Cataract Implants - Eye & Vision Message Board

AlbumE27 · 11-30-2005, 04:34 PM

My father had Cataract surgery on both eyes towards the end of last summer. He had some new type of implant put in that was suppose to make it so he would probably never need glasses again. He has been back to the optomolgist several times and my fathers eyes wont adjust very well. The doctor said that his brain is not adjusting to the lens. So in about a week he is going to go see him again and see if they can remove the lenses. Now my question do you think they can be removed?

Torre · 12-01-2005, 06:32 AM

I hope Serious Person answers you because she's an expert on this subject. She has two different kinds of multi-focal IOLs that aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Doctors don't like to remove the IOLs once they've been implanted. It can cause problems. There's a sac, or membrane that holds the lens and it can be damaged or weakened by taking out the artificial lenses. If this happens, it's difficult to get another lens to fit properly and stay put.

Torre

Anxiety Man · 12-02-2005, 12:56 PM

I had wondered that myself, Torre! My Acrysof is doing fine, just needs some folds smoothed out by laser and I should be good to go. I wish more folks could get the Acrysof. They're the best, according to my Dr. and I sure can't argue.

MissHelen · 12-12-2005, 01:51 PM

Would love to know if it is possible to take out those lens. I had one implanted in 1998 and wish I had never done it. I won't let them do the other cataract. I complained about halos around street lights etc, which wasn't good. So the eye doctor tells me he can fix it, using a laser to puncture the the back of something. There starts the fun. Now I have sheets of light from every mirror in the car, which means I can't drive at night anymore. The lens is cloudy and if I watch tv in the dark it's real obvious. I can't see clearly if it's too sunny, too dark. The second eye really needs to be done, but I'm afaid. I'd rather go back to the thick ugly glasses they used to give folks years ago.

seriousperson · 12-15-2005, 12:16 AM

Torre, thanks for the introduction.

Yes, the resident intraocular lens expert and guinea pig is in the house.

AlbumE27, before answers, here are some questions: What is the name of the lenses your father had implanted? I had mine last summer too, so I'm guessing they might have been called "crystalens," or possibly Restor. (I have one of each.) Possibly he had a ReZoom, or maybe that's what the doctor wants to use for an exchange?

What is the name of the proposed exchange lens? Is it a single focus Acrysof like Anxiety Man has? Or is it a Rezoom or a Tecnis? Or...?

I too have been unhappy with the results, but it's a little better now. In my research I read that the brain can learn to tune out the halos if the patient makes an effort not to focus on them. At first I just wanted to stare at them so I could describe them to people. A couple of weeks ago I finally went into PhotoShop and created pictures of what it looks like. That seems to have gotten it out of my system. I'm not noticing the halos as much -- I just can't see very much in the dark.

Also, in my research, I read about lens exchange. At this point in the world of ophthalmology, the only time to exchange is in the first few months. And it has to be done before a YAG, which is the name of the procedure done to pierce the sac in which the intraocular lens is resting. Something about the edges of most lens designs causes a secondary cataract (opacity) to form on the lens capsule itself. Miss Helen, from your description of cloudiness, that could be your problem, and it sounds like that's what your doctor wants to do about it.

HOWEVER, once the sac is pierced, a lens exchange is not done, except in a real emergency. I suspect there will be some changes in the next decade, but that's the state of things now. My doctor is very anti-exchange. I think it's because in most cases the results would not justify the considerable risks.

Which brings us to my closing point, ladies & gentlemen.
The lesson is:
Be sure to ask the doctor about the expected quality of the outcome, and specifically will the procedure make my current visual problem go away?
Then, don't do a procedure if the end results are not going to be functionally better. And that means functionally better for you and your lifestyle.
For example. I was promised that my eyes would be much better than they were. Ah. Semantics. It is true that my vision without glasses is remarkably improved. I went from 20/600 to about 20/50 or better -- in bright sunlight, that is.
HOWEVER, I had not gone without glasses for 40 years, and I functioned with 20/20 with glasses until cataracts intervened.
Now, I do not see as well with glasses as I did before. It's very depressing at times when I cannot do things I could before.

Which brings me to the 2nd half of my point (see above):
After you gather your information, be sure that your current vision is worse than the worst likely outcome of the procedure.
Cataract surgery has become big business with ophthalmologists as salesmen. It's part of the whole HMO issue...but that's another soapbox.

And be sure that you and your doctor are both comparing your before and possible-after corrected vision, that is, with glasses or contacs, not your vision now and later without corrective lenses.

Also, MissHelen, a friend at work had both eyes done and then had the YAG for the cloudiness. It took the cloudiness away, but did nothing to diminish the halos.