wrong lens used - help!

[nathdeu]

my mother who is 60 years old wore spectcles for to see far as she was shortsighted from the age of 18. She removed her specs when she had to read, sew, threadle a needle, cook, look herself in the mirror etc. In 2007 she was diagnosed as having glaucoma and cateract in both eyes. Her vision in the right eye was 6/24 and 6/36 in the left. As her right eye was painful she got the operation done on it on 9th march, 2009 (one week ago) to put a new lens and requested near vision from the surgeon. