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Diary of a Lentis Mplus IOL implant patient at Optical Express.
Inspired by Woodvillewomble's thread about his Physiol Finevision tri-focal lens implants here: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Eye-Care/A-diary-of-a-Finevion-IOL-implant-/show/2079860 I thought I would start a similar thread diarising my experiences as an Mplus implant patient.
I decided to use Optical Express for the procedure because I have several friends who have used them and been very happy. They also do high volume and conduct surgery about six miles from my home, so I felt comfortable with their experience and proximity in case I experience problems. They also supply the Lentis Mplus lens, which has a good history and which has proved popular with patients wanting good distance vision. It also, according to some clinics, has a higher approval rating than other lenses in male patients.
Of the four personal friends who have had Mplus lenses fitted, three are glasses independent and one is virtually - needing glasses for small print in poor light. Today I have met three other people, each with several friends who have had Mplus lenses and who are glasses independent.
Possibly my greatest concern was whether I was getting the best possible lenses. I am aware that lens technology is improving all the time and I feel sure that one day there will be lenses that give sixty year olds the eyesight of twenty year olds. However, science is not there yet and my vision is poor TODAY.I considered the Finevision but I have heard reports of some people being unhappy with distance vision and it has not been in the field as long as the Mplus.
Day 1. Today I went for the non-dominant eye surgery.
I felt confident in the team carrying out the surgery and with the OE branch in general, however there was a lot of slippage from my appointment time and patients were not being seen in order of their appointment times. Also, there is something of the economy class about the service, with several people being seen in the same room for their pre-op checks. All of that said, I chose this route knowing that Optical Express is a volume operator and whilst cost is at the bottom of the list of priorities, the price charged is quite reasonable. Providing the quality of medical care continues to be of the same quality and the outcome is as desired I will have no complaints. An unexpected benefit of spending time with other patients, both pre and post op was that it enabled me to get a feel for the level of satisfaction which, aside from the wait time, was very good.
My op was at 2.30 and I have just taken off my dressing to put in drops. My eyesight is blurry at all distances in the implant eye, however the pupil is still very dilated. Vision is becoming progressively sharper and I can now read the letters on my keyboard - so any typos are down to fat fingers! If the pupil returns to normal overnight I am hopeful that things will be sharper by morning.
A word on halos - I knew I would get them and was prepared for it. As I Iook at a light bulb there is an obvious crescent above it as I move my head from side to side, however it is not at all unpleasant and adds a certain Christmassy twinkle to things. Whether I will feel as upbeat when both eyes are the same and I am trying to drive remains to be seen!
I feel fine in myself, though the eye is occasionally slightly itchy and gritty. Drops, ibuprofen and paracetamol will hopefully resolve these issues. They will perhaps also address my slight headache which is probably the result of the excitement of the day.
More as things progress.
I decided to use Optical Express for the procedure because I have several friends who have used them and been very happy. They also do high volume and conduct surgery about six miles from my home, so I felt comfortable with their experience and proximity in case I experience problems. They also supply the Lentis Mplus lens, which has a good history and which has proved popular with patients wanting good distance vision. It also, according to some clinics, has a higher approval rating than other lenses in male patients.
Of the four personal friends who have had Mplus lenses fitted, three are glasses independent and one is virtually - needing glasses for small print in poor light. Today I have met three other people, each with several friends who have had Mplus lenses and who are glasses independent.
Possibly my greatest concern was whether I was getting the best possible lenses. I am aware that lens technology is improving all the time and I feel sure that one day there will be lenses that give sixty year olds the eyesight of twenty year olds. However, science is not there yet and my vision is poor TODAY.I considered the Finevision but I have heard reports of some people being unhappy with distance vision and it has not been in the field as long as the Mplus.
Day 1. Today I went for the non-dominant eye surgery.
I felt confident in the team carrying out the surgery and with the OE branch in general, however there was a lot of slippage from my appointment time and patients were not being seen in order of their appointment times. Also, there is something of the economy class about the service, with several people being seen in the same room for their pre-op checks. All of that said, I chose this route knowing that Optical Express is a volume operator and whilst cost is at the bottom of the list of priorities, the price charged is quite reasonable. Providing the quality of medical care continues to be of the same quality and the outcome is as desired I will have no complaints. An unexpected benefit of spending time with other patients, both pre and post op was that it enabled me to get a feel for the level of satisfaction which, aside from the wait time, was very good.
My op was at 2.30 and I have just taken off my dressing to put in drops. My eyesight is blurry at all distances in the implant eye, however the pupil is still very dilated. Vision is becoming progressively sharper and I can now read the letters on my keyboard - so any typos are down to fat fingers! If the pupil returns to normal overnight I am hopeful that things will be sharper by morning.
A word on halos - I knew I would get them and was prepared for it. As I Iook at a light bulb there is an obvious crescent above it as I move my head from side to side, however it is not at all unpleasant and adds a certain Christmassy twinkle to things. Whether I will feel as upbeat when both eyes are the same and I am trying to drive remains to be seen!
I feel fine in myself, though the eye is occasionally slightly itchy and gritty. Drops, ibuprofen and paracetamol will hopefully resolve these issues. They will perhaps also address my slight headache which is probably the result of the excitement of the day.
More as things progress.
I am posting less now because change is less marked, however the situation is currently this:
In good daylight I am unaware that I have had surgery. Vision at all distances is excellent and switching between distance and near is easy.
What reminds me that I am now seeing things differently is still when I enter a poorly lit building with artificial lights. I sometimes find my peripheral vision becomes hazy and my distance vision less acute beyond about 20m. However things are improving. At my gym distance vision is definitely improving and peripheral haziness is becoming less. This is, however, the most challenging environment I can think of because it is dim, artificially lit and with lots of mirrors. Buildings with good artificial lights do not present a problem.
I am finding that I can read and use the computer for longer before becoming tired now.
I have ceased using the post-op eye drops, which were a 2-week course. I am still being very careful about not touching or rubbing my eyes.
It still appears that eye lubrication is key. Air conditioning, car heater fans and fan heaters are not my friends at present. Natural lubrication seems to be improving but I am tending to take eye drops with me for occasional use. When my tear film is adequate my eyes feel relaxed and the artificial light challenges are least.
In summary then, I am glasses independent and the immediate "wow" gains have ceased, to be replaced with gradual improvement in tear production and visual acuity in poor artificial light.
Brief notes today.
As Woodvillewomble commented it seems that change is rapid at the moment.
Computer use is easier than it was yesterday. My monitor is back where it was pre-op and everything is sharp. Switching between this text and the clock bottom right is now fairly seamless. Both are sharp.
The haziness I was getting in low light is much less. In fact "natural" low light is almost normal again. The high street at dusk is still a little challenging but definitely much better.
The single biggest improvement though is that my eyes are starting to self-lubricate better. I have a suspicion that this is in part why I am noticing the changes noted above; better tear film = better performance.
As Woodvillewomble commented it seems that change is rapid at the moment.
Computer use is easier than it was yesterday. My monitor is back where it was pre-op and everything is sharp. Switching between this text and the clock bottom right is now fairly seamless. Both are sharp.
The haziness I was getting in low light is much less. In fact "natural" low light is almost normal again. The high street at dusk is still a little challenging but definitely much better.
The single biggest improvement though is that my eyes are starting to self-lubricate better. I have a suspicion that this is in part why I am noticing the changes noted above; better tear film = better performance.
Good to hear progress is being made. The first couple of weeks are certainly the most dynamic. A great write up.
14 days and 7 days. One week check-up with optical express.
First off I was reprimanded by the Optometrist for ceasing my eye drops two days early and told to re-start them again for two days!
I reported that my eye dominance has remained swapped. The optom was unable to offer an explanation but commented that such events have been documented before.
Daylight vision is unchanged, still excellent at all distances with no noticeable weaknesses. In office lighting PC use is good but not perfect – I am still experimenting with monitor distances.
I raised with the Optom the matter of hazy vision in low or fluorescent light. He said that this is because my brain is still trying to understand why it’s receiving two images for distance (the main lens and near segment) whereas for forty-eight years it has only received one. Low light exacerbates the problem apparently. He said that I will adjust, which is borne out by the comments of a friend who had the operation about six months ago and who also struggled at first in low light conditions.
I raised the issue of sore, dry eyes and he tested the tear film. Evidently my tears are of satisfactory quality but too few, so he has given me some different and less viscous lubricant. It seemed to improve matters immediately.
I was able to read the smallest text on the reading test which was 4.5 and the distance reading was very good. The optom commented that the results were exceptionally good for a one week check-up.
Interestingly my “newest” eye is slightly better for near vision; however the optom commented that this may change on a daily basis as healing is nowhere near complete – about 29 days for full healing apparently.
It is very early days and I am still coming to terms with some of the changes that have occurred. For example, in very bright reading conditions I am experiencing some discomfort and I have to rest my eyes periodically, the same is true for reading in poor light but for different reasons.
I am very pleased with the vision I have in good light and relieved to have received an explanation for the low light challenges. It is reassuring too to have spoken to someone who has experienced the same and who now sees well in such conditions.
First off I was reprimanded by the Optometrist for ceasing my eye drops two days early and told to re-start them again for two days!
I reported that my eye dominance has remained swapped. The optom was unable to offer an explanation but commented that such events have been documented before.
Daylight vision is unchanged, still excellent at all distances with no noticeable weaknesses. In office lighting PC use is good but not perfect – I am still experimenting with monitor distances.
I raised with the Optom the matter of hazy vision in low or fluorescent light. He said that this is because my brain is still trying to understand why it’s receiving two images for distance (the main lens and near segment) whereas for forty-eight years it has only received one. Low light exacerbates the problem apparently. He said that I will adjust, which is borne out by the comments of a friend who had the operation about six months ago and who also struggled at first in low light conditions.
I raised the issue of sore, dry eyes and he tested the tear film. Evidently my tears are of satisfactory quality but too few, so he has given me some different and less viscous lubricant. It seemed to improve matters immediately.
I was able to read the smallest text on the reading test which was 4.5 and the distance reading was very good. The optom commented that the results were exceptionally good for a one week check-up.
Interestingly my “newest” eye is slightly better for near vision; however the optom commented that this may change on a daily basis as healing is nowhere near complete – about 29 days for full healing apparently.
It is very early days and I am still coming to terms with some of the changes that have occurred. For example, in very bright reading conditions I am experiencing some discomfort and I have to rest my eyes periodically, the same is true for reading in poor light but for different reasons.
I am very pleased with the vision I have in good light and relieved to have received an explanation for the low light challenges. It is reassuring too to have spoken to someone who has experienced the same and who now sees well in such conditions.
Not much to report today.
Vision in good light remains excellent at all distances. However in low light (indoors with fluorescent lighting mostly) things are still a little hazy / blurry for distance. Near, oddly, remains fine.
I went to the gym today for a light workout. It is lit 90% artificially and at first I was unable to see detail clearly across the gym. This however improved slightly as my workout progressed. I am unsure why. As soon as I walked outside into the sunshine my vision returned to being sharp.
My eyes are quite dry and uncomfortable when in warm, dry places; artificial tears help a bit but are not the complete solution.They seem worse in low light conditions and I wonder whether there is a connection between the dryness and the loss of acuity in low light. I am seeing the optometrist on Wednesday so I will ask her.
I am meant to finish my eye drops on Wednesday on the first eye. However, I think I might stop tonight so I can compare the eye with drops against the one without before I see the optometrist. I am slightly suspicious that the drops are contributing to the dryness.
It is great to have such good near vision again and little improvements in day-to-day life are making me happy. For example, my gym locker padlock is a combination one and I used to really struggle to input the right digits. Today, when I could see the numbers clearly, for a split second I thought, "that can't be my padlock because mine has blurry numbers..."
Vision in good light remains excellent at all distances. However in low light (indoors with fluorescent lighting mostly) things are still a little hazy / blurry for distance. Near, oddly, remains fine.
I went to the gym today for a light workout. It is lit 90% artificially and at first I was unable to see detail clearly across the gym. This however improved slightly as my workout progressed. I am unsure why. As soon as I walked outside into the sunshine my vision returned to being sharp.
My eyes are quite dry and uncomfortable when in warm, dry places; artificial tears help a bit but are not the complete solution.They seem worse in low light conditions and I wonder whether there is a connection between the dryness and the loss of acuity in low light. I am seeing the optometrist on Wednesday so I will ask her.
I am meant to finish my eye drops on Wednesday on the first eye. However, I think I might stop tonight so I can compare the eye with drops against the one without before I see the optometrist. I am slightly suspicious that the drops are contributing to the dryness.
It is great to have such good near vision again and little improvements in day-to-day life are making me happy. For example, my gym locker padlock is a combination one and I used to really struggle to input the right digits. Today, when I could see the numbers clearly, for a split second I thought, "that can't be my padlock because mine has blurry numbers..."
Day 4 for second implant and 11 for the first.
Vision in daylight continues to be pretty much perfect. I can view far distance and distance objects and they are sharp. I can then look down at my car dashboard and everything is clear, nearer still I can examine my wristwatch and I can read the smallest text on the dial.
Sometimes near distance still requires a minor repositioning of my eyes relative to the object being viewed. Interestingly this morning I have found it more comfortable to move my PC monitor 6" further away to where it used to be. This suggests to me that changes are still afoot.
Going about my daily life, eyesight is fine but task lighting must now be considered. I did some domestic electrical work this morning. It was possible, just, without task lighting. With a torch between my teeth, however, life was much easier.
Yesterday was my first "restaurant test". Reading menus and adding up the bill were things that I really wanted to be able to do without glasses. I am pleased to report that I can now do both easily. In fact, we used a discount voucher and I was able to read the small print T&Cs on that too. Very pleasing.
Driving home last night headlights appeared largely as they had pre-surgery and even a deliberate attempt to induce glare was largely unsuccessful.
Is it the case then that I am as good as new and viewing the world through the eyes of a teenager? Well no, if only that were true. Right now, where things are not quite right is in low light. I am fine in daylight, I am fine in the dark, but in low light things are less comfortable.
As soon as daylight starts to fade or I enter a room that is less than bright my vision becomes hazy. It's an odd sensation and it seems that the haziness is coming from my peripheral vision. Using artificial tears seems to improve this, as does having a couple of glasses of wine, oddly.
This may be the excuse I've been looking for to drink more.
Vision in daylight continues to be pretty much perfect. I can view far distance and distance objects and they are sharp. I can then look down at my car dashboard and everything is clear, nearer still I can examine my wristwatch and I can read the smallest text on the dial.
Sometimes near distance still requires a minor repositioning of my eyes relative to the object being viewed. Interestingly this morning I have found it more comfortable to move my PC monitor 6" further away to where it used to be. This suggests to me that changes are still afoot.
Going about my daily life, eyesight is fine but task lighting must now be considered. I did some domestic electrical work this morning. It was possible, just, without task lighting. With a torch between my teeth, however, life was much easier.
Yesterday was my first "restaurant test". Reading menus and adding up the bill were things that I really wanted to be able to do without glasses. I am pleased to report that I can now do both easily. In fact, we used a discount voucher and I was able to read the small print T&Cs on that too. Very pleasing.
Driving home last night headlights appeared largely as they had pre-surgery and even a deliberate attempt to induce glare was largely unsuccessful.
Is it the case then that I am as good as new and viewing the world through the eyes of a teenager? Well no, if only that were true. Right now, where things are not quite right is in low light. I am fine in daylight, I am fine in the dark, but in low light things are less comfortable.
As soon as daylight starts to fade or I enter a room that is less than bright my vision becomes hazy. It's an odd sensation and it seems that the haziness is coming from my peripheral vision. Using artificial tears seems to improve this, as does having a couple of glasses of wine, oddly.
This may be the excuse I've been looking for to drink more.
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