COLLAMER® IOL

[NeLso]

Hello members!

Searching the files I can not find any mention of Collamer IOL's from Staar Surgical.  

Anyone have any experience, comments or options on the:
- Afinity™ 3-Piece Collamer Aspheric IOL    or
- nanoFLEX™ Collamer Aspheric Single-Piece IOL

Is no news good news?  I can't find any complaints online!

[markhu]

I had the same apparent temporary ability to focus in a wider range than it eventually narrowed down to.
Now my left eye is "intermediate range" and my right eye is distant.
For my everyday life, this sort of mono-vision is a good compromise: I can read most things without reading glasses if I hold out the material at arms length, and I don't need distance glasses for driving, etc.
I do use prescription reading glasses whenever I'm going to be doing extended computer work.  And I want to get distance glasses for movie viewing.  I love my Technis lenses.

[NeLso]

Looks like you had your eye set to 20/20, plano.  In my case, I asked my surgeon to set me to intermediate vision.  Interesting thing I noticed (which lasted for a week or two) was that I was able to focus near and far with perfect precision and with no learning whatsoever.  It was effortless with no thought... totally natural!  

This has taught me a few things about how the eye works and I am convinced that the ciliary muscles have only a minor role in focusing power.  That's because it would not be possible for my 3-piece tecnis (Z9000 lens) to move within the eye using only the ciliary muscles.  Which makes me wonder if it's the vitreous and/or iris that's doing it?

Curiously, my eye, which was set for intermediate vision, was able to accomodate to plano.  This is exactly the reverse of how they do it today.  (ie. set to plano and focus near)  Another curious fact was that as I started losing my plano accomodation ability (due to fibrosis?) I started wearing a weak pair of glasses to help me accomodate to distance vision.  My final intermediate fixed focus distance ended up matching EXACTLY to those pair of glasses!  (ie. plano set-in to that exact prescription)

Extremely happy with my Tecnis lens, as you will be too.  I can't compliment Dr. Hagan, Jodie and the whole Medhelp board enough for their wonderful advice!

[markhu]

Though my cataract surgeon had never used the Collamer NanoFlex, he was willing to try it which would have involved inviting a rep from STAAR® Surgical to supervise.  But then as we talked further, my surgeon talked me out of it because he said the material might be subject to pitting if any laser work needed to be done later.  I decided to take him at his word and went with a Tecnis model ZCB00 (one-piece acrylic).  Had surgery on the first eye yesterday and am very happy so far.  I tested out at 20/20 this morning at post-op exam.  Am already looking forward to scheduling the second eye.

P.S. There is a very interesting article at http://www.ophthalmologymanagement.com/article.aspx?article=85535 which discusses several different lens material characteristics and had I read that last month I might have insisted on the NanoFlex after all.

[NeLso]

I thought I had replied to you but I don't see it here...

The lens I got was a non-multifocal 3 piece Tecnis lens.  Z9003, I think?
PCO was a concern for me and the Tecnis lens seemed to have the best square edge design.  (still no PCO to date.  Yey!)  I chose a non-multifocal lens due to concerns of halos at night.  I opted out of Crystalens because I am still in my 40's and there is no very long term clinical data. At my age, I need to consider the mechanical reliability going 40 years and beyond.  Most lens are targeted for a 20 year lifetime.  (I don't know what they do in children... I couldn't find any data)

If you search for "Post Op Progress" you can read my post surgery experience.
Best of luck in your research and post op progress!

[markhu]

Glad to hear of your good results.  Would you mind sharing a few details of your experience?  Which Tecnis lens did you get?  A "regular" or "premium" one?  Multifocal?

I am currently evaluaing two surgeons, and one uses the a premium Tecnis, while for standard ops uses an IOL from Hoya.  The other uses NanoFlex, and I can't remember if that was considered premo or not. Since I live in Los Angeles, there are lots of choices.

[NeLso]

yes, the Nano-flex was my first choice, but no local support for that lens was available for me at that time.

I went with Tecnis per Dr Hagans advice.  It is an excellent lens.  No regrets.

[markhu]

There was a write-up in WSJ that mentioned NanoFlex, and several others.  http://j.mp/cataract-wsj

[markhu]

I am considering getting the NanoFlex.  My eye Doctor says they are what he would choose for his own eyes if he needed cataract surgery.  He also said they flex a little like an accommodating IOL, even though they don't officially make that claim since it would require millions of dollars more in clinical trials.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Glistenings have been around for a long time and do not create clinical problems in almost all cases. If I were having IOL surgery I would choose a acrylic aspheric IOL like the tecnis
JCH MD

[NeLso]

Thank you for your speedy response.

Apparently the Collamer material is 40% water and because it is so flexible, patients report an ability to accomodate.  They are currently doing a study on this phenomenon.

Its good to hear no complaints about this lens, but one would think if it is a good lens and/or material, more surgeons would recommend it.  I worry about glistening on Acrylic and Silicon may present a problem should I need future surgery.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I have no experience with that IOL and I do not recall anyone posting a problem

JCH MD