Recent cataract surgery

I do have progressive glasses and currently have the left lens popped out.  However, prior to first surgery and for some time, I was having to remove my glasses to read.  I feel I have “good enough” distance vision with my glasses for my right eye still but there is noticeable difference when comparing both eyes.   Wondering if possible to get new Rx for glasses progressive lens with close up in left lens only and right eye for distance.  I just want to be able to see my phone, pill bottles, makeup, , casual reading without glasses if I need to.

Not to hijack the thread, but would love to hear how you adjust to your mono-vision as time progresses.  I hope you can update us at some point. Thx. 

G

I'd say all in all you've had an outcome most of us would dream of.   I think to see well 6 inches and beyond is a great outcome. 

G

That is a very good result unless I misunderstood something.  Seeing at 6 inches to distance with a monofocal lens targeted for distance sounds excellent to me.

If you can see at 6 inches why would you need glasses?  I have Symfony lenses and see well from 11 inches which is a decent reading distance and haven’t needed glasses.  Unless you have a hobby or something which requires really close vision?  

I can see 6 inches and beyond WITH glasses, without  bifocals corrected for both far and near vision in both eyes I can't clearly see anything past a few feet and  I  have no useful vision at all closer than 6 inches with or without the glasses....not my idea of excellent...

As I say, knowing what I do now would never have the other eye done..being unable to see  very close up is a BIG problem  for some of us....

Thanks for clarifying - thought you meant you could see through the operated eye at 6 inches.  Yes can certainly see your point of view on the results.  Some say they experience vision at all ranges with a monofocal lens so thought you may have been one of the fortunate ones that can.  

Perhaps exploring monovision when it comes time for 2nd surgery would provide good distance and intermediate as well as usable reading distance with glasses only necessary for fine print.

I know in my own struggle to decide on a lens I did not want to lose near vision and it tipped the scales in favour of Symfony knowing I would compromise the night vision.

My first surgery was two weeks ago and I had a toric monofocal lens implant since I indicated that I would continue to wear glasses but was told with this lens I would just use glasses as an accessory!  I didn’t realize of course that my close up vision would be so compromised.  Since I still have close up vision in my right eye (need to remove glasses) am wondering if should ask if new Rx for progressive lens in glasses could work and delay surgery for right eye for now.  Or, if I should go ahead and opt for the multifocal lens in right eye only, knowing I would wear glasses most of time but have the ability to retain close vision in that eye only.  Thanks for any suggestions.

The plan now is to implant the symfony Multifocal in my right eye.  My research did indicate that monofocal and Multifocal can be mixed and can be beneficial as cons of the two lens could be diminished by using two different lens.  With having only one Multifocal, was suggested that glare/halos for night driving could be diminished.  I assume the adjustment would be similar to monovision but not sure.  Thanks for any info.

Hi Betsy - yes you can mix and match multifocals with your monofocal.  Just a side note the Symfony Lens is in a category all of it’s own.  It’s an EDOF (extended depth of focus) lens.  Multifocals generally provide 2 focal points and there is a dip in between those (so if targeted for distance there is ususually a bit of blurring in the intermediate (what I read on them).  With Symfony the vision is seemless.  I really happy with the panaramic all round vision they provide during the day.  In the beginning glare and starbursts (only at night) was hard to adjust to but at about the 6 week mark they subsided.  Lights now are just a bit fuzzy but I can now drive at night just fine.  In the beginning I had to plan my routes where there was overhead lighting but now even dark unlit roads are fine.  Just came through our winter months where it is dark from 4:30pm till 7:00am.  (I live in Canada). Had to drive from work every day after dark.  I can honestly say I don’t even think about driving and routes (my surgeries were July and August 3017).  I do see the big concentric circles.  They appear more around red and amber / yellow lights.  Look like spiderwebs.  Sounds bad I know and although I wish they weren’t there they are much lighter and I can see through them.  they appear on red traffic lights or brake lights on cars (regular brake lights on as I travel behind a car don’t have the circles).  They also appear at a certain distance.  As I approach the light they disappear.  

I do think if you were to target your Symfony Lens .50 closer you may not even see the concentric circles.  This would also give you the advantage of closer vision.  I didn’t see well enough close up until both eyes were implanted with Symfony.   Also your monofocal will counter balance the night time visuals.

I sympathize with your difficult decision and wish you the best.  If you have any questions about Symfony reach out.  I am always willing to share my experience.  

Good luck Betsy.  Please share how you make out.

Find a good surgeon is my advice (one who has lots of successful surgeries implanting Symfony if going that route).

Should also add that it wouldn’t be quite the same as monovision due to the fact Symfony sees well at all ranges except for small print.  I got lucky in that my near vision with 2 Symfony lenses was better than expected (11 inches vs 18 expected). Which is why I am recommending the target should be .50 to .75 diopter in.  this would also lessen the impact of the concentric circles as you only see them when about 40-50 yards from light source

Am conflicted now as to whether I should go ahead with surgery for right eye and have the symfony Multifocal in that eye only.  I will continue to wear glasses with progressive lens but was told I would be able to not wear glasses at times and have good distance vision with the right eye gaining close and intermediate vision with Multifocal.  I know patients adapt to monovision and am thinking this may be similar to adapt.  My dr felt I can adapt since I am currently functioning with one eye for distance and the other has distance with glasses on and close up with glasses off.  Thanks for your reply.

