Crystalens Result

[mmmmpppp]

Hi,

I am 51.  I had a totally maxed-out PSC cataract in my right eye.  My left eye is 20/15 but needs a reader.  I had a Crystalens HD put in my right eye yesterday morning.  I removed the patch last night.  Since I have benefited tremendously from everyone's stories here on MedHelp, I thought that I would share mine.  Also, mine may turn out to be an extremely happy story.  I figure that happy patients are underrepresented on MedHelp.  Before the cataract, I had excellent vision in the right eye.  I've never worn glasses and, in the past, my eyes have almost totally rejected reading glasses.  (Too-weak readers still feel 100 times too strong.)

Let me just preface this by acknowledging that a lot can happen after Day 2.  This is just a report about how things seem now.  I will update it as I get farther along if it seems like anyone is interested.

So far, I am thrilled out of my mind.  I took the patch off last night at around 9:30 p.m. in front of a supermarket.  I had just bought bandage tape, allowing me to take my doctor up on his suggestion that I could redo my patch and didn't need it back on again until I went to sleep.  I was so curious to see my new vision, but I wasn't going to take off the patch until I knew I could repatch.  My first reaction was, "I AM SO SCREWED!"  The reasons were that a) I had a strong feeling similar to when one puts on glasses with a prescription 20 times too strong, and b) there were huge, bright, thin rings of colored light around every light source.  Because of a mispent youth in the early '70's, I could have pulled off driving at night with that much visual disturbance, but it would have been worse than criminal.  And the feeling of wearing a 20 times too strong prescription was downright depressing.  Why had I done this to myself?

I was home a few minutes later (I live across the street from the supermarket).  Inside, I noticed that from the Crystalens eye, everything looked clear, bright, and perfect.  I was told not to read, but my eyes fell on a few words of text smaller than newsprint size, and I thought I noticed that I could read the words.  I didn't want to test because I wasn't supposed to read.  I also noticed that everything looked a little yellow through the natural eye.  (I'll be using "Crystalens vs natural" throughout to distinguish the two eyes.  Remember that the natural eye can't read without a reader.)

(continued in next post)

[mmmmpppp]

Sigh . . .  This all makes no sense!

I took your suggestion and printed out an eye chart and carelully measured 20 feet from the chart and measured the big E to verify that it had printed correctly.. With the natural eye closed, the Crystalens eye is 20/15.  And with the Crystalens eye closed, the natural eye is 20/15.  But I could see distinctly that the 15 foot line of the chart was sharper to the natural eye than to the Crystalens eye.

Now I'm wondering if what I'm experiencing is astigmatism in the Crystalens eye induced by the surgery?

[mmmmpppp]

Thanks!  I do feel very satisfied overall.  I was thinking that if "correcting" the Crystalens at distance might cost some reading ability, I'd definitely rather not.  I do think that what I have is a bit similar to monovision.

I definitely have no reason that I can think of to patch the Crystalens eye.  But in the interests of promoting my "monovision," I will not patch the natural eye anymore either.

I did keep seeing myself test at 20/15 distance, yet I also saw that the natural eye by itself was clearer than the Crystalens eye by itself; so it will be very interesting to see what happens on August 6th.

Thanks again, JodieJ!

[JodieJ]

There's no reason for you to patch your Crystalens eye for lengthy periods.  You might try reading for a few minutes with that eye only--I suspect that you'll be successful.  (I was able to download a free eye chart to be read at 10 feet, and the results obtained seem to be very accurate.  You could do the same if you want to test your distance vision yourself.)  You mentioned that your Crystalens eye never had the crisp distance vision of your fellow eye, and it's probably doubtful that it ever tested 20/15.

So actually your results aren't bad at all, even though they aren't what you expected with the Crystalens.  You have good vision at all distances, which may be more than you'd get with monovision using monofocal IOLs.  And your adjustment to monovision was very rapid.  (Based on your posts, you've already adjusted.)  Your dysphotopsia is diminishing.  In your place, I'd probably be feeling pretty satisfied overall.  

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Further experimentation strongly suggests that indeed my distance vision isn't what it was, or what I thought it was, initially.  The Crystalens eye by itself never was as clear at distance as the natural eye, but I'm not sure if it's actually gotten worse.  I sort of hope it has because I wouldn't want to think that blurry distance vision still tests out at 20/15.  On the other hand, I have doubts that my near vision has changed.  I can read print significantly smaller than newsprint, but I think I could do that initially.  So I'm afraid that I may have simply lost some distance vision in the Crystalens eye.

Maybe what I have at the moment is a monovision that pretty nearly covers my entire range of vision.  If that's true and I decide to accept it without further intervention, maybe I should stop closing or patching the natural eye for experimentation purposes.  Maybe I should let my brain get into monovision.

[mmmmpppp]

Thanks once again!  I am grateful for your attention.

I guess I'll wait until the 6th and then possibly start a new thread.

I'll post agin on the 6th.

I really can't thank you enough JodieJ!

[JodieJ]

When you see your surgeon next week, your vision with your Crystalens eye will be evaluated and any changes can be noted.  It seems like your dysphotopsia is diminishing when you use both eyes together.  This is a good sign.  Maybe it's best not to experiment with the eye patch.  Dr. Oyakawa is an expert with the Crystalens.  You could start a new thread directed to his attention for further advice.