Should I wait for Zeiss LARA in the US or get Symfony?

thanks for sharing your experience with ZEISS lenses. i have only one symfony lens and with that eye i can see clearly starting at arms lengths as well (around 20 inches) so i need 1.25 readers. but my distance is 20/10 vision so for next eye i will go with -0.6 refraction error to get a little more close distance.

however i am currently struggling with positive dysphotopsia which makes me see the lens edge glare. arcs and circles. i can manage that condition with lumify or alphagan but dont like using the medications for long term. so i may go with monofocal for the next eye.

i wanted to be glasses free as well but i need astigmatism glasses anyway so -0.5 will not make that much of a difference.

interesting Soks how much distance you see with Symfony. At 3 months i could read 20/20 line with optometrist - but last visit could read 20/15 line (RE). Do you think you ended up slightly more far sighted which would explain holding out tablet at arm's length to read?

if i had ended up far sighted (at 20/10) then i should be able to see 20/20 with a +0.5. that is not the case. +0.5 makes things very blurry at distance.

i think the correction i need for 20/20 automatically gives me all lines. similarly i am j1+ for near. j1 is probably 20/20. I can read all lines with my unoperated eye below 20/20.

i think for those who get poor near more diopters are needed for near vision than needed for distance. but if i am 20/10 in one eye i am willing to be 20/40in the other eye.

Thank you for sharing as we don't often get updates on Zeiss lenses. Hard not to base decisions on another's outcome with a particular lens but seems actual results vary person to person with same lens. In reality there are many factors involved. Will your doctor do an exchange if you continue to be unsatisfied with Lisa lens? I

Were you not able to read the line below 20/15 or did he not even attempt?

Hi Sue

I just went to the optomterist for FREE (benefits of international location). I had him put the +0.5 and the vision was 20/40 and blurry. Then I had +0.5 and astigmatism correction. No improvement.

Then I had him put +0.25 still no improvement and blurry vision. Then I had him put +0.25 and astigmatism correction and lo behold I am 20/10 again. So I may have overshot by +0.25. Then I tried reading with the +0.25 it sharpens a bit but not too much.

BTW your eye that is better for near, is it your dominant eye or non-dominant eye?

That makes sense. hard to understand prescriptions at times. Things ate different once both eyes done. Find they do not function as well independent of each other now. Had a hard time focusing with one eye covered st optometrist. She did say that wasn't unusual after cataract surgery.

Didn't ask me to/attempt. It was through machine so 20/10 line not visible. Only RE could read it. LE missed letters on 20/20 line. It now has more astigmatism at .75 whereas RE has no more astigmatism at all.

For near vision it is slightly better in LE and that is one with more astigmatism at .75Originally thought it was dominant eye but now when I do those tests it is my non dominant eye. Only explanation I can think of is the cataract was much worse in RE so LE became dominant?

Cool how different it is in other countries. Visiting UK later this year so I will be interested in what they have.

So this explains shy reading isn't what it should be with symfony.

I am in Malaysia so you pay for each procedure including going for your checkups. I have been keeping in touch on email though and she still thinks I will adapt to the lenses. She and her colleagues use the Swiss Occulentis and she did try to steer me away from the trifocals iol 's but after researching the Occulentis they said patients were complaining about the mid distance clarity and as I said a close friend and another couple had there's done with Zeiss and were thrilled with the results so I asked for the Zeiss Lisa but after the first eye I decided I didn't want the halos so Zeiss Lara had just come out so opted for that.

I have my checkup Jan 28th so see what she says and will take note what my vision is and strength of reading glasses. Thanks everyone for all the info wish I found this before the surgeries.

I do have halos in both my eyes if it's a bright light very pronounced rings in the Lara like looking at a spiders

Good luck Glenda!

Yes at LARA would have the rings like spider webs (although they are light) just like my Symfony lenses. I am ok with the trade off/compromise of that as I have good vision from these - don't need glasses - see well from 11 inches beyond.

Keep us updated on the progress - decisions. Wish you well.

Did you brain get used to the AT LISA? I had lens surgery 5 months ago (AT LISA in one eye) and I am going crazy because of large circles / arcs in my field of vision every time i walk by a light source (I can live with the concentric circle around light source itself).

The reflection disappears with pupil constrictor eye drops, but the have too many side effects.

Worst at night, but the reflections come at day time too.

I am considering a replacement (J&J Eyhance) and have to make up my mind soon.

Sorry I should have restated, I went AT LARA and vision in both reading and distance if better than 20/20, no need for readers.

Thanks for your update. What do you mean by very small print?

2 sizes below standard newsprint on the reading chart as I recall. Better than my surgeon that doesnt need glasses. I read the smallest print on pill bottles, etc no problem.

Sounds very much like I had read on atLARA as that they provide little more range of focus (when all goes well) than Symfony does. That likely is more noticeable on the reading side vs distance.

Thanks for the update Gordon. I am still shocked that when done as a clear lens exchange operations are a day apart. For your sake glad all went well. Just find that difficult that a surgeon would do that. You'd think they would allow a werk or 2 at least in case any adjustments ate needed on on 2nd eye.

I read very well with symfony but need good lighting. Dim lighting it's not as clear. Some small print is more difficult particularly if it is white lettering on a green or red background like on tubes of ointment.

All the best!

It was fine! Before the second eye operation I went through an exhaustive set of eye tests and examination. Here in the UK locations are now doing BOTH EYES at the same time, same day! 1 day apart was just great. Dim is fine but more light is better for the tiniest of work (IE Necklace clasp). No issues with coloured text or backgrounds, used to be a huge issue for a favourite restaurant but no more!

Gordon:

Can you give some more details on the concentric rings you are seeing around light sources? The main things I'd like to know is how large are the rings and how bright are they?

For example, if you look at a car headlight, do the concentric rings extend much beyond the car itself?

Thanks and please update again after a few more months. It will be interesting to hear if your brain has tuned everything out. Your overall results seem quite good though.

Thanks.

Yes I would think they do many tests and take measurements beforehand. I would be interested in knowing if for cataracts if they still do surgeries only a day apart or same day. I am in Canada and there is a mandatory wait between surgeries (of course our healthcare system covers the cost - I only paid added expense of the Symfony lenses). But if I were having a clear lens exchange (st my own expense) there is no mandatory wait time.

Given what can go wrong and some take longer to heal than others and the .25 diopter either way when IOL settles do think a wait time is beneficial to patient.

As per Derek's question I too am curious about how large the concentric circles are for atLARA. My own ate pretty big when 50 yards away from say car brakes when applied extending well beyond vehicle. Inner circles more bright than outer ones. As I get nearer light source they disappear.

It's true you get accustomed to them although don't think they've lessened last 15 months.

Does your wife also see that well?

Great question, yes we are the same. And she is also reading text to levels better than newsprint size and better than 20/20 on distance

can each eye individually read that well? thanks for sharing the info.

my symfony artifacts after miotic drops are similar to yours. without miotics drops i have lens edge glare for direct and indirect light sources.

and my near is nowhere as good.