Have any of you had or do you know someone who has had cataract
surgery? Someone who does close work, preferably a faceter, who has
had a multi- focal interocular lens implant. I’m looking for
feedback to choose which lens before surgery scheduled for May 20th.
Any feed-back you can give will be most helpful. Also, do any of you
know if David J. McIntyre is still a subscriber to the list and if he
is the Dr. David J. McIntyre with offices in Bellevue, WA? BTW, I’m
Jim Woodard. I’m a faceter in the Portland Metro area and a member of
the Columbia-Willamette Faceters Guild.
I have had both cataracts removed with the interocular lenses.
Surgery went fine. Can’t tell you how green green was when I first
had the bandage removed!
I love the vision I have - do wear corrective lenses, but worth
everything. I didn’t know you could select “what ones” you could
have!!! I am sure your surgeon’s suggestion is what he knows best.
Good Luck and a speedy recovery.
Rose Marie Christison
I have had a chronic eye condition called Iritis. And it ended up
causing a cataract on my left eye among other damage to my eyes. When
I had the cataract removed the corrected my vision somewhat in my
left eye. I’m very nearsighted and have to wear a -10 contact in my
right eye so that I can wear reasonable glasses to correct my
stigmatism and bifocals.
About six months ago I retired my 30 year old Optivisor and splurged
on a new one. Well not only did Optivisor cheapen the construction of
their product my using all plastic screws, washers, and adjusting
knobs the made it a bit smaller when it comes to maximum head size.
My melon (head) is a 7 3/4 hat size. The smaller Optivisor was giving
me headaches. So after a couple offline conversions with Doc McIntyre
and a couple suggestions from this forum I set out to find the best
solution.
I first bought a 2 1/2 power clip on magnifier but no matter how I
adjusted it, it would fit comfortably on my glasses. So I went to
Walgreens and bought 2.75 power reading glasses in the ever stylish
aviators style with the double bar across the nose. This worked very
well but I had no distance vision. So I was constantly switching
glasses.
On my last visit to the Optometrist I took my vision contraption
with me and described to him what I needed. We then sat down with an
optic tech to get my Rx for the glasses and bifocals and increase the
bifocal strength by 4 diopters. Then make the bifocal as big as
possible with the top of the bifocal coming right across my field of
vision when I’m looking straight ahead plus have the bifocals match
up with the flip up magnifier. Well it took about a month and a
couple of phone calls to the lab from the Optical tech and
Optometrist but it was worth the wait. I now have comfortable and
functional glasses for doing bench work and I can move about my shop
without changing glasses.
I’m not familiar with Multi-focal interocular lenses. I believe I
have just a solid lens when I had my cataract removed. But hopefully
I’ve given you some ideas on how to come up with magnification that
will work for you post surgery.
Good Luck!
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Colorado Springs, Colorado rockymountainwonders.com
I had one eye with this lens put in, they were even able to correct a
stigmatism with the interocular lens. It was a great success. Would
reccommend this lens. Far superior to other lenses in my research.
Good Luck (even though you won’t need it)
Linda Reboh
As a matter of fact, I had the surgery 2 weeks ago. (cataract in one
eye and did the other to match) I went from 20/400 to 20/15 overnight
and 20/40 a week later…Surgeon says it will take 3 months for the
eyes to settle to ultimate correction. Don’t know yet well they’ll
end up. Any adjustments can be done after the fact. Since I do very
close work also, I was very concerned about maintaining some ability
to read, while also be able to read signs, etc. I chose a “premium”
lens that has little wings on the sides that the muscles that control
your natural lens can attach to. The muscles can then control the
flex of the new implanted lens to some degree. I can indeed read
without help in almost all situations…ie with decent light. I can
see leaves on trees at a distance as well as road signs that have
long eluded me. Weird difference: colors are somewhat different.
Aging lenses yellow…the new lenses are water clear with the result
that colors are slightly different for me. It’s subtle for me…my 82
yr old mother said the difference was extraordinary. Problems? There
is a flickering that is caused by the muscles “firing” trying to
control the new lenses. This is lessening with time and should go
away. I also see light refractions in some strong, directional light.
This is the edge of the lens itself. I think it’s getting better
already. I sure hope it goes away as I don’t like it. Keep in mind
how strong the correction was…that’s a very thick lens. I haven’t
had reason to drive at night yet, so can’t comment.
The surgery itself was very quick and painless. Except for a headache
for a bit, recovery was nothing. I can see very well. I liked my
surgeon and he has a great reputation. I’ll be done with drops in 4
more weeks. It’s great to be able to see! Feel free to contact me off
line if you need to. Congratulations, that this is possible for you
As a matter of fact, I had the surgery 2 weeks ago. (cataract in
one eye and did the other to match) I went from 20/400 to 20/15
overnight and 20/40 a week later....
Hi all, I’ve had several calls with questions about the type of lens
implant I had; how the correction is going; and how I selected a
surgeon. I think the lens is called a crystal lens (but PLEASE ask
your Doc if this is the one that will give you multi focus due to
the “wings” attaching to the muscles) I didn’t want a bifocal, I
wanted a natural progression of focus like my natural lens. I didn’t
want the fixed focus, because it’s too limiting and would require
glasses as back-up. This is currently the only option that gives me
that flexibility…pardon the pun.
