Symfony lense

[Garrry]

I went to see my consultant yesterday, to have my eyes tested
and measured
I have decided to have both of my eyes done on the same day and have symphony lenses fitted
The date of the surgery is 24 of July
I will keep you posted

[JohnHaganMD]

It's not called an abrasion: those are due to trauma.  Fuchs causes bullous keratopathy.  Fluid accumulates in the cornea due to the failure of endothelial cells and forms blisters on the surface of the eye which rupture.

JCH MD

[Mprgan]

I call it an abrasion because a blister on the cornea from the Fuchs burst causing the current problem.

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Garrry]

Sorry if this come twice I thought I had already p[ousted

My surgeon did explain before my op that everyone is different
Im currently using drops four time per day A week before my op and six weeks after This is quite normal Mainly to combat the risk of infection
I hated using them at first now it seem like second nature
I wont know if I need some kind of lubricant drops till I finish my course of drops If I have occasionally to use  lubricant drops that wouldn't bother me
But I will keep you posted

I can identify with what you say regarding blackboards I was teased at school for being to keen to get into lessons But the truth was I couldn't see the blackboard if I was not very near the front

Due to my astigmatism and eye shape I was unsuitable for contacts
or I would have done what you are intending I tried contacts
My daughter wears contacts and wouldn't consider lens replacement
or laser Just take your time deciding Im sure you will find the right solution for you
    Gary

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Grum]

Thanks for the fast response. I'm right eye 2.75 -1.5 and left eye 2.5 -2.25 and have worn glasses since university lecture hall blackboards made me realise how rubbish my vision was. I don't know how I swung it prior to that - I guess we are good at coping with what we have.
I'll shortly be doing a monovision trial with contact lenses so as to know if this is an option for me. The other option that seems attractive to me is Symfony, so I have really appreciated reading of people's experience with this lens.
Do you know if your need for the lubricant drops is common? I thought that was more a LASIK thing.

[Garrry]

Hi
The consultant kept my only copy But I did post my prescription on here prior to my op
But from memory I had astigmatism in both eyes
I was -4.5 in my left eye and -5.5 in my right

Ive just had my latest check-up My vision is now stable
In the UK they don't use the terms 20 20 etc So the numbers I was given mean little to me
But prior to the op I was struggling to read  one line below the driving standard
and could just about read the headlines on a news paper
But had to wear clip on glasses on top of my readers to read news paper print
My distance prescription hadn't change since I was seventeen

Now im struggling through the bottom line on the distance chart
and again struggling through the bottom line of the small print pad

Negatives are im still wearing sunglasses when driving or walking around in the sun Though night driving is fine now
I may have to carry on with some hind of lubricant drops At the moment im still on drops four time per day I must say that my eyes feel ready for the drops Especially during the day
But drops each day would be a small price to [pay
I still wake up each morning and reach across for my glasses
So im not sure if part of wearing sunglasses for driving is force of habit
Im fifty three and have driven for 35 years Never without glasses
Im sure there are other that have experienced this

   Gary

[Grum]

Glad to hear of your success. I'm considering going down a similar path myself. Can you please post your pre-IOL prescription? Thanks for being so forthcoming with your experience so far.

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Wolfhall]

Thank--you very much Garry, that was extremely helpful.  I think it is definitely worth trying with the Symfony, my surgeon is excellent and I do really trust him.  I hope I can get used to this lens in the dominant eye but I feel sure I will be happier to give my eyes a chance of pulling a magazine or a book off the shelf and seeing something. It seems to me that these new kind of multifocals re the lenses of the future and for once I would like to be an early adopter!  Good luck with your progress too, it sounds incredibly positive.

[Garrry]

Hi
Day fourteen and my vision is still good
Prior to my op I set my self a distance marker of seventy ft and looked at my neighbours car reg in good light that was my maximum I could see with my glasses
So the day after my op I couldn't wait to get out there and test my eyes
Although the letters looked bigger I struggled to make out individual letters
I tried three days later with sunglasses and I was about the same as with my glasses Now im at about a hundred ft and only wearing sunglasses when im out for the day In short the distance has exceeded expectations

My near vision has come on rapidly My surgeon did say I may need readers for very small print as my job requires me to read CAD drawings
News paper print is no problem and fine print on the back of my eye drop bottle I can also read if I hold up to the light Something I could not have done before with readers As I was short and long sighted

To answer your main concern Halos
This was something that concerned me
I spoke at length with my surgeon regarding this He told me that he had had his eyes done five years ago and still saw some hallos at night and had got used to them
But said with the newer lenses they were less of an issue
in particular the Symfony was very unlikely to cause lasting halos
Apart from the day of my op and one week check-up when my eyes were dilated no halos or even glare at night  He stopped short of guaranteeing this outcome but continually said there wont be problem with halos

It is so difficult to make the right choice I did all the research that I could
But felt so confident in my surgeon that I had both done together

  Good luck with your second eye  Gary

[Wolfhall]

Hi I just wondered how your eye is now?  I am also in the UK and had one eye done on the NHS fixed for distance.  Have incredible depth of field (infinity to about 18 inches) but very difficult to read at all right now, even with both eyes and can't get glasses yet as need other eye done.  Was thinking of Symfony but it is very expensive to go private as you know. I was unlucky that I had PVD exactly 28 days after surgery so now wonder if I should go for another monofocal as it was so wonderful to see so well for a month.  I already had a PVD in the other eye which I have got used to.  My surgeon is really good and I have tiny pupils hence good range of vision , I think.  Do you have any halo effects now and how is driving at night?

