Hello all, I am scheduled for a cataract surgery in both my right and left eye and am very young (17 years old). I am very nervous about the type of lens going into my eye due to the possible need for reading glasses at such a young age. Each lens my eye doctor explained to me there may be complications with distance or reading. I was curious about the outcomes any one had based on the Symfony Toric lens.
Hello Casey, you are very young to be having cataract surgery.
What country are you in, are you in the UK?
may have congenital cataracts.
Hi Casey
I have to admit I know nothing about types of lens, the Optician told me I had cataracts and referred me to the GP who then referred me to a Consultant at the hospital, nothing was ever mentioned about types of lens, they simply did the op and sent me home.
Having to be going through such an op is so awful at one so young, first of all the Consutlants must be able to advise on which option to take, I dont think anyone on this site would be able to advise you, if you can get fitted with lens that will cover both long and short sight vision, that will be perfect and surely the Surgeon will know, but if you have to choose then long sight would be best so you dont need to have glasses for driving and if you have to have glasses for reading that would be best, but we all have our fingers crossed that they will fit lens that will do both. You could ask if you can wear contact lens for reading again I dont know if you would have to remove them to drive, They told me before my op that there could be complications, they have to say that to cover themselves but you are young and will come through with flying colours, you didnt say why you were having to have both eyes done, do they both have cataracts and is that the only problem with your eyes. Please let us all know what they say and further how you are after the op, are you have an op soon
Kindest regards and best wishes, Agnes
Very Sorry to learn that you have to have cataract surgery at such a young age.
1. I have a Symfony Toric lens in my right eye for distance and a monofocal lens in my left eye for close-up. With this combination, I have good day vision at all distances beyond 16 inches. However, I wish that my night vision were better, the main issue being the seeing of multiple concentric circles or halos around lights at night time. Many other people seem to have had the same issue. Rather than repeating the details here, I will encourage you to read my post, “Has Any One Else Had This Very Unusual Vision Issue with Symfony Lens?” on this forum. You should be able to find it by clicking on my name and then looking under “Discussion”.
2. Based on what I know now, I would suggest using a combination of a symfony lens and a monofocal lens like I do, but in a different set up. (for my surgery, I knew less and also did not have that option because of first eye having been done 20 years back). My suggestion will be to start with having a monofocal lens set for distance in your dominant eye. That will provide you with a good vision for driving at night. If that turns out to be as planned, then have the Symfony lens in your non-dominant eye set for about 32-40 inches range, which will give you the capabilty of reading as well as overall good vision at all distances with both eyes. You should not have the night vision problem of haveing multiple concentric circles around lights in the distance with this combination.
This is a unusual combination of lenses which the surgeons don't usually suggest. But, you may want tt talk it over with your surgeon.
Hi Agnes, this was why I asked what country Casey was in because I believe there is limited availability of Symfony lenses in the UK, though I read that they now use them in Private clinics.
I, too had my eyes done & my Consultants decided what lenses I would be given.
Hi Mrs Mop
I was so happy to hear that it wasnt discussed with you about types of lens, they also told me there could be complications and I had to sign a form or they wouldnt have operated, fortunately there wasnt much of a problem, I can see fine to drive but have to wear glasses to read small print, but I did anyway before my ops, most of the people on this site were told about lens and I find that really strange because they do all the tests on your eyes and they have the relevant information they should then know exactly what would be the best to put into your eyes, obviously everyone would like to have lens inserted that would cover both driving and reading vision but only the consultants would know from whatever test and information they had about you, did you have both your eyes done and is your sight ok, would love to hear
Regards
Agnes
Hi Agnes,
I have now had both of my eyes done, with 30 years in between! They were both steroid induced.
My latest eye is absolutely briliant & my new lens gives me similar sight to my natural lens, which was removed. I have no problems with that eye.
Where people talk about the type of lens implant that they are going to have, or have had, they tend to be in the US or other countries where they don't have the same sort of Health Service as we do.
I wore specs anyway & when they did my implant, the new lens is so similar to the one they removed, I can carry on wearing my current specs.