Insurance will only cover this for cataract correction. So the
difference between the less expensive, fixed focus lens and this
“premium” lens is out of pocket for me. My doctors office made me
aware of a company called Care Credit. A credit card for medical
expenses that has no interest or fees if you pay on time and are
fully paid in one year. Seemed like a good choice to me. Today is
Monday; Thursday will be 3 weeks. The “shimmer” caused by the
muscles firing as they are " looking for" the lens it used to hold is
almost gone, as the muscles are attaching to the new lenses. The
refraction effect from light striking the lens edges that I was
seeing last week are also going away. I am comfortable and working in
my studio without any awareness of difficulty. Down to 2 kinds of
drops and will be down to one kind on Thursday.
Dr. Uday Devgan was my surgeon. I met him through the Maloney Vision
Center in L.A, where he is a partner. I went there on the
recommendation of 2 eye Drs and follow up on the internet. I liked
everyone I met in that office ( unlike the Beverly Hills lasik
office I went to first…WAY too busy and slick for my taste). The
doctor is a specialist in lens replacement; he’s lectured and
invented techniques/tools; he’s done surgery on other surgeons and
for people with WAY more resources than I have. I feel very
comfortable in recommending him. He was kind and friendly and willing
to answer all my questions without looking at his watch…he is
extremely confident in his own abilities.
The refraction effect from light striking the lens edges that I was
seeing last week are also going away.
I find the human brain’s ability to cope with and compensate for
such phenomena amazing. After all, the refraction you’ve been
experiencing due to the light striking the lens edges will still be
there but your brain will have “tuned it out” in effect - a miracle.
Congratulations on your new vision - it must be amazing to be able
to see so well again - and so necessary in this business!
I find the human brain's ability to cope with and compensate for
such phenomena amazing. After all, the refraction you've been
experiencing due to the light striking the lens edges will still
be there but your brain will have "tuned it out" in effect - a
miracle.
This is really astonishingly true. I wear progressive lenses
(spectacles), so each little spot has a different prescription. For
a long time, walking while wearing them made me seasick. The
distortion all around my central vision was distracting and
headache-causing. But I need to be able to see at every distance,
not just one or two, so I persisted. It took maybe 4 years to get fully used to them, but ever since, I see everything clearly, and
adjusting my head angle to be able to focus is automatic. The only
time they are a problem is watching TV lying down-- can’t look
through the top of the glasses for the far-away TV. So I take them
off, and see well enough.
I am going into all this detail because I think a lot of people are
put off from wearing progressives because they are not easy to get
used to, but I feel they are absolutely worth it.
Noel’s right. Progressive lenses are great! Combined with a
magnifying visor (I use the mag-eyes) you can get an amazing array of
focal lengths for your magnification, simply by adjusting which part
of the progressives you’re looking through the visor with.
I’ll concur. I’ve worn progressives for several years. That’s a mild
example of adaptation, compared to some. In one experiment years ago,
people were fitted with a lens system that inverted the image, so
that they saw everything upside down. It took only a few days before
they started seeing thing right-side-up again. When the lenses were
removed, they saw things upside-down for a while, until their brain
reverted to normal.
I am going into all this detail because I think a lot of people are
put off from wearing progressives because they are not easy to get
used to, but I feel they are absolutely worth it.
I have been wearing progressives for quit a few years. I had nothing
like your experience. From day one I had no problem adjusting to
them. My perscription also includes a prism to correct for a vertical
muscle imbalance.
I was told by my optometrist that is better to start wearing
progressives earlier rather than later. The adjustment is much
easier and you find it easier to persevere.
I am going into all this detail because I think a lot of people
are put off from wearing progressives because they are not easy to
get used to, but I feel they are absolutely worth it.
I’ve had 3 pairs of varifocals (the UK term for progressives) in the
past 25 years and each pair had problems at first, because they
hadn’t been fitted properly. The positioning of the lens “centres” is
critical with varifocals; far more than with bifocals or standard
lenses. Each time I complained about the new glasses I was told I
would get used to them in time, but they were replaced after I proved
they had been fitted incorrectly. Here was the situation…
I sat with a book held at the correct reading position and focussed
my eyes on one particular word. Then, without moving the book or my
eyes, I covered my left eye (I’m right eye dominant) and the word
remained in focus. I then covered my right eye and the word was no
longer in focus - but another word was! If the glasses were correctly
fitted, the same word would be in focus for each eye independently.
This convinced the optician, the glasses were changed, and I had no
more problems - until the next pair.
I had cataract surgery for both eyes done recently. Prior to the
surgery I had extreme hyperopia such that nothing was in focus
without glasses. My distance vision is now excellent, but I do need
glasses for close work. I can just read a notice board OK, but not a
book. I neither knew, nor was informed about, the special lenses
mentioned earlier, but, since most of my work is with tiny things
(stone setting, piercing etc) I can’t imagine I could have done it
without additional lenses anyway. Overall I’m very happy with my
“new” eyes.
I sat with a book held at the correct reading position and focussed
my eyes on one particular word. Then, without moving the book or
my eyes, I covered my left eye (I'm right eye dominant) and the
word remained in focus. I then covered my right eye and the word
was no longer in focus - but another word was!
I had the exact same problem with my first two or three
prescriptions for progressives! My optometrist would swear they were
right, I would insist/persist, she would fix them. I liked her, so I
stuck around for a while, but I ultimately changed optometrists and
though I don’t find the new one as engaging, I’ve had no further
trouble with the fit of my lenses.