I noticed this reflection in my grandfather's eyes after his surgery. I will admit it was mildly disturbing at first because it was unnatural. I knew what his eyes looked like before, and this was not the same. I am nowhere close to getting cataract surgery, I hope, but came here to learn what that reflection is all about so that I can try to avoid it once I'm his age. Glad to hear there are other options that don't reflect so much.
I agree with the people saying that the possibilty of bright reflections are something that need to be disclosed to patients before surgery.
Since surgery my mother has these reflections, in my experience these are not usual to humans, certainly not to her. I have looked into her eyes for over 30 years, long before her cataracts and they never glowed like this. In many light conditions they have an bright glow to the point where people cannot see the iris or pupil reactions properly.
Sociologically humans use eyes to read both the deliberate and instinctive reactions of others e.g. direct eye contact when wishing to engage/bond with someone, or involuntary pupil dilation when expressing fear. So, when iris/pupils are less visable than before, it's not only a 'vanity' issue of an aesthetic change in a loved one's appearance; but an instinctive unsettling feeling, that sometimes they have an unreadable glow where expressive eyes used to be.
Of course medically speaking there's no better time in human history to be alive. We are all massively grateful that people can have their sight restored with such a 'routine' and relatively safe procedure. However to say "well you have a eye twinkle you don't like, but at least you aren't blind" is a strawman fallacy. Rather than studying the issue of why some people/lenses have strong reflections -or more simply and cost effectively systematically informing patients of possibilty of stronger reflections in some types of lenses- people are being dismissed as ungrateful and vain.
This surgery is usually not optional, but an experience that people must go through to maintain/regain a 'normal' life. If after surgery their life is then interrupted by people regularly pointing out that their eyes are "scary", "freakish" harder to read, then they may not feel they have a 'normal' life.
When some people's lives are clearly affected by their glowing eyes, I find the dismissive nature of some people here hard to understand, especially since this either-or senario could possibly be prevented. People do not need to make the choice between the possibilty of glowing eyes, or blindness; Of liking it, or lumping it; Of scaring their grandkids or seeing their grandkids; Preparing every patient by simply informing them about lens choice and the possible aesthetic implications, means people can choose to have lenses whose appearance they feel are more 'beautiful' IN ADDITION TO, NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF, the beauty of sight.
Well, now I'm not so happy about joining this site. I have learned that a silicone lens might turn out with less relfection than the crystal lens - so that much I appreciate and will now research more and talk to my MD (who never mentioned it before despite multiple surgical prep visits).
Otherwise, the MD's attitude here that marginalizes a patient's concerns about eye reflections (it's their FACE for God's sake!) - well that's too much for me. It's one thing for non-MDs to not understand how critical and real it can be to the patient, or to be critical or insensitive or curious or just have a different opinion... that's okay - but for an MD to shrug this off and say they should be grateful not to be blind or whatever - that's just wrong. I think I can see the real blind ones here.
And I love those here who have come in seeking not judgement about their "misguided feelings", but rather looking for support and information and maybe even a little empathy and commeraderie. I'm with you all as much as possible.
The STAAR Surgical nanoFLEX Collamer IOL appears to be especially made to eliminate or significantly reduce the reflection seen with other IOLs. Plus this monofocal IOL is interesting in that along with good distance vision, provides good intermediate vision comparable to crystalens.
Too bad it doesn't have a Toric version...
Is there a brand that does not have that reflection?
I completely sympathize with the posters who are upset by this phenomenon. I too have extremely reflective lens implants after cataract surgery and this issue was never made known to me before surgery either. And I thought I had researched everything to do with cataract surgery because I was so scared of having an operation on my eyes!
I am in no way vain, as some seem to suggest is the problem here, and I have always been somewhat shy, so after so many people have commented on the shiny circles in my eyes, it does affect my confidence in public. I do feel like a freak! I notice when there is bright light to my side or front that might cause the reflection to happen and I move away. I can no longer look people straight in the face for long, and I look down if I notice someone staring intently at my eyes, which probably makes me seem shifty.
