As you may recall, I got cataract surgery several months ago even though I don't have cataracts. I just wanted to replace my natural lenses with artificial lenses that promised sharp eyesight both near and far. Here's how it went.
My original intent was to get multifocal lenses that are designed with two separate focus points, but the ophthalmologist I saw talked me into something different: RxSight lenses that can be adjusted after they've been implanted and have an extended focus range.
Sadly, the former was true but the latter wasn't. What I ended up with was two monofocal lenses. My left eye had good distance vision but terrible near vision. My right eye had good near vision but terrible distance vision. In some people this is OK because your brain will merge them together and produce good eyesight at all distances. My brain was not clever enough to do this.
After a few months to give the lenses (and my brain) a fair shot at working, I finally asked to have them replaced with the multifocal lenses I wanted in the first place. A few weeks ago we implanted a Synergy lens in my left eye.
The Synergy lens has good distance vision and so-so near vision. However, this works fine: with good near vision in one eye and OK near vision in the other, my reading vision is pretty good. And my distance vision is fine even though my right eye still has terrible far vision.
However, all was not perfect: the Synergy lens produces a sort of vague double vision as well as strong halos at night when I look at bright lights. This is tolerable, and might get better with time, but I wasn't willing to risk putting another one in my right eye. If I ended up with both double vision and so-so near vision in both eyes, I was afraid I'd lose my reading vision entirely.
So I canceled the surgery for my right eye and I consider myself done for now. I'll reassess at the end of the year depending on whether the Synergy lens improves by then.
This may all sound like bad news, and it has been a pain in the ass. However, I did meet my goal: I no longer wear glasses at all and my vision is acceptable at all distances.¹ I wish it were sharper, but it's sharp enough for all ordinary activities, and I hold out hope that my brain will eventually edit out the the halos and double vision.
Would I recommend this for others? I would definitely avoid the RxSight lenses, which I later learned aren't even recommended unless you have an eye condition that precludes the use of multifocal lenses (I don't, and my doctor never should have proposed them). If you have to have them, then go ahead, but you'll just end up with a very expensive pair of monofocal lenses.
The Synergy lenses are better, but their near vision is only OK, not great. I have some fuzziness too, but not everyone does. It's a bit of a crapshoot.
And it's expensive. My surgery cost a little over $10,000. If I had it to do over again, I'm on the fence. It did work, but only barely.
¹Oddly, there's a caveat here: I now wear sunglasses outdoors. I never did before, but the artificial lenses are clearer than my old natural lenses. In theory that's good, but in practice it means I now have to haul around sunglasses on bright days, though I can do without them if I have to.
I think you have to wear sunglasses now because you regular glasses almost certianly had UV protection and this redueced your perception of brightness and glare. I have been wearing glasses for 54 years and had major retina surgery last year. I had to get one lens replaced because lasar treatment for my retina had clouded the lens but I opted to get a correction that still worked with the original lens in my other eye just so I diden't have to replace both lens. I'm happy with that decision bedcause I basically prfer as little medical treatment as possible. I come from a family of doctors and just think a lot of doctors fall in love with the lastest treatments even if they are not actually better.
I had the normal single focus lens installed. Result - double vision. Not a problem as prism glasses solves the problem. I have had glasses since the 6th grade so I feel naked without glasses. The real problem is I need two sets of glasses. One for driving and regular walk about and one for the computer monitor. The lenses have the same night vision halos.
Thanks for sharing this - very useful.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Like +10. It's also cheaper.
A fine heuristic except the eyes were broken.
Glasses are a hassle, especially if you need different pairs for different tasks.
I have the Symfony lenses in both eyes. I assume yours is a new version? When I first got them the night vision, spider webs were brutal. I still have them but the brain adapted, somewhat, and driving at night isn't a huge issue, although, I can't imagine rush hour traffic in the winter or Vegas at night. They definitely underplay the halos in the literature.
I never had the double vision effect but I have a different lens.
For me, the overall experience with the Symfony and two vitrectomies is incredible. The clarity of vision after the vitrectomies is great, even months later, and my overall is 2020 and 2025.
I hope it works out for you, I'm stunned at how lucky I am that these things exist. 50 years ago I'd have been pretty close to blind as this stuff was just coming online back then. Ah, the gold old days....
Kevin, you must be crazy. As a surgeon ( retired) our favorite locker room joke was “what could possibly go wrong?” To chose to do what you did as a convenience is crazy. I had cataract surgery quite a few years ago with plain vanilla lens inserts. They overcorrected me a bit so I still wear contact lenses for good far vision and cheap drugstore readers for reading. None of this is a big deal considering I really needed to have the cataracts removed. Your having this surgery sounds more like a lark and I wonder about the ophthalmologist who offered to do this. LASIK is one thing but this is real surgery. I guess I don’t know all the details so I guess I shouldn’t be commenting. I hope it all works out for you. I’ve never heard of a seeing eye cat…
Okay, now I want to know what the conversation with your original eye doctor was like when it became clear they shouldn't have prescribed the RxSight lenses.
About those sunglasses. That's what shirt pockets are for. I remember you getting rid of your pocket T's. Too soon I guess.
This comment is for you Kevin.
Surgeons are not touching my eyes unless it's absolutely necessary, e.g. if I get cataracts. I fear exactly what was described here: a lot of money paid to have only marginally better (or possibly worse) vision. I do perfectly fine with glasses and/or contacts.
Not wearing glasses is not even close to being a good enough reason to let people chop on my eyeballs.
Basic cataract surgery is super safe. Even the many focal lenses like I have, which have clear side effects, is a trade I’d make every time. I have 0 need for glasses except for extreme close up on small print.
Kevin’s surgery was cutting edge and the concept unique. I might have done it, but I think I also would have tried mono vision, with 2 different contacts as well before settling on what I did.
Also, despite that last paragraph, I have no regrets. I’ve had 4 eye surgeries during C19, and the outcome is amazing. Everyday is like that first day you ever wore glasses and discovered a new world.
Anyone else having a lot of trouble commenting?
Apparently not anymore, though.
Kevin should get those sunglasses with lenses that pop up at the touch of a button. Because that way people won't have wonder about whether you're staring at them.
Super cool!
I went with a Zeiss multifocal in conjunction with cataracts surgery in March. I only needed the right eye done, so I have corrected vision in that eye only. The surgeon suggested I could probably get away with that as the eyes apparently adapt and "work together." That's mostly been my experience. I sometimes use cheap readers when I'm doing serious work/writing/reading (I pop out the right lens when I buy readers now), but I no longer have to be careful about always taking glasses with me when I leave the house, because I can do without them (not using them right now to write this comment, for instance). Total at the fancy Western-eye medicine clinic hear in Beijing was about $6,500. I do get a bit of a halo effect, but it seems to have declined significantly over these last five months. Overall I'm happy with the results. It's nice not to have to be dependant on eyeglasses.
Thank you for this account of your motivations and experiences. I have been considering this since both my parents had cataract correcting surgery in their early 80's and it rejuvenated them mentally... though it is equally true that their cataracts had become a real problem. I'd like to do it proactively as you have but have been discouraged by my doctors so far, but we shall see what the future brings...
Merci encore et Bon Courage!