I went to an ophthalmologist and asked about getting rid of glasses. He suggested laser or IOL (recommended the latter since I'm approaching 40). I went for IOL because he presented it as very matter of fact and routine surgery. 10 days after I had my first eye operated and 6 days after the second eye, here I am scared that I messed up: - I used to wear glasses all the time, but could read with one eye ok, - now, I can see in the distance clearly and improving, but everything closer than 40 inches is blurred. I can't see details of my face when I shave, I cannot read, can't read my phone screen, I keep my computer at a distance of 40+ inches (font 20p) to be able to keep working (my work is computer-only) - I have heard that you will have 90% of your final vision after 1 week. I'm so scared. - My doctor keeps saying that I should see improvements after 4-5 weeks when healing is complete. Lenses used: TECNIS Symfony® IOL (ZXR00) TECNIS Symfony® Toric IOL (ZXT150) These lenses, I was reassured, are top of the line, and I was getting the best of the best. This seems to be true from my online research. - Does anyone have experience with near sight improving over an extended period post-op? I could use some good news. - Could the doctor have taken incorrect measurements? I mean, he did use machines for those measurements... - Should I ask for a second medical opinion or wait another month and then see the results? Needless to say, the quality of my life has strongly deteriorated, and while my expectation was to not need glasses (at least most of the time), I now find myself wondering if I will ever see properly without glasses.
10 days is way too early to panic.
In reading your post you don't mention cataracts. Was the only reason for lens replacement due to starting to lose your near vision (natural process of aging)?
there is big profit in this type of surgery to correct presbyopia. Although 10 days out from surgery and things can improve as it takes 6 weeks for IOL to completely settle. In that settling process you can become .25 diopter either way (near or farsighted). I have Symfony lenses implanted at 53 due to cataracts in both eyes. Was considered young for cataracts but had no choice as my vision deteriorated to the point driving even daytime was risky . Night worse with glare and halos.
Most are very happy with the visual results after cataract surgery due to the fact our vision deteriorated. Younger patients have better vision and so the quality with IOLs may not be as good as what they had.
Symfony are extended depth of focus lenses and provided good distance and intermediate vision. I was told reading distance would be 18 inches. Fortunately I see closer than that and am satisfied with that.
Sometimes the drops affect peoples vision so it could improve once that is over with and the surgery itself causes dry eye so if you don't have some i recommend buying the artificial tests like Systane.
I wouldn't panic at this point but hopefully you can have a follow up with surgeon to ensure everything is progressing well. At 6 weeks get a full refraction test to see what your prescription is - astigmatism too can cause a bit of blurriness.
Wish you well.
yes you messed up. sorry.
It is early days. it is NOT true that your vision at 1 week is "90% of your final vision".it can take several weeks or even a few months for some people to neural adapt to a lens like the Symfony. So your doctor is right that it may take 4-5 weeks (or even longer) for you to neural adapt.
But I don't think your doctor set expectations very well. As Sue-Ann wrote, the Symfony lens does not promise to provide good near vision -- it only aims to provide good intermediate (computer distance) and far vision. Some lucky people do get good near vision with Symfony, but most will require reading glasses. And while Symfony may have been best of the best for many years after it was introduced, I don't think it is the best of the best in 2020. Most would say for premium lens, tri-focals are the best at present, and since the PanOptix trifocal was approved by the FDA last year, tri-focals are now available in all major markets and tri-focals do aim to provide good near, intermediate and far vision.(tri-focals have been used in Europe and Asia for many years already).
Finally, I agree with sentiment so far, that I would not recommend refractive lens exchange unless current vision is very bad, or you are much older.Getting "cataract surgery" before you have actually have cataracts is a very invasive way of trying to be free from glasses. While most people will be satisfied with the result, but if you are not like most people and do not get the results you hoped for, then you would regret the decision to go for RLE as elective surgery to try to do away with glasses. IOLs improve over time, and getting RLE before you have cataracts locks you out of future generations of better IOLs. But what's done is done, and your vision will improve as your eye heals and you neural adapt to the new lens. Hope it works out for you.
@Sue.An2 @janus381 @W-H Thank you for taking the time to bring some, well, clarity... and hope.
