patient percentage of problems with multifocals

[needlens]

I have cataracts in both eyes.  Dominant eye already has monofocal distance implant.  Eyesight is almost 20/20 in dominant eye.  Have been using contact lenses (one for close mostly, using far distance contact lens for night driving, ballgames, golf, etc).  Need surgery in  non-dominant eye now.  Am getting real concerned reading about problems (halos, poorer vission,etc) with multifocals, especially when only one multifocal will be needed.  Which multifocal if any, should I even consider??? Obviously I don't want to need glasses.  Am hoping for good close range and intermediate range vision and am willing to have not quite as good distance vision with the new lens. Is this unreasonable?  And, how long does it really take, on average, to get accustomed to using the multifocal lens (rezoom,restor, crystal?   Also, are there studies done on the percentage of patient who have experienced difficulties wth these lenses?

[JodieJ]

I think your best bet would be to continue the type of correction that you have now.  Get an aspheric monofocal lens set for near vision in your non-dominant eye.  You could continue using a contact for night driving if you wanted.

Neither ReZoom nor Crystalens provide good close vision.  And ReStor is associated with  lots of problems, including halos, glare, ghosting, and "waxy" vision.  According to the professional literature, neuroadaptation to multifocal vision can take up to a year, and 10 percent of the multifocal recipients never neuroadapt.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

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