[Garrry]

Its now 15 hours My vision is getting better by the hour
The hallows have gone
and I say hallows I mean every source of light had a burning ring around it
It would have been quite alarming if not for info on forums like this
Long way to go but im happy so far
My eyes were not to soar afterwards But as the anestetic wore off they were very watery and felt gritty
The grittiness has now gone Which is quite surprising
  Gary

[Garrry]

Well I had both eyes fitted with the symphony lenses today
My eyes are still dilated but can seem my computer screen fine
Even with Perspex covers on both eyes
Im seeing hallos around bright lights but its early days
My distance vision is at least as good as with my glasses
Three line from the bottom of the eye chart
My surgeon has said he would be very disappointed if I couldn't see the whole of the chart within the next six weeks
I think intermediate is going to be very good
This was the one I was worried about
Computer screen mobile phone etc
I will keep you posted
   Gary

[SoftwareDeveloper]

Its odd they are using the same operating theatre, usually I thought they used different rooms. Regardless the idea is that they use completely different instruments with each eye so that there is minimal risk that a problem with one eye (say an infection from a contaminated instrument) is going to happen in both eyes. In my case I had my eyes done 1 day apart, but it was still done in different operating rooms.

I would recommend considering a small amount of monovision (micro or mini) since studies show that has minimal impact on stereopsis/3D-vision and depth perception, but can increase near a bit, which is shown if you look at the "clinical" tab on the Symfony website:

http://www.tecnisiol.com/eu/tecnis-symfony-iol.htm

[Garrry]

Yes I was quite surprised at both eyes on the same day
But my surgeon tells me that it is becoming quite common here in the UK
Under Private health care
There would be 30 minutes between each op To give the staff time to completely clear the operating theatre
My projected outcome is similar to yours Good distance and intermediate
able to read a newspaper But will need reading glasses for small print
CAD drawings etc
Less than four weeks to go  I will keep you posted
   Gary

[Redbreast15]

I had my left eye operated 20 days ago and the right after two weeks. The surgeon told me that here in Italy the operation of the two eyes in the same day is not permitted, it is necessary to wait at least 24 hours after having the first eye operated. Once they had made all the measures, it was necessary to wait a week to have the Symfony lens. My first eye has a good vision from far and intermediate, near vision is not good as I expected, and my right eye is a little myopic (-0,75), so I do not have from far a bright vision so as the left eye, but I have good intermediate; the micromonovision helps me so I can read the newspaper without glasses. I can say that I am satisfied of the lens and of the surgeon.

[SoftwareDeveloper]

re: "Just curious what is extended distance?"

I am guessing he likely meant "extended depth of focus" (or the flip side it also provides  "extended depth of field"). Or perhaps he meant "excellent distance", since multifocals have good distance vision, but not as sharp as a single focus lens, including the extended depth of focus lenses like the Symfony.

re: "think his vision is hyperopic"

Fortunately one eye is plano, 0 spherical correction, and the other is only slightly hyperopic, +0.5D. With eyes that are highly myopic before surgery  it is hard for them to get the lens power right so that isn't too far off, though erring on the side of being myopic is more useful. Due to the extended depth of focus that means I still have excellent distance&intermediate vision in that eye,but less near. There isn't a benefit to being hyperopic with any IOL that I can think of.

Most surgeons had said it would take 1-2 days to get the lenses, and I've been in touch with someone who had preop in Austria this Monday for the Symfony toric and is getting the lens today, Wednesday. I suppose its possible this doctor has more access to lenses since he is involved in the trials, it could be that otherwise   the factory has gotten backlogged if demand is higher than expected (for this and for whatever other IOLs they make there).

[rwbil]

Just curious what is extended distance?  Does that mean instead of shooting for plano you are shooting to be slighly hyperopic?  If so you should talk to SoftwareDeveloper as he got the Symfony lens and I think his vision is hyperopic.

Also I was kind of surprise when you said you were going to a private doctor and it would take 4 weeks to get the lens in.  I know one person that went overseas to get the Tecnis Symfony and after getting his measurement they overnighted the lens.

Anyway keep us informed how things go.

[Garrry]

Thanks  for your kind wishes
Im a UK resident so the choice of lenses are pretty good
I have chosen to pay for my surgery so it allows me to select my surgeon
and the lenses also
Here in the UK it is normal to have one eye done and the second eye five to seven days later But on the national health service it is normal for the procedures to be carried out months or even years apart
Same surgeons different rules

My surgeon is confident that there will be no night time halos with this type of lens I have opted for extended distance and good intermediate
Reading glasses for very small print
While glasses free is obtainable he advised against it as the recovery period would be much longer and the problems you have pointed out would more likely Especially lack of focus and sharpness

I received a letter today telling me that my lenses have been ordered and would be ready in four weeks
So im all set for the 24July

  I will keep you posted  Kind regards Gary

[rwbil]

Wishing you the best of luck and please report back on your results as I am thinking about the Symfony lens for my other eye.  I think the Symfony lens is a great lens, but I personally would not have both my eyes done the same day.  I think the best decision I made was to do just one eye and see how it does.  Everyone is different and have different results and you might want to see how your vision does with one before doing the other.  Lets say everything goes great and you have no halos and etc, how about if your close vision is not exactly what you want then you might be able to decide to do micro monovision.  So unless their is a reason to do both eyes at once, like you are flying out of the country, my advice is to evaluate the results first.