Crystalens Result

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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)

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P.P.S.  The experiment was so awful, I'm too afraid to try the patch during the day.  Aside from the awful time I had while the patch was on, everything is still not 100% of where it was before the experiment.  The rest of that night I was tired, slightly dizzy, and the two eyes didn't quite seem to work together properly.  And a lot of long-passed, relatively minor dysphotopsias came back the next night (last night) but were going away throughout the evening.  I'm still recovering from the experiment in that not all these once-passed, now-returned dysphotopsias are gone yet, I think.

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P.S.  With both eyes open at night, reading is a challenge without a lot of light but everything else is beautifully clear and sharp.

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You must be right.  The strange thing, though, is that the Crystalens eye alone was never as good as the natural eye alone, but I saw myself acing every VA test and reading the lines that corresponded to the measurements I reported.  When I close the natural eye during the day, I am pretty sure I would get the same great measurements with the Crystalens eye.  All measurements in the Dr.'s office have been with the natural eye covered.

I don't know if it's just me, I certainly doubt it, but day vs night now makes a much bigger difference for me since getting this lens.  My experience may be consistent with a combination of a) poorer night vision with the lens and b) the brain only learning to suppress dysphotopsias with both eyes open.  Certainly b) is true.

As I mentioned, hopefully I'll find out if I am rationalizing on August 6th.  I'll be paying attention to how much sunlight gets into the examining room, but if there is a lot of light it may not matter.

Thank you, JodieJ, very much!

[JodieJ]

It does not sound to me like you have 20/15 vision in your Crystalens eye (or anything close to plano).  It seems more likely that you have 20/15 vision with both eyes because you are relying on your left eye for your distance vision.  If you can read now and couldn't do this before surgery, it is probably because your Crystalens eye is nearsighted.  If this were the case, then you now have monovision (and dysphotopsia).  Somehow, your surgeon's office has led you to believe that your surgical outcome was spectacular when this was not the case.

First, you need to determine what your vision with your Crystalens eye really is.  It is not 20/15 distance, and it may not be 20/20 intermediate or 20/25 near.  Then you need to decide whether it is something you can live with or whether you'd like to improve things.  If your current surgeon is not helpful, then do consult someone else.

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JodieJ, are you sure that this is not OK?  Why did they discourage me from patching the natural eye in the first place?

My vision is so wonderful with both eyes open.  Yes, I can still read.  And with both eyes open, incredibly long distances are crystal clear.  The Crystalens eye by itself was never as good as the natural eye by itself (but seems better than the natural eye when both are open).  Last night was the first and only time I completely patched my natural eye and went out at night.

I too worried (and am worried a little) about myopic shift, but I don't really think that my vision in the Crystalens eye has changed much.  I have a feeling that had I patched the natural eye earlier, I would have seen the same things.

But I will find out on August 6th.  If Lasik could somehow make my two-eyed vision even better, that would be wonderful, but it is unfathomable.

If it's fixed, will my reading not be as good?

Thanks!

[JodieJ]

I'm really sorry to read about the results of your recent experiment.  Your vision with your Crystalens eye certainly doesn't seem to be consistent with 20/15 acuity.  I'm wondering if there has been a myopic shift in the position of your IOL.  (Can you still read with the Crystalens eye?)  I suggest that you return to your surgeon to see what can be done to improve your vision with your right eye.  You might also consider getting a second opinion from another surgeon experienced with the Crystalens.