Hi Sue.An

I am encouraged by your good results.

I am a new member but am having a consultation for Symfony iol`s in both eyes at Moorfields in London in a couple of weeks.

I am planning to have my non dominant left eye done first with a 0.5 correction for near reading.

Then the second right eye with no near correction a month or two later adjusting for the results from my left eye.

I am 49 and i do not have cataracts or drive much at night and my prescription is

R +3.25  -0.75x95

L +4.50    -0.5x45

I DO NOT want to wear glasses for mobile phones or distance golf etc but would for an occasional intricate hobby.

Do you think I will get a good result?

Do you have much contrast reduction as a percentage?

I have been playing around with a picture on Microsoft Office picture manager and reducing the contrast by percentages and up to about 15% would be acceptable to me.

Your posts and others have given me confidence to go for it!

thanks

 

Hi Tom - it is good you are researching this thoroughly. It is a decision which you cannot easily reverse.

I had no choice as at 53 I was diagnosed with cataracts.  Best corrected vision with glassss was 20/60 in right eye and 20/50 in left.   I am curious why if you do not have cataracts why you’d want to do a clear lens exchange.  Currently there is no perfect lens and compromises to make - nothing beats your natural lens.

  My prescription was slightly less than yours prior to surgery with little astigmatism.

The thing is for over a year I could not see clearly due to the cataracts so the contrast after surgery was nothing short of miraculous.  However I don’t know how that would compare for someone that has no cataracts to begin with.

As you do not drive much at night the night time visuals aren’t as much of a concern.  With Symfony you’ll see a spider web (multiple concentric circles around certain types of lights).  Although I wish they weren’t there I have grown accustomed to them and actually do drive a fair amount at night. Living in Canada there are 3 months of the year I have to drive home from work each day after dark.  So that is something to take into consideration.

Daytime these lenses are perfect for me.  I don’t need glasses except if I have to read very tiny print.  Anything 11 inches and out is clear.  Some don’t get as near vision as I have with Symfony. Prior to surgeries I was expecting that to be 18 inches.  Reading does become easier after both surgeries.

I have an iPhone 6s on normal font and have no issue with reading it.  I too play golf and no issues there.  Was on a cruise in January and for first time I could snorkel and enjoy the colours and see the fish and coral.  I was even able to thread a needle since my surgeries and fix my sunglasses where the tiny screw came out - all without glasses.

I would say that in low light situations contrast is less.  Even with cataracts never had an issue with menus in low lit restaurants.  I do have trouble reading in low light with Symfony.  I have used my flashlight on the iPhone numerous times to read menus.

My one recommendation if you go through with this is to get an excellent surgeon - speak to their prior patients if you can.  Your idea if you want to ensure closer vision would be to target .50 diopter closer.  The IOL shifts a bit back and forth before settling so even if targeted for plano you could end up .50 either way.  Better to be a bit nearsighted than far and then adjust for 2nd surgery.  It can take 3 or 4 weeks for healing and settling to take place so plan to leave 3 weeks between surgeries.

I wish you all the best.

There is a you tube video posted by an opthamologist Dr Shannon Wong who had a St

Don’t lens implanted in one eye.  Will give you some good visuals to compare it to eyes natural lens.  Also good sour is the blog by Dr Por yong Ming on All things Eye - Symfony.  Q&A after the blog is excellent.  Many write in their questions and he takes the time to answer.  

Hi Sue

Thanks for taking the time to reply so fully and quickly.

I have decided to have Symfony lenses as I have always hated wearing glasses,the feel and look  and have difficulties getting contact lenses in my eyes(a flinch reaction) contacts also dry up within 3 or 4 hours and become painful so I don`t use them now,even with moisture rich daily disposables.

The surgeon I am seeing is one of the top rated in the UK and Moorfields Eye Hospital is regarded as being the highest quality available here.

In terms of contrast could you try and describe how much it is reduced from a normal eye ?

I know you had cataracts so that may be a bit difficult.

Any comments on contrast from someone who did not have cataracts would also be welcome.

I think the overall convenience after Symfony lens implants would be fantastic for me even if there are some negative points which I think I can live with.

Kind regards

Tom

Hi Tom - you are welcome.  Although I had cataracts the affect was greater on my mid and distance vision.  I had more contrast with natural lens in poor lighting conditions than with Symfony.  With good lighting for me no noticeable difference.  I lived 6 weeks with one eye done before next surgery.  Example of menu reading in dimly lit (upscale restaurants).  In my home I have good lighting so no concerns with contrast.  Even in dimly lit conditions due to nature of iPhone iPad being backlit - no issue there as well.

Most on these forums are having the surgery due to cataracts but there are a few who have had clear lens exchange.  Age plays into it as well. Younger you vision is better anyways so there may be more noticeable differences.

To get more opinions I suggest you start a thread of your own- I am sure others will weigh in.

Most come to these kinds of forums once something goes wrong so I find the opinions to be more on the negative side.  The more positive views are from those who researched prior and were informed before going into surgery.  Expectations vs reality I guess.  

I was so shocked by the diagnosis that I did go a lot of digging.

I never considered wearing glasses a burden - just something I lived with so didn’t opt for Symfony lenses for that reason.  But wanted to have as natural a vision to what I had and find Symfony has given me that (less the night time visuals but had a lot of glare and halos night driving with cataracts and with Symfony this has improved).

I wish you all the best.