Yes, I'll be on drops for another 10 days. I have been using some artificial tear drops as well, and also started hydrating more. Dry eyes are certainly an issue for me especially since I spend a lot of time on the computer.
Everything is still blurry under 40 inches. It's strange, sometimes I feel like if I focus my attention I can can almost ignore double vision - like it's there but I can only sneak peak. I mean, I can make out what's on my screen or in a book at 25 in, but it's not confortable at all.
18 inches would be great improvement from where I am now. Anything beyond that would almost feel as a bonus.
You are right, my doctor did not set expectations well at all. I was expecting to not need glasses at least 95% of the time (book reading included). I wasn't told about trifocals. I was basically led to believe that there is a high probability that I will not need glasses at all, and you seem to say that the higher probability is that I will in fact need glasses for reading.
I'll have to wait and see the effect. Will keep you posted after my medical exam in 10 days. I plan to ask for a second medical opinion in the meantime.
A friend got the Panoptix trifocal lenses and expected to not need glasses at all. She has had the lenses for over a year now and needs to use reading glasses to be able to read.
I do wonder if wearing reading glasses prevents further neural adaptation. Then again, how long can you endure frustration with not being able to read properly, hoping it will get better.
at least she has the pan optix and could not have done anything better for near. symfony is not even designed for near. maybe it is designed to give the deteriorated near vision of 50 years age. at 36 the OP will have lost significant near vision with symfony.
kutez my near with symfony never got better. it is actually even worse than after surgery as i now have PCO.
if you are in a country that has Synergy than i would suggest that you exchange the non toric with a Synergy so you can enjoy true near in one eye. and the two lenses together would give you great intermediate and distance.
i have symfony in one eye and planning for trifocal in other eye to get true near. please dont get YAG done as that will prevent the ability to exchange the lenses. sorry you have to deal with this at 36.
@soks do you have Symfony multifocal or EDF?
@Sue.An2 Did you have Symfony Multifocals or Extended Depth of Focus? How close can you read a normal book, if you don't mind me asking? Also, do you remember how long it took to get to you final visual acuity (clarity, not halos and other visual effects).
i have Symfony edof in me left eye. right eye is not yet operated. the symfony is only edof. toric or non toric.
I have Symfony in both eyes. They are extended depth of focus lenses (not multifocals). I was able to see well with in 24 hours of surgery although small improvements over course of few weeks. I read well at 11 inches which I am pleased with as I was told that would be 18 inches by surgeon. I donhave the compromise of seeing concentric circles around certain lights at night. In the beginning these were more bothersome than they are now. But they are still there and not likely to go away. I have learned to live with that compromise. It has been nice not to wear glasses. But I realize my results may be better than the norm although there are others on this forum who are pleased with their Symfony results.
I should say my surgeries were 3 years ago and at that time Symfony was the latest on the market. Since then there is now the trifocal PanOptic which has become available which promise better near vision.
Their website seems to be listing them as separate categories. Maybe I'm misreading something.. https://www.jnjvisionpro.com/products/iols-and-implants
Wow, so you were able to read within 24h? That's amazing... I am a bit confused here: my doctor said he would implant multifocals, then I got the lens id cards after the surgery and I noticed they were edof. So either the two are the same thing, or the doctor misspoke. The official website seems to list two separate categories: https://www.jnjvisionpro.com/products/iols-and-implants
Also, would you mind me asking if you are on a computer screen a lot for work? If so, did you continue work after the operation?
tecnis has multifocals. tecnis symfony is edof. tecnis synergy is trifocal.
tecnis edof = symfony is better than their tecnis multifocal which is really a bifocal in the US. In Europe and Australia/NZ tecnis now has Synergy which is supposedly a trifocal/edof mix but gives more natural near vision.
i cannot read with symfony even 2 years after surgery. and PCO has only made it worse.
Soks, I believe Tecnis Synergy combines bi-focal with EDOF. So not a trifocal, but marketing from J&J claims the combination of bi-focal with EDOF is superior to tri-focal. As more people outside US/Canada get Synergy, we will see if actual experience matches marketing, and also get sense of whether the dysphotopsia is better or worse.
hi janus. that's what i am saying in a previous post in this thread that synergy = edof/trifocal mix.
here i wanted to make a point that synergy would be a better multifocal than tecnis bifocals as it would cover all distances.