Technis Eyhance and ZCB00: Finally A Fix For My Quirky Vision Quest

Long-ish read here. In 2005 I began following the latest developments worldwide in intraocular lenses (IOL’s) in hopes of getting a refractive or clear lens exchange, meaning correction for spectacle independence of poor eyesight without cataracts. I wanted an accommodating lens to see all in ranges, but Crystalens was, and is, the only FDA-approved accommodating IOL and was not a fit for me. Though I would have gone to the UK or EU for IOL’s only available there, none were ever suitable, mostly because I’m an odd case, with extreme hyperopia, glasses of +6.5D or contact lenses of an unreal +10D prescription; very small eyes (1% of population); large pupils, and until recently, no cataracts, all of which eliminated me as a candidate for Lasik, PRK, most IOL’s designed primarily for myopia, and those restricted to cataract patients. My vision was completely blurred at all distances without correction. Tried glasses many times; they were as thick as Coke bottles, gave me headaches, and made my eyes so big I looked like ET. Instead, I wore contact lenses for 42 years, the last 20 as monovision. Instructed never to nap in them, I didn’t; the thickness of the contacts excessively reduced oxygen to my eyes if I closed them. Being an RN, I also had to acknowledge the sometime possibility of my having an unconscious event, where no one would think to remove my contacts (eyes are often taped over for protection in an emergency), and thus possibly losing my eyesight. This became a kind of rational anxiety for me, heightened by the pandemic.

My worsening vision required having my contacts set 2.5D apart, making my brain work overtime for suboptimal intermediate vision. By 2021, my pricey new glasses, with the lightest-weight frames and lenses, still made me miserable. So with the lack of any new FDA-approved accommodating IOL on the horizon (an MD for Juvene said I wasn’t a candidate; EDOF’s like Vivity are not available in high plus range), I finally resigned myself to getting standard monofocal IOL’s in monovision, sacrificing intermediate-range clarity. Then a few months ago I read that Technis Eyhance was FDA approved. Any increase in intermediate vision, even if only 0.5D, sounded good. So that clinched it. My vision had yellowed with non-obscuring cataracts, but surgery was primarily for refractive purposes, so I self-paid. My surgeon is one of the top three in the US. The Eyhance implant was +29D (toric) for the reading eye; and Technis ZCB00 +27.5D for the distance eye (with additional limbal relaxing incision). Am now 6 days post-op for the second lens. Eyhance was set to -1.25 and ZCB00 for 0.00. Vision is excellent at 20/20,, crystal-clear and getting more so with each day, including intermediate range. I can't see any blurry gaps. Lots of additional light with Technis' non-tinted lens, and can read well without readers, including cellphone, and even smaller print if light is bright enough. No issue with computer or television ranges. Distance vision is remarkable. Good contrast. Impressed and frankly amazed at this point.

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