No I am from the US
Hi - I live in Canada which I believe is somewhat similar to U.K. We have Medicare and cataract surgery and monofocal lens would be completed covered . No out of pocket expense to patient. However there are other lenses which are not completely covered. We would have an out of pocket expense expense of the lens price we choose minus cost of monofocal lens covered by Medicare which would be somewhere in the vaciniry of $1,000 per eye.
So in UK do you have to choose either private or public health for cataract surgery. If public no lens options are even discussed or do they assume if you are doing under public health you wouldn't be willing to pay for a different lens? Or if you go private is the surgery and the lens at the expense of patient? In Canada cataract surgery is covered regardless of your lens selection. We pay only if we want a different lens other than monofocals.
Hi Sue, in the UK, we pay for our Health Service in our taxes. We can also take out Private Health Insurance too if we want to, or just pay to go Privately each time we need a procedure.
When I Googled Symfony lenses, I found that it only appears relatively recently that they have become available privately, rather than on the NHS [National Health Service]. 2014/15
When I had my cataract done recently, they did tell me the type of lens that they were using & also told me the type of lens I had had implanted in 1992 but really, there isn't any choice for the patient. There could be a difference between hospitals in different areas,I haven't looked into it. Each area has a budget to work to.
I see. We pay for Medicare in our taxes too. You can get services and extra by paying for private
We can do one or the other but not mix them
Mrsmop
I think we can go to a private dr for an opinion which willbe sent to NHS dr for refrral back into the NHS.
USA seems to be similar to Canada in that Medicare (a government program for people over 65 years old) and even most of the private insurance plans cover all the cost for the cataract surgery and the installation of a monofocal (non-toric) lens (except for a deductible, typically 20%). The doctors and hospitals accept the amount of that payment, even though they usually send out a bigger bill.
For any other premium lens (which is anything other than a non-toric monofocal lens), they have a pre-set cost for that lens (which includes extra payment to the surgeon, hospital, and lens manufacturer) above what the medicare or another plan will cover for the simple monofocal lens. They will still get the same payment from the medicare or a typical private insurance program, as for a simple monofocal lens: you just pay an extra pre-set cost for the premium lens.
Hi Sue,
I thought I'd respond since I've just had one eye done. The NHS in the UK only supply monofocal lenses at the moment, unless there is a medical need for anything else.
You do get the choice to determine the strength of implants, my consultant discussed with me the various options which were, a) same strength as my normal lenses meaning I could use my existing glasses b) set both eyes for distance or c) set the dominant eye for distance and the other for near/intermediate. (Sorry there was also an option to just get one eye done but then I will have to wear a contact lens in the other since my myopia is too high to allow me to wear glasses).
There are a few NHS trusts that allow patients to select a premium lens and pay the difference but not many of them allow this, including mine.
I'm still deciding what to do, stay with the NHS or go private for a premium lens. I could postpone the second surgery as I'm finding I can tolerate using a contact lens in my left eye, which I was surprised at because I never could when I tried them in the past.
It's a real shame a 17 year old has to go through this and I wish him all the best in the future.
Thankful Canada's Medicare system pay for the entire cost no matter your age. You pay out of pocket if you want a different lens.
Agree James - someone age 17 should never have to face this. I am 53 and having hard time. Canada's Medicare system pay for surgery and monofocal lens only if you fail the vision test for drivers' license. Otherwise patient pays for entire cost. Medicare will cover my surgery and monofocal lenses however I am considering paying difference for Symfony lenses however trying to decide if I would be able to accept less than optimal night vision (if it were to happen to me). Wish I had a crystal ball.
It has been one week since my right eye has been done. I have had very much complications with the Symfony Toric lens. I just went back to speak to my doctor about my blurred vision and very poor reading abilitys, as well as glare at night. He took a look at my eye and said he will need to go back in to adjust my lens. Apparently it is supposed to be at a 90 degree angle or so and mine moved to 65 degrees. Supposly this is very rare to do and 99% of people do not need to get it altered. I have my next eye schuedled for tomorrow, hope all goes well.