Questions with people's experiences with PanOptix lens
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello,
I received bilateral PanOptix lens a little over 2 weeks ago. I had pretty bad corneal abrasions on both eyes the days following surgery, so the first few days were pretty rough. I currently have excellent long distance vision in the daylight. My intermediate is pretty good, although low lighting makes it iffy. My near vision is decent, but being that I was severely nearsighted previously, at -11, and -12 , it is a little disorienting not to be able to see fine details like I could prior.
Does anyone have any insight into whether these fine details sharpen up over time, or do you need a magnifying glass or readers? I currently can't see my armpit hair to shave, or hair on my legs to shave. Honestly I can't see anything as well as I could with contacts, except long distance, which is pretty disheartening.
Things are also a bit foggy, especially in the morning, and even after using the artificial tears. I wonder if a lot of the fogginess is from the steroid/NSAID drops?
At this point I regret my decision and wish I would have waited to have this done until I really needed it. I am only 38 and the surgeon knew my goal was to have quality vision without contacts, or glasses. I didn't qualify for Lasix. I did qualify for ICL; however, he told me I would likely have to have this surgery at some point or another, and the ICL would likely make my cataract worse. He did a horrible job of educating me regarding the drawbacks of this surgery, even though I asked about them several times. He told me I would be able to return to work the next day after surgery (laughable), and that he would recommend this surgery to his sister or mother. He never informed me I would lose all close vision. He even made it seem like most negative symptoms experienced will go away with time. Needless to say, I was also unaware of the neuroadaptation as well.... 😦
Despite all of this, I am trying to remain positive. I am hoping to hear positive and encouraging experiences with this type of lens if anyone has any.
-TIA
0 likes, 5 replies
Songirl Myopesince6
Posted
So sorry you are experiencing these issues. I have about the same nearsightedness as you. I have cataracts but did not have the surgery yet because I so nervous of the outcome. I thought about the Panotix but holding off for now. From what I am reading it does take some time to adjust . I hope everything improves soon for you. Best of luck.
Myopesince6 Songirl
Posted
Thank you, I appreciate that! Good luck to you as well.
JoeSemo Myopesince6
Edited
I had bilateral Panoptix Toric lenses implanted in late September, so about 6 months ago. I was also severely myopic (-11 and -13) and with significant astigmatism. My vision did improve over time. So hopefully after you are done with the eyedrops and everything has settled you will see better. There is also a process of "neural" learning as your brain adjusts to the various foci and learns to select the needed image and reject the others (at least I think that's how it works). I'm thrilled with my vision while acknowledging that these lenses are not perfect, with haloes at night and decreased contrast sensitivity in low light being the main drawbacks. Some people are OK with these trade-offs (I am), and some people are not.
However, your surgeon's behavior seems really concerning. I don't think ANY reputable ophthalmologist would perform cataract surgery for the purpose of having "quality vision without contacts, or glasses." Replacing your natural lenses is no small thing and should only be done because it is necessary (due to cataracts, etc.). Also, not informing you of the pros and cons is super-sketchy. A lot of the complaints on this forum are from people who thought the surgery would give them the vision of a healthy 20 year old and there are no implants that can do that yet.
Myopesince6 JoeSemo
Posted
Thanks for the reply JoeSemo! It is encouraging that your vision has continued to improve over the last 6 months. As of today, I am feeling much more positive about these lenses. Amazingly, my vision has improved significantly since just a few days ago, I've noticed a huge functional difference during my work day today, and am elated! I'm hopeful it will continue to get better and better as time passes. I definitely have noticed the halos and contrast differences. It makes me feel better to know that these issues aren't solely related to a lens exchange, and can also occur with Lasix.
I do think my surgeon was irresponsible in educating me properly regarding this surgery. In retrospect I could have done more research prior, but the research I did do seemed to mostly lean towards positive experiences. As a patient I don't think one always knows what to ask, or what they need to be aware of. It's unfortunate when practitioners don't understand this and don't take the time to educate patients to make an informed decision. As a patient it's pretty infuriating. I work in healthcare, and I'm definitely taking this as a lesson to be more diligent in educating my patient's about treatment. You'd think as a healthcare provider I would have been more thorough in my research, but I guess it made me more apt to trust my doctor instead. Life lessons all around!
Anyway, I'm continuing to try and remain positive, as what's done is done and things seem to be looking up. Thanks again for sharing your positive experience!
RonAKA Myopesince6
Posted
"I wonder if a lot of the fogginess is from the steroid/NSAID drops?"
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The steroid drops can slow down the rate of healing of the eye, and according to my surgeon should not be used too often or too long. He prescribes an antibiotic (Vigamox) four times a day for the first week after surgery, and tells you to stop even if you have more left in the bottle. He prescribes the steroid, Durezol, once a day for three weeks and tells you to stop even if there is more left in the bottle. He does not prescribe an NSAID.