Hello i am 32 years old and I want to do cataract surgery with tecnis synergy but in this forum there is only negative experiences I would like to know if after the surgery i will see better or worse than i am now how can i seeafter surgery my smartphone ,TV , drivibg ,read a book , PC ... ?
Hi Lion,
I had cataract surgery last winter at 36, so also on the very young side. Look up my profile to read my whole run down, but I’m really pleased I had my surgery. Generally speaking, I can just see everything better. I do require spectacles / contacts for my near vision, and to correct a bit of residual refractive error, but with glasses / contacts i can read books / computer / phone / tablet much easier. My distance vision is clearer than it every was. And I can drive at night again, as my cataracts were giving me a lot of glare in the last few months ahead of my surgery.
While I was a bit disappointed to need contacts / glasses after surgery, its also nice to have them because glasses could never fix my cataract issues before surgery. Some people are lucky enough / have the right optical physics to be glasses free after, but I’m just happy to be 20/20-20/25 correctable for the first time in my life
Hi, I had cataract surgery Oct of 2019 with Panoptix. I am very happy with the results. I had horrible vision - very nearsighted (made worse by cataracts) before surgery. I think it comes down to expectations. For me, It is such a blessing to be free of eyeglasses!
I was very afraid myself after reading negative posts. I now have excellent distance, intermediate and near. I just worked on my computer all day without glasses. TV, driving and reading a book are fine. I do see halos at night around light sources. I think you have to decide what is most important to you. Perfect vision at one distance with glasses for other distances or very good vision at a broader range, but halo’s at night. Remember wearing eyeglasses are a compromise too. I should know, since I wore thick glasses for over 50 years. They don’t stay clean, you have no peripheral vision, and they can be uncomfortable. I chose a wider range of vision and wear glasses only to see very tiny print.
If you are only 32, then you will go from full focusing power to no accommodation with the interocular lens, since it doesn’t bend. I don’t know anything about the tecnis synergy. I would suggest asking your doctor his/her opinion, and bring up any concerns before surgery.
I wish you great success!
I had cataract surgeries in August and September of 2018 and had Symfony lenses implanted. I am very happy with my results. I have great vision at all three distances now (20/20), without glasses or contacts. I do see some starbursts at night from on coming headlights, but it has not been a problem. Prior to my surgeries, I had very poor vision and many eye issues, including severe dry eyes, prior Lasik surgery, and droopy eye, which according to many surgeons did not make me a good candidate for multifocal lenses. I had a wonderful, experienced surgeon that I trusted. I feel very blessed to have such great vision now. I read so many negative comments prior to my surgery, but I trusted my doctor and am thrilled with my results.
Its extremely easy . It just was like doctor was shining various lights in my eyes. I experienced no pain at all. I also had implants put in so i wouldnt have to wear glasses. They say if you dont have it done, you can become blind
First, there are obviously a lot of good things about IOL’s, but each type has some drawbacks. I would make sure you understand what the side effects of each are likely to be, and try to choose the one that has the side effects that you can live with. If you are in the US the common choices are the Symphony and the PanOptix if you want the widest range of vision without glasses. Google the following to find a youtube video comparing these two types of lenses.
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Would you like to have your symfony lens removed and replaced with a panoptix? Shannon Wong, MD
I go in monday for my first eye (wills eye in philadelphia. i choose the symphony lens. glad to hear you are happy with it!
good to hear it was easy. I am 47 and go in for my first eye on monday. very nervous about it so glad to have that feedback!
It is unnerving to think your eye is being operated on but honestly a trip to the dentist for a cleaning hurts worse.
I was given an ativan to calm my nerves. They pour numbing drops in your eye - you don’t feel any pain.
Wish you a successful surgery.
I had my surgery monday morning…it really wasn’t that bad. the nerves are the worst. Once you get there it’s all so quick (especially right now bc they don’t have as many patients and you wait in your car until your time - then it’s all super fast).
Before I knew it I was home for three hour nap.
I have a question though…
Anyone have input on how long it takes to adapt to the new lens?
I had the symfony put in. Before surgery, I talked to my surgeon about wanting the best possible vision for distance and dashboard. I don’t mind wearing readers.
