Cataract Surgery

I had cataract surgery on 4/14...went for follow up visit yesterday.  The dr. dilated my eyes says everything was fine...But I noticed later in the afternoon and today, I was not seeing as clearly as I was prior to the post op check up.  My eye seems to be not as sharp as before...The dr. has me op pred forte 6x a day and starting monday it will be 5x for a week and so on until I no longer need it.  I was wondering if this is normal and what has everyone else experienced...thanks

[Forum-OD-MP]

no.  not "normal" to get blurrier after a month.  but also not particularly alarming to me, either.

[janjan99]

also, there a sore spot.  And certain ways i move my eye, it tenderness.. thanks

[Jenta]

First off, I had soreness in certain directions I turned my eyes for at least a month afterwards.  The doctor said it was from the anesthetic injection sites.

Secondly, If your vision changed significantly overnight, I'd be concerned enough to go back.  You need to find out if there is a problem, or if you have possibly developed some floaters.  My vision got a little better each day after surgery until I developed floaters.

About two months after my original surgery, everything was going along peachy, and suddenly one night my eye became very blurry, and I couldn't clear it no matter what I did.  Turns out I had developed quite a case of floaters.  My doctor can see them quite clearly.

I'll let the Doc take it from here because I'm only giving you anecdotal information. But I really believe that since you are only 10 days out of surgery, and have developed a problem, you need to go back to your doctor quickly.

[janjan99]

Thanks for the reply Jenta....I think it was possibly eye strain...I woke up this am....and everything seems to be ok....no soreness or anything....I was just very concern and nervous about having eye surgery...I still havn't had my r eye done and have to wear glasses to function.. I had the left lens changed in my glasses, so that i could drive.  Maybe that part of the problem....I wait to see what the dr. says...thanks all

[nugget616]

I had cateract surgey 6 weeks ago on one eye and 8 weeks on the other--when the doctor dialated my eyes after 2 weeks I had a mess for a couple of days, I think due to the strain from working with computer all day and the trama from surgey the drops did not make my eyes too happy but, my eyes are not as tired as there were it's still a strain to see the computer clearly I have like shadowed vision not full double vision I believe it's the lights, I had ReZoom lenses put in my distance is Great and reading books etc is very good the computer seems to be my only problem--I think what you and I both experienced was from the dialation only.  Also once you get your other eye done you will be MUCH better.

[Bill in JAX]

Had cataract surgery in Jan and Feb on both eyes and had the new ReZoom IOLs installed. After each surgery the Doc put me Pred Forte and Nevanac at 4x daily for the first week, then 3x, then 2 and 1 respectively until the regiment was completed.  The Nevanac worked great for me to help for swelling, pain and discomfort.  Check with your surgeon to see if it is right for you.  It may help quicken your recovery.  The stuff is very $$ and if your INS covers part of the cost that is great.  Remember that you just has micro-surgery and it will take time (4-8 weeks) for the swelling to subside and the brain to figure out how to see better with the new IOLs.  This along with some dilatation problems and strain from computers and reading just adds to the frustration.  After my last 6 week check up I was 20-15 in each eye for distance and J1 20-20 for reading.  Colors are vivid and brilliant. I am thrilled with the outcome and glad I made the decision to go with ReZooms. In my case, Doc recommended Refresh Tears for mild to moderate dry eyes to help with my daily activities.  The Refresh Tears have worked great for me.

For n616 -  Try pushing back an additional 6 inches from you monitor.  Also try to dim your overhead light especially if it is a fluorescent. Best bet is to get a new LCD monitor to go with your new ReZooms.  Cost of a new LCD monitor is a lot cheaper as you can appreciate.

[eyecu]

Bill-how is your golf game. I shot an 83 and 85 over Easter weekend and then imploded last weekend. I am heading toward the ReZoom myself.

[Bill in JAX]

Handicap has dropped 5 strokes since the new ReZooms were installed.  Last three rounds were 83, 81, 81 and that was with three putting 4 greens a couple of times.  Living with cataracts in my case was like looking at the world through sepia colored wax paper.  The light blue sky was gray and all shades of blue were either gray or black.  Could not follow the flight of a white golf ball in the sky or even see it when it landed. All activities were pretty much frustrating like driving, reading, computers prior to the new IOLs being implanted.  One thing that I am still learning to live with is these new IOLS are multifocal lens and not auto-focal like the old ones.  I can read even pretty fine print from the 12-14 range as long as the reading material is in indirect light or subdued lighting conditions.  Direct sunlight or overhead spot lights tend wash out and blur print on white paper due to the excess glare off the paper itself.  Move the print out to the 30-36 inch range and everything is clear and readable again.  This is a minor inconvenience compared to all the great vision that I am now experiencing  with the new ReZooms.  My surgeon in JAX offered all three new IOLS to his patients.  He has done over a 100 ReZooms by now and thinks they are better for most of his patients than the ReStor and Crystalens.  I am on the surgeon's list to be used as a referral for those new patients considering ReZoom lens.  I know that you are one of the ultimate professionals in the vision field and will chose the correct IOLS for your lifestyle in the future.  GO ZOOMS.

[eyecu]

I guess I needs Zooms. I can putt but came in with a 92 and that is with two triples on the back with a 45 and two doubles and triple on the front for a 47. Tripled the last hole or would have had an 89. Shot 85, 83 last two times out but that is goof.

[fcsmd]

Rezoom/Restor Combo- A Case History of One

I am a 67 yr. old physician diagnosed with a pair of nasty, fast-forming posterior subcapsular cataracts requiring immediate attention. Except for presbyopia & farsightedness there is no hx of other past or current eye pathology. After looking at all my options over the period of 1 month I found a surgeon in Denver, CO that implanted both the Rezoom & Restor IOLs. My goal was to be spectacle & contact free after the implants. I decided to have the Rezoom implanted in my non- dominant left eye to start with & keep my option open re a 2nd Rezoom or go for the combo in my right eye. Here is a summary of my post-op courses.

Post OP Course   Rezoom IOL Implanted Left eye   4/26/06
        
Ist & most important-- I am writing this without the use of any glasses!

Day 1 - Surgery was seamless/painless & very short ( 15 min? ) with no post-op discomfort/ problems. During surgery I could not even tell that something was being done to me! Versed used as anesthetic. I had an eye patch for the 1st 24 hrs

Day 2 - The unveiling- Wow what a contrast to my cataract-blinded eye! The colors were unbelievably brilliant & sharp like when you 1st see high definition tv. Near vision was 20/20 & distant vision was 20/30 but blurry due to heavy shadowing which was bothersome thru out the rest of the day. Intermediate-Arm's length- vision was good but there is no formal test for it. Outside the office the glare & halos were too bright & definitely in the unbearable range. I was most unhappy about that. Doc said not to worry that all would improve in the next few days/weeks.

Day 3  What a difference a night makes! Awoke & took off my my eye shield & voila! Big dramatic improvement- the shadowing was gone & my intermediate & distant vision was excellent. Halos & glare were now in the bearable range. But now near vision was not as good as day 2? Mostly because I needed a brighter light to see smaller print. So off to work without my glasses for the 1st time in about 25 yrs.

Day 4 Only change since I awoke is that my near vision is better than yesterday..Starting to notice a battle for dominance between my good left eye & blurry right eye ie. a tension type headache in frontal area of my head.

Day 5 No change in near vision- distant & intermediate still excellent.

Day 6 Back to see Dr. for checkup. Near vision 20/30 Distant still 20/25  Long discussion in regards to using another rezoom in R eye or to put in a Restor to boost my near vision for better close-up reading. BIG-BIG Decision! I decided to go with the Restor based on that & what I had learned & read(mostly here on the eye care forum) re the compatability of the 2 lenses.

Day 7 Anticipating tomorrow's surgery with much anxiety


Post-op course   Restor IOL implant    Right eye  May 3, 2006


Day 1 Surgery again seamless/painless-smooth as silk. Versed again made it a very
comfortable experience & even gave me a high after I was back in recovery -Eye patched
-No problems rest of day/night- Very relieved to be rid of dominance battle between R
& L eyes.

Day 2 Patch removed- Pupil still dilated- Sclera heavily injected- very sensitive to
bright lights- Distant vision 20/25- near vision too blurry to measure   Left eye
Distant 20/25  Near 20/25  Intermediate excellent- I was able to drive after leaving
Dr's office- All halos & glares were in tolerable range unlike 1st day following Rezoom implant. Most importantly the Rezoom & Restor lenses are working well together. As day progressed, near vision with R eye improved significantly. Blurring mostly gone & there was just heavy shadowing by the time I went to bed. All this coincided with the decrease in my pupil size.

Day 3 Right eye near vision continues to improve & at 12 in. is now clearer than my L
eye! The synergy between the two lenses is already apparent in my reading. I can now
once again speed read! And my bilateral vision for reading is better than either eye
alone. Sclera remains heavily injected- R pupil still slightly larger than L. I can
confirm prior reports of the Restor lens being poor for intermediate vision- I can
not read computer screen with L eye closed- unless I get to within 12 in.

