As a brief background, I have a Symfony lens implanted in my right (dominant) eye and my God given eyeball on the left side. I'm trying to decide between having another Symfony lens implanted or a standard lens implanted in the other (left) eye, or go for a complete lens exchange. It has been 4-1/2 months since my first eye was worked on.
A couple of nights ago, I was in a theater watching an animated film (Ethel & Ernest, which was great). As I was watching the movie, I would occasionally alternately cover one eye and then the other, to see if I could notice any difference in what I was seeing from one eye to the other. I was very surprised to find out that my original eye produced noticeably richer colors and more detail than the Symfony eye. In fact, some of the fine black line work could be seen with my original eye, but wasn't there at all with the Symfony eye. I found this kind of disturbing. (Also, my original eye was seeing sharper than the Symfony eye). My question is: Is the loss of richness and color a by-product of the Symfony lens or could that be what my natural eye would be seeing even if I didn't have an implant? Also, if it is a by-product of the Symfony lens ... if I went for a lens exchange (to a standard lens), could I expect to see the richness and detail come back again (or is it lost forever)? Thank you.
I'm really interested in these responses too. Have A Restor 2.5D in one eye and nothing yet in the other eye (just a multifocal contact). I do have a cataract in that eye but it doesn't cause any visual issues yet. When I get the other eye done I am considering a Symfony for the improved focus in the 3ft to 10ft range but my main concern is that there would be a noticeable difference in how I perceive colors between the two eyes. I notice no difference at all now between the two eyes and I'm very sensitive to colors.
Is it bothersome to you or do you only notice it when alternating eyes?
Interesting observations. As both my eyes were affected by cataracts even with one eye implanted with a Symfony Lens that operated eye could see so
much better than unoperated eye.
My conclusion is that these IOLs (monofocal or multifocals) should only be implanted once glasses or contact lenses can no longer corrected your vision. I would suspect even with a monofocal lens you would still see better through other eye that has a healthy natural lens.
I have read that multi-focal lens (as well as symphony) do not have the same clarity and contrast as a mono focal lens. Other than that, I can't comment too much more on it because I have two mono focal lens about 0.5 diopter difference (for mini-mono vision) which I'm very happy with.
Multifocal IOLs have reduced contrast than monofocals, Symfony IOL supposedly reduces contrast a bit too but not as much as a multifocal.
But what you describe might be more a sharpness vs contrast issue. Is your Symfony IOL ended up at near plano (0D) refraction for best distance vision for 20/20 or better compared to your other natural lens eye?
I have a Tecnis monofocal toric IOL in my right eye and my aged natural lens in the left eye. My left eye can correct with eyeglasses to better sharpness than my right IOL eye, however my right eye has some optic nerve damage from glaucoma that my left eye does not have so that difference may be due to that.
I do notice richer colors (except for blue) with the natural lens eye, but that may be due to aging yellows the natural lens that can appear to enhance some colors but the IOL eye's colors may be more accurate. The IOL eye definitely has pure whites compared to the natural lens eye.
1 Like
While alternating between the eyes in the theater, the difference was very noticeable to me, but to be honest, I doubt that I would have noticed it without doing that. (Maybe a case of ignorance is bliss?)
Maybe I should mention that my “old original eye” was looking through the prescription lens of my old glasses. Those glasses have the lens still in place for my original, natural eye, but the other lens popped out to accommodate the Symfony eye. I rarely wear them, but did that night just for the movie.
Thanks Night-Hawk ... In my case, both of my eyes have cataracts, with the eye that was operated on being the worse of the two. The difference in color possibly being due to the yellowing in my natural eye lens has crossed my mind too. But I don’t know.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any info regarding plano or technical numbers (... I don’t even know what “plano” is referring to“). I can tell you that I was told that I was seeing 20/20 in the Symfony eye, but am not sure if that was specific to any particular distance or just an overall assessment. ?
Since its been over 4 months since your cataract surgery, you could go to a lower cost optometrist for a simple refraction eye exam to find out exactly where your eye with the Symfony ended up, particularly if it has any significant residual astigmatism. If that eye ended up a little farsighted, you could have ok distance vision but that could reduce or eliminate the near and intermediate vision with the Symfony.
Thank you again Night-Hawk, but I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. (Sorry ... I can be dense at times).
Nevermind my last comment Night-Hawk ... I get it. Good idea. It certainly can't hurt. Plus it might be good to hear another opinion on all that is going on with me.
I too had to go around with my glasses with one lens popped out for 6 weeks while I waited for 2nd surgery. During those 6 weeks my Symfony took over for distance and intermediate but when I was reading I held objects st the natural distance I had when both eyes had their natural lenses st 6 to 8 inches. It was my unoperated eyes that did all the reading. At that time with just one Symfony I had to hold out my iPhone at 16 inches. Once 2nd eye was operated on with another Symfony I was able to read st 11 inches.
Thanks Sue.An. That's good to know. As I said previously, I rarely wear my glasses. My unoperated eye is nearsighted, so I feel like it's saving me right now, as that's the eye that allows me to read. I can't read with the Symfony eye right now ... it's too blurry close up.
When you close the unoperated eye at what distance can you read with Symfony?
My surgeon didn’t test reading after first surgery he just said that reading with Symfony improves once both eyes were operated on.
He was right - it did improve. 24 hours after surgery I could read at 14 inches and I could read J1 off Snellen chart at that distance. At 6 week post op I could read at 11 inches and that is where I am today. I did get used to this new normal distance.
I suppose it depends on the size of the type. As it is now, sitting in front of a laptop, when I put my face right up to the screen and slowly pull back as far as I can, the email sized text never gets crystal clear ... at any distance, even with the brightness on the screen as high as it goes. If I move my head/eye around, I can sort of figure out the text at about 2 to 2-1/2 feet back (where it seems to be at its best), but it's still pretty difficult. It gets noticeably better when the screen brightness is turned up.
What distance does it get crystal clear? Sounds like you may be a bit farsighted - lens power not calculated right or there is astigmatism.
What did your doc say at post op?
When I first got my multifocal iol, I could detect a very slight difference in contrast sensitivity between my two eyes and I really had to come up with pretty specific test cases to see it (such as looking at a light switch across the room at night with only over city light coming into the room).
Once I passed the "end of the eyedrops" point I can no longer find any situation where I notice a difference at the distance focus point. This goes for sharpness as well as contrast.
Near and intermediate focus points are a different story though and that's where the design of the lens shows its limitations.
Thats what it sounds like to me as well, probably ended up too farsighted.
Thats why earlier I suggested he get an optometrist refraction eye exam to find out exactly where the eye's Rx ended up to confirm that suspicion.
Covering my natural eye and looking only through the eye with the Symfony lens, I can't say that it ever gets crystal clear. But the clearest it gets is at maybe a few inches over 2 feet away. I don't remember the doctor commenting about it at all ... if that is what you're referring to. I just remember the doctor saying that my eye healed properly and that I'm seeing 20/20.
I believe to get a more accurate picture of where your vision is you might want to make an appointment with your optometrist. Your surgeon sounds like mine (and most) in that as long as you can read a a certain line on the eye chart you are 20/20. An optometrist will give you your written prescription - near and distance and astigmatism. I think you could benefit from knowing as I do not think your results with Symfony are typically what you should expect. Yes there are halos and concentric circles at night around light sources but you should see well - crisp and clearly from 26 inches and beyond.
As well if it were me I would want to know where this operated eye wound up before looking at anything for 2nd eye.