My regular optician said he has never seen such reflective lenses before, so it is not just me! My mother and brother had cataract surgery and they did not glow in public! I wonder if I should wear sunglasses permanently, but when I have spent thousands of dollars to regain my eyesight, why should I have to? I am so glad that people have posted here about the same issue, because it makes me feel less alone. I don't think people who are concerned by this should be dismissed so easily. I do think doctors should make people aware of the possibility of this happening, since it is not something people would even consider.
However I have to balance my discomfort with the fact that after years of struggling with my sight I now have 20/20 vision and, due to complications after my surgeries, would never consider switching out the lenses. I'm learning to live with it.
KayakerNC is a thoughtful person who has added much to the discussions here and I know was not trying to be "jerky". Patients often notice much more after their surgery that was already there. We have been accused of making post cataract patients hair turn gray, causing wrinkles on their face and body, changing the color of their wardrobe and house furniture and putting dust all over their home. These are all things they could not see before that they can now post improved vision.
"Or..just maybe....your eyes ALWAYS showed that reflection and you didn't notice it because of the vision reduction caused by your cataracts.
What nonsense."
That jerky comment does not add any value to this conversation. You must have been having a bad day.
Aside from your concerns about lens reflection, could you share your post surgical visual outcome?
re: "Do you really think I would take the time to research this issue, that I would make trips back to my own doctor, that I would go out of state and go through another surgery at my own costs of thousands of dollars for an unwanted "twinkle" in my eye? "
No one can know without seeing you how large an issue it is. The mere fact that you wish to spend money to address it doesn't tell us either. Obviously there are some cosmetic issues such as say facial reconstruction after bad burns that almost everyone, even the least vain in the populace is likely to feel appropriate.
However individuals vary in their guesses as to how much what they consider an imperfection in their appearance is even noticed by others, and their sensitivity as to whether it matters. A tiny imperfection after say a minor accident that didn't heal fully and left a slight imperfection might be something one person doesn't even notice, while another hides from public view and runs off to the plastic surgeon to deal with it.
Last year over
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/12/plastic-surgery-43-percent-among-men-report/
$12 billion was spent in the US on cosmetic surgery, with over 10 million procedures. An estimated $59 billion on cosmetics:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/243742/revenue-of-the-cosmetic-industry-in-the-us/
So the mere willingness to spend money on something doesn't give a good indication about the magnitude of the issue as it would be perceived by the typical person.
There are studies into what leads to lens exchanges in order to try to prevent them. Although I'm merely someone who read about issues due to having had cataract surgery and having visual issues afterwards, I have read many articles on the topic of lens exchanges and post surgery issues. and hadn't run into this issue mentioned other than on this thread as far as I can recall. There are many articles talking about the reasons for unhappy patients after surgery and how to handle it, even if the unhappiness doesn't extend to the level of getting lens replacement, and I also hadn't seen this issue mentioned that i recall. (though it is possible since it wasn't a concern of mine that I missed it).
Lens designers aren't going to expend effort trying to fix an issue they don't hear about as being a problem. It seems likely if another lens does turn out to be better in this regard, that it will be so accidentally and that someone should be cautious beforehand to investigate the odds that a lens exchange will truly make any difference. In theory it is possible, I know my optometrist had commented during an exam on how much more reflective my lenses seemed than others (though I've no reason to suspect it is noticeable to people in general as a problem). Lens attributes differ even if designers weren't trying to worry about something like this. However any sort of lens exchange surgery has risks, so it is always best to be cautious about whether the surgery is warranted and what the odds are it will improve things.
Even if some surgeon can be found to take your money, they aren't the one taking risks with their vision and risking a potential complication causing visual loss in exchange for a potential cosmetic improvement, you are. Each person has to make their own call about risks/benefits and obviously some will find it worth the risk.
It may very well be that there are rare cases where the issue is so abnormal that the average person would consider it a problem (I have dealt with a rare visual glitch with the lenses so I know some uncommon issues aren't talked about much, some surgeons never see a similar case), but without seeing it for themselves people may be skeptical of the magnitude of the issue when it hasn't been viewed as common enough to be talked about in the literature they have read (or for some surgeons to have seen it). Many people won't be aware of cases where this is something they would agree is a problem, while they are aware of the variances of human vanity and concern over even appearance issues that aren't considered a concern by others.
If this truly is an issue that many people would consider a problem if they saw it then you might urge whatever surgeon you use to publish about the issue (without identifying you unless you wished of course), especially if you or someone else with this level of concern might be willing to allow photos to be taken if it is something that can be perceived in photos (perhaps with other facial features photoshopped to hide identity).
I've got the glow you talk about and yes, it's frequently mentioned but I laugh and tell people it's my bionic eyes! I went from about -13 to superb vision with my lenses and I'm grateful every day. I also have a large amount of floaters, including misty ones that make me feel as if I'm looking through a greasy contact lens, these are from PVDs. I can see them all the time but I've trained myself to look on them as positive! Yes, I've got floaters but I didn't get retinal detachments!
Try to change your thought process, not your lenses. You'll be much happier for it.
For anyone considering cataract surgery that reads this discussion thread. Consider the statistics for automobile accidents for 2014 in the USA: there were 5.5 million accidents, 2,339,000 injuries, 33,000 deaths. Yet does that really deter any of us from getting in our cars and driving to the store or across the country in our automobiles. Of course not because the risk is relatively very very low and falling due to safer automobiles.
Cataract surgery is the most common and successful surgery done on adults world-wide. The reflections these posters find so troublesome usually do not occur, when they do occur they rarely bother the patient and some actually like the reflections. The complaints posted here are unusual and rare in cataract surgery. Internet forums are a magnet for unusual problems and unhappy people.
I'm sorry all these posters find it so troublesome. Certainly some of the problems other posters bring to this forum that involve poor vision, blindness put these complaints in perspective.
Best of luck to those of you that are bothered by this symptom.
JCH MD
Obviously those of you, including doctors,who are dismissing the claims of the reflection in the eyes as"nonsense" do not know what the others are speaking of nor do you live with it. If it were an abnormality of the elbow or the knee it would be much easier to live with. The eyes are the window to the soul. The "glow" as I call it is nothing so benign as you and others have referred to as a "twinkle" It is very disconcerting and an upsetting to have others remark when you are out in a social setting "What is wrong with your eye?, Or 'Your eyes are "glowing" Some cataract surgery patients, like myself are in their 50's not their late 70's or 80's. A person's appearance when it is in their eyes with a freakish 'glow' is nothing to dismiss or make light of. It affects ones self esteem and ability to look others in the eye. The manufacturer of the IOLenses will never need to look at this side affect if it is not taken seriously by the doctors who should be their patients advocate. Take it from me, anyone who is considering cataract surgery especially if you are younger, research on your own as to which intra ocular implants cause an iridescent glow and which ones do not. I am looking at a second surgery to change out my intra ocular lenses and hope to travel to another hospital in another state (John Hopkins) to do so. Insurance will likely not cover it and I will be paying for it out of pocket as long as the doctor says it is at a low risk. So I ask you Do you really think I would take the time to research this issue, that I would make trips back to my own doctor, that I would go out of state and go through another surgery at my own costs of thousands of dollars for an unwanted "twinkle" in my eye? This unnatural glow in my eye due to my IOLens implants is present everyday in sunlight and more at night with ambient light setting it off. Doctors please listen to your patients complaints.
Agree. I have had patients that like the reflection and call it their "twinkle". Reflections off the cornea occur in everyone that has a normal shaped cornea and tear film.
JCH MD
Or..just maybe....your eyes ALWAYS showed that reflection and you didn't notice it because of the vision reduction caused by your cataracts.
What nonsense.