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I had Synergy put in RE 6 weeks ago and am very dissatisfied with results so far. Enough so that I’m postponing the 2nd surgery. I’m nearsighted (-5.00 in both eyes) and the only vision that is ‘normal’ is about 8’ (watching TV- not something I want to do all day). Distance is only 20/25 and I’ve been told by my eye doctor not likely to improve. Computer monitor (arms length) is reasonable with some blurring around text, but anything closer than that: phone, writing, cleaning, grocery shopping, polishing nails, requires reading glasses.
Currently using a contact lens in LE and I have better, crisper vision with that. I thought I asked enough questions beforehand, and I knew very near vision would be a problem, but I had no idea it would be this bad. I miss my glasses. Also, I’ve never heard from surgical doctor about why I postponed surgery. Forget medical care, what about customer service?
Hi AJ Canada,
@AJ_Canada
Would you be willing to write up your experience this many months on ( 4 months?)
Thank you,
Greetings, I have been waiting for well over a year now for the Synergy Toric lens to become available in Canada - apparently due to delays caused by Covid, combined with the sloth like work of the Canadian food and drug administration. On 5 occasions, I was told the lens would be available on a certain date, only to be let down each time. The lens has been available outside of North America for a few years far as I understand, like Croatia… I guess NA is a bit behind the rest of the planet.
After reading Tim Roth’s amazing story, from near blind to 20/20 , I held off going with other suggested lens replacements and now that its truly available, I will be scheduled for surgery immediately.
I am near blind in my left eye after waiting all this time, having a cataract typical of a 90+ year old (I was told gently, and I’m only 55). My right eye will eventually need to be operated on too, but its fine for now. I am hoping to hear more stories here before I get the install - getting a bit freaked out reading not so great reviews. However, at this point, anything is better than what I got going on - I am close to being not able to work (Senior IT person). The left eye works at about 3" - 4" only but is weirdly clear as a bell at that distance - and also has horrible halo’s with 8+ copies of all images in a lovely circle - way too far gone for glasses or contacts. Its figuratively a perma-acid trip in that eye, swirly and completely blurred. Waiting on the call as we speak to book the operation. The Dr. performing the surgery is a legendary rockstar, thus I am in good hands.
Hoping to record my entire experience on this thread for others to follow, or abandon 
I will also provide research regarding my experience to the medical community, maybe even do a video or two. Its possible the lens for me might be free, due to its new age in Canada. Hoping for this, as our medical doesn’t pay for the higher end lens replacements - which really makes these types of lenses for the middle class or rich only - at about $1400 an eye. BC healthcare will provide a mono focal lens for free, BUT you have to wear glasses. Sounds completely backwards to me, but again, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is the common theme out there, right? Eyesight should be completely free to tax payers, period. This type of thing disgusts me. Hopefully other countries care about their citizens a little bit more than this.
My eyesight literally failed overnight about 3 years ago in that eye, after having 20/20 vision up till that moment. I did not have such an appreciation for anyone having vision problems before now, but sadly, I now get it.
It sounds like you have some challenging issues, and I wish you all the best with the Synergy. I look forward to hearing how you make out with the lens. My only suggestion is to not rush into the second eye. Find out what you have with the first eye, and them make your decisions. To me this cataract process is not a one time decision. It is a plan with options as you go along.
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On your comment that your BC health care will only cover a monofocal lens and forces you to wear glasses, I would suggest that is not totally accurate. While there are some issues to consider as there are with a MF lens, two monofocal lenses in a monovision configuration can get you to a glasses free situation, with no extra cost not covered by our government health care. I am currently simulating that with one IOL and a contact in the non IOL eye. I like it a lot better than wearing glasses. I can’t wait to get rid of the contact and hopefully achieve the same thing with a monofocal IOL that leaves me myopic (about -1.25) in the eye.
Live in Canada too. Wondering if medicare varies between provinces as I went with Symfony lenses in NB and was charged the difference between a monofocal lens and Symfony. Surgery itself completely covered (provided it is for cataracts - not clear lens exchange).
We have MSP in BC, Canada. Its one of the few in Canada, that we have to pay for.
It goes by province. Some provinces have free health care - BC does not. My employer pays for my msp, but, the cost of this synergy toric lens is outrageous. For me, out of my pocket, I have to pay a $400 booking fee to the docs office, the lens is $1500 out of my pocket. It is robbery. I was initially told by this doctors office that the lens would probably be free, since it is just arriving in Canada for the first time, and the country needs to do its own trials of the product - but apparently, its been so tested by the rest of the world, that is not necessary to do in Canada? After reading the horror stories described in this new thread so far, it sounds like the Synergy Toric is not worth $2000 . Convince me otherwise.