Right now I’m finding distance is not clear, but i can see the dash on my car, see my watch and phone super clear. My post-op results were good - dr is happy with results. But not seeing distance clear is concerning. And everything seems odd out of that eye - almost high definition, my depth perception feels off.
I do have the jiggly thing I’ve seen described and i know that this is early. I’m just wondering how long it takes to adjust to the visual distance and if anyone has had their distance vision get better as the lens settles and the eye heals?
Oh - I also notice the pupil in the iol eye is smaller. Anyone recall that? I assume when i do the other eye they will match again???
Hi Crista, all that seems normal. The curvature of your eye has been slightly impacted by the procedure and that could take 4-6 weeks to get back to normal. It is also possible that you could be experiencing a bit of dry eye condition. You should be scheduled for a check-up in 4 weeks and should see some improvement by then. If not, discuss with your specialist.
My vision in one eye was 20/25, and 20/30 in the other after surgery and for the first month. They were measured at 20/20 after 3 months. I think my distance vision could be even better but there is a slight amount of astigmatism.
Thanks Chris. No overly worried yet - i know it has to heal. It’s just a little odd and hard to get used to right now.
Thanks for your reply:)
What is the situation with your other eye. Does it have an IOL? The type? Or does it have a cataract developing?
I don’t believe the Symfony lens is tinted yellow for blue light filtering. That means it will give you a more blue and brighter image – even compared to a normal natural lens. And if there is a cataract in the other eye it will be less bright and potentially more yellow than a normal natural lens.
Hi there! I do have a cataract in my right eye as well. I will have that one done soon. I’m waiting a bit to heal and see how the sight is first. Yes, I do not believe it’s tinted either. My unoperated cataract eye - everything looks yellow compared to my operated Sympfony lens. My pupil is slightly smaller on the Symfony eye and my iris is a lighter blue (slightly).
I read that is normal as the other eye with the cataract is more open to allow more light past the cataract.
I hope when they are both Symfony they will look the same.
My biggest concern is that distance on my Symfony eye is still fuzzy. Up close and computer is perfect. About three feet out it’s slightly fuzzy - like a camera lens that needs to focus. Kind of the opposite of what i hoped for. It is also a strange feeling of high def as opposed to my natural lens. So it’s odd to use the eyes together. The unoperated eye wears a -7.5 contact lens.
I am a bit worried we missed the mark. Technician had a hard time getting measurements on that left eye bc of the dense cataract. We shall see in time i guess…
I believe you are correct in that the more open pupil is likely due to the decreased light coming in due to the cataract. Cataracts will also often cause a yellowing of vision. I have cataracts in both eyes but one is much more severe than the other. The bad one gives me double vision, fuzzy vision, and is more yellow when I look at white portions of the TV screen.
As for the distance vision, I would not panic too much until you are out a few weeks from the surgery. Have they tested vision yet? If they missed with the correction and you are happy with close vision in this eye, you might want to consider getting a monofocal distance vision lens for the next eye. Then you would have a multifocal type lens for reading and intermediate, and a monofocal for distance. It is called a hybrid monovision.
In any case it would be best to let the first eye settle out and see what you really get before making a decision on the second eye. That is the upside of not having both eyes done at the same time. You can adjust your overall plan based on what you actually get in the first eye.
Congrats for getting through it. Yes most definitely the nerves are worst part!!!
As for how long it takes to adjust - that can really vary person to person. My own was quite quick within 2 days once the drops to dilate my eye wore off but I did have depth perception issues till the other eye was done 6 weeks later. Managed to get on by poking a lens out of my glasses.
Some people react more to the post op drops and their vision will fluctuate a lot or be blurry. Sounds though your vision is pretty crisp in that near and mid range. The IOL will take about 6 weeks to adhere and as it does it moves back and forth and your vision could end up .25 diopter either way from the target. Did you surgeon aim to undershoot plano - most do as it is better to be under plano than be too farsighted. As your surgery was only Monday give it time. Your brain is trying to meld the vision from both eyes and it will get better as it adapts. Also I found light hard to take those early weeks and wore sunglasses even inside my house!
Do you have a 2 and 6 week follow up with the surgeon or an optometrist? At 6 weeks is when you could get a prescription for glasses if needed.
Wish you the best.