Day 4 During road trip able to read smallest print on maps using bilateral vision. Very pleased at
how well both lenses are working together with near, intermediate & distant visions. Sclera starting
to clear. Pupils are symmetrical.

Day 5 Can now see computer clearly with Restor R eye at 20 inches. Still have tolerable halos &
glare with both lenses at nightime

Day 6......... Life is good!  Enjoying me new spectacle free life- Mission Accomplished!

Eye exam 5/12/06 16 days after Rezoom implant L eye & 9 days after  Restor implant R Eye


                Near           Intermediate       Distant                
Rezoom       J2 (25-30)        excellent           20/25
                        

Restor       J1 (20-25)        good up to 20 in.    20/25
                20/25                          


Bilateral     J1+ (20/20)       excellent             20/20

                
                              

[doclaw]

I'm just starting to put in these lenses and the combo (restor/rezoom) seems to be the way to go.  Some of the big cutters tout upwards of 90% spectacle freedom at ALL distances with the combo.

[Disappointed]

I'm interested in your experience with the ReZoom in one eye and the ReStor in the other eye; glad to hear it seems to be working.

I was told I was not a good candidate for the ReZoom lens because I did "not have 20/20" vision before surgery.  The doctor implanted an EyeTech IOL in my left eye last week.  I already have a blurry spot on the lower left corner of my eye -- they tell me it is because of clouding on the posterior capsule that can eventually be corrected with YAG.  I'm now wondering if it would be advisable to use a ReZoom lens in my right eye -- the doctor said he would do that.  His "advice" seems to fly in the face of his comment that I am not a good candidate for ReZoom --why would it be okay to have ReZoom in my right eye after he insisted on not using ReZoom in my left eye?

[eyecu]

I am sure you did not have 20/20 vision before surgery or you would not have had it in the first place. I guess the EyeTech IOL is a monofocal implant. You must have had some plaque on your posterior capsule that was hard to remove for them to be mentioning a YAG already. It is hard to answer your question on why. Maybe that eye has more astigmatism or some pathology that your other eye does not have.As far as having the ReZoom or another multifocal in your other eye, it has been done and there are happy patients. In the first FDA studies, patients had a multifocal in one eye and monfocal in the other eye. Most surgeons do like to match eyes and use clear clear or yellow yellow or silicone silicone or acrylic acrylic when it comes to material to keep everything the same and avoid comparison. Many are trying mixing multifocal and accomodating technologies to achieve a wider range of vision for patients under different lighting conditions and vision ranges. What you have to ask yourself,is do I really want the chance to be less dependent on glasses and go through some adjustments and adaptations and pay for that chance or are you fine with great distance vision and wearing readers. That is really between you and your surgeon and researching things on the internet and talking to others that might have had it done.

[Eagle eyes]

Bless Your Heart! There are some pts that have one mono and one premium. Your eyes will work differently so would take some getting used to, but can be done if you are motivated to make it work. You will need to carefully choose your surgeon...what city are you in?

[Disappointed]

I'm in Redmond Washington.  My doc is in Renton Washington. I noticed that fcsmd (comment 9) has a ReZoom/Restore combination that seemed to be working well but those lenses are both designed for far, intermediate, and near vision.  Not quite the same as a monofocal set to distance combined with a ReZoom. It seems to me I'm going to need glasses anyway (for my left eye/reading and computer work) so I'm thinking (currently anyway) that it does not make sense to have a ReZoom in my right eye.

[LLGirl]

I'm 37 years old with a posterior subcapsular cataracts, both eyes - set to have cataract surgery in July.  The doctor recommended multifocal lenses.... either Rezoom or Restor, my choice- she will not recommend one brand over the other.  
I am confused on whcih to choose.  I work in an office - i am on the computer all day, and also reading small print all day long.  Also a big movie buff, so i watch a lot of TV at night.  I guess with Restor the near vision ( is that up to 24 inches?) is better so that would be for reading, but with Rezoom they say the intermediate is better ( for computer and tv watching?).   My computer monitor at work is pretty close, about 12-14 inches (so that i can see it with my cataracts!) and my computer monitor at home is about 24 -28 inches away.  
All the seats in my living room are approx. 10-13 feet from my 27" tv ( maybe i will have to buy a big screen now!).
I understand that i might have to wear glasses for either near or intermediate...  
I am also worried about halos and poor night time driving... the doctor said one of these lenses had a history of more halos, but i can not remember which she mentioned.  
Any advice?