I have read of success stories around the globe from famous actors like Tim Roth who had the Synergy Toric lens inserted in both eyes - and now has 20/20 vision - but maybe it was all hype? I have been waiting and almost blind for over a year now for this lens. What is the real truth here? Or better yet, why doesn’t everyone have complete and full access to having good vision? The poor only have the monofocal lens as an option for cataract surgery. How fair is that exactly? This industry is corrupt - but it should be free for everyone on the planet. I pay huge taxes, have a decent job, but paying all this cash for something that should simply be a human right, is just plain dumb. If I was reading nothing but good reviews here, perhaps I would have a better outlook.
I have a friend here in Alberta that has had the PanOptix put in both eyes. It is a comparable lens to the Synergy, but made by Alcon. She paid in total about $4500 if I recall correctly. One thing to keep in mind is that these so called “Premium” lenses are really only premium in price, and not really premium in optical quality. The best optical quality is in the basic monofocal aspherical IOL. These premium feature lenses use optical tricks that give you nearer vision, but with compromises. My friend is somewhat disappointed in her PanOptix lenses. She expected “premium” vision but did not get it. Distance and intermediate is OK, but she has to use reading glasses for books, and any close work in dimmer light. She also will not drive at night due to halos. She says if she had known about the halos and not being able to read she would have saved the $4500 and just got monofocals and used readers.
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For these reasons of optical quality I can easily see why governments in Canada do not pay the extra premium price for them. They are a nice to have, and not essential, and in fact most people will be happier with monofocals.
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On price the manufacturers are like drug companies. The lenses or pills cost them nothing. You are basically paying for the research and development that goes into the design. The multifocal lenses are going to have a lot more R&D behind them, so they will be priced much higher.
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Monovision is an option that is often not offered or considered by people getting into surgery for cataracts. The lenses used are basic monofocals, and the only difference is that the non dominant eye is under corrected so you are left about -1.25 D myopic. This is enough to read a computer monitor, and sometimes even a smart phone and books. Reading or close work can require reading glasses, which as I said earlier is where my friend has ended up with her $4500 PanOptixs. And with monofocals the optical halo/flare/spiderweb effects are largely avoided.
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Doctors that are in it for the money, who are usually the ones doing “premium” lenses typically don’t offer it, because they make no more than they would with basic monofocals. My monofocal in Alberta cost me $70 which was to cover the non generic drops, eye shield, and dark glasses.
does this lens give sparkle in eye like other lens? i had cataract surgery 2 years ago and i have very large pupil. My lens reflects light and gives weird look to my eye. i want to know about this lens please
which lens you have?
Just wanted to reiterate on my comment about what BC healthcare actually pays for - now that I am fully educated on the surgery I am about to endure. What I said re. what msp pays is 100% accurate. With the perfect scenario patient, a dual mono focal lens can work, but it can also ruin your life if you are not the right patient - and my doctor went on about how incredible it can work, but moreso how it could ruin your life. I have just confirmed all of this again, because there is so much grey matter surrounding this operation and lens selection - and I like details. Please do prove otherwise, I am talking to msp right now about it. They will pay for MF lenses, but any other consideration including i-cals, anything other than mono focal is gonna cost you big bucks. So what does that mean? That means that unless you have dual mono focal lenses, you are most likely wearing glasses, period.
My doctor claims that every patient he has installed the synergy lens for, has halos / glow at night, and 20% of his patients are not happy with the synergy at all - another large percentage of patients had to get corrective positioning done post surgery due to float of the lens. I am starting to have serious doubts about the claims by J+J re. the quality of the synergy lens and its effectiveness, based on reading tons of actual patient reviews.
Looks like I don’t need toric, so its a bit cheaper now at $1250/ lens and $250 office processing- which is literally $650 less than my first quote with the toric.
Neither of which I should have to pay - I have both MSP and a robust blue cross plan, that I pay through the teeth for. You would think that I would be covered for eyesight at the very least??? NOT. Canadian gov’t is messed up, and so is BIG PHARMA. BUT! they are great buds?
hi nya do you mean you see a light reflection in your eyes or other people see the reflection on your eyes?
Its been about 21 months since i first posted about these lens. Just wanted to give an update.
i have PVD in my right eye. I have had lens replacement and YAG procedure in both eyes and laser in my right eye to fine tune my vision. In general, very happy but issues with night vision, the concentric circles have become acceptable but after the YAG I have streaks round most light sources so driving not easy. I also have slight haze in the middle of my right eye probably due to PVD . If i use both eyes then vision great in good light but above problems become more profound in poor light conditions. Digital devices are very clear- both near and far but distance vision in the real world is not as sharp as i would like however acceptable. I am happy with the choice i have made with these lenses and if i could change anything in my journey, i would have probably declined the YAG procedure. Research has taught me that as i a severe myopic(prescription used to be - 8-9), the shape of my eyeball meant that i was in the high risk bracket for a PVD and the possibility of a detached retina in the future. There is also a high chance of a PVD in my left eye in the next 6-12 months. PVD causes floaters in the eye and the haze, so if i have this in both eyes then it will not be good but also accept not in my control. This is my story so far…
i can see in the mirror if light comes from different angles and people also tell me that my pupil is shining. It looks like diamond or terminator eye because light reflects from plastic lens surface and gives eye that strange look. i have heard that synergy lens doesnt give that look but im not sure. My doctor said she doesnt have any experience with this lens.
What things cost and what you pay for is a bit of a riddle to figure out. In Alberta I got a monofocal aspheric AcrySof IQ lens and it was fully paid for by Alberta Health except for the eye drops, and a “kit” containing dark glasses, an eye patch, and some tape, for a total of $70. It would have been less if I had accepted generic drops instead of the name brand ones.
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Now my wife is getting surgery, and she would have the same option and would only have to pay for the drops as we have the other bits, if she took the basic monofocal option (AcrySof or Tecnis aspheric). And, that would be in a hospital. But then the complications start. Surgeries are currently shut down in hospitals and the wait list is many months and growing. The other option is to get the new Alcon Clareon monofocal lens which is done in the surgeon’s private clinic. It costs an extra $300 per eye. I presume that is for the additional lens cost over the basic monofocal covered by Alberta Health. Then there is a toric option which costs another $1,050. I presume the $1,050 is the differential cost between a plain monofocal and a toric, but that is not clear. It seems that $1,050 for the total cost of the toric would be too low, so I am assuming it is a differential.
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The skeptical among us, which includes me, could think that the $300 fee is just a way around the queue for public health care and is really a two tier health care system. Either wait months or years for a “free” lens, or jump the queue for $300…
My cost for either a Synergy or PanOptix lens will be $4,400 at a major eye center in Houston’s medical center. Laser surgery, I believe, is an additional $2,500. This is the cost for one eye. I could pay a little less at other eye centers, but I’m paying for the best surgeon I can find. The cost is exorbitant, but I feel very fortunate to live in a city that has a major medical center. I found it very interesting in Shannon Wong’s recent PanOptix v Synergy video that he only sees his patients for a pre-op visit and then for surgery. All follow up is handled by optometrists. He will see a patient again if there is a problem requiring his attention. His system follows the European and Canadian models. I guess in those systems that routine differs in public health versus private health situations. The eye center I am using is still very old fashioned. The surgeon sees the patient for all follow up visits, no matter how simple or complex the procedure. Most cataract surgeries are covered by Medicare. My sister had cataract surgery a year ago and has seen the surgeon I am using multiple times post surgery. This is not a sound business model for maximizing profit, which explains the very high cost of a premium lens. All basic costs of my surgery will be covered by Medicare and my supplemental Medicate policy, but premium lenses ate not covered. Only the cost of a basic monofocal lens is covered by Medicare.
Costs and protocol seem to be all over the map depending on where you are. I have a friend that had PanOptix put in both eyes at a private clinic in Alberta. She paid about $4500 Cdn for both eyes in total. I suspect that is the extra cost over a basic monofocal. She seemed to have a much more elaborate pre op procedure with drops and multiple visits. I only saw the surgeon once for measurements, months before the operation. He phoned me right before to confirm some details. He saw me again 24 hours after the surgery, and I have not seen him since. I did a 3 week check with the optometrist, and then a 6 week one to get an eyeglass prescription. Like I say it seems to be all over the map.
that’s why i want to trust the optometrists than the doctor if he doesnt see the patient experience first hand.
No I don’t get reflection on my eyes.Which lenses do you have and is it the same for both eyes?
i have lens only in right eye and its by Alcon. and because of my large pupil reflection is very visible.