symfony - but surgeries went well with no additional complications . And trifocals still aren't available in my province. It does seem 50/50 whether people like them. But I was focusing on being able to see well (near). And by near I meant closer than 20 inches. Symfony was indicating 18 inches and that was a complaint by some posting here - not getting the 28 inches.

      I think we all have a fifferent definition of near intermediate and distance and I wish these weren't sliding numbers at initial consult with surgeons.

    • melanie06783
      melanie06783 Sue.An2

      Edited

      Hi, apologies for not responding months ago. I forgot my password. Somehow I was able to get back in though. I do agree that some people probably cannot adapt to multifocal/trifocal. I know my husband cannot even deal with progressive eyeglasses, whereas I wore multifocal contacts with monovision and had no trouble adapting. I actually think that having such poor eyesight to begin with and having to get used to either wearing glasses or contacts to see, or walking around at night in a "blur" may actually make it easier for one to adapt.

    • Sue.An2
      Sue.An2 melanie06783

      Posted

      Very happy it all has turned out well for you. It is a whole new world to get used to for sure!

  • soks
    soks melanie06783

    Edited

    congrats on your surgery and your desirable results. how did the surgeon find there was scratch on the lens? did they have to remove the lens that the eye needed stiches?

    • melanie06783
      melanie06783 soks

      Edited

      Hi, I suspect the lens is so thin, that perhaps it got scratched during the procedure. I felt that they had eased up on the anesthenia, because they thought they were almost done, and that is when I heard her say there was a scratch. Thankfully, she saw that before she closed. I saw the lens go out, and small dark bubbles (blood?) and then I saw a new lens being dragged in. In the end all is well.

    • charles94562
      charles94562 soks

      Posted

      On Shannon Wong's YouTube video comparing symfony and panoptix he notes the panoptix material can get scuffs during procedure and shows some examples.

    • soks
      soks charles94562

      Posted

      i have seen that on his video. i didnt think they replaced it if scratched though.

    • melanie06783
      melanie06783 soks

      Posted

      She caught the scratch right away. I don't know if the lens was flawed or she scratched, but she immediately withdrew it and replaced it during initial surgery. Glad she caught that one!!

  • Guest
    Guest melanie06783

    Posted

    I am so happy for you, and it is so nice to hear a positive story, so thanks for sharing. 😃

    I am too a big fan of the trifocal.

  • W-H
    W-H melanie06783

    Posted

    Congrats. Enjoy your new bright, sharp vision.

  • mjcg
    mjcg melanie06783

    Posted

    Always good to hear a success story - thanks for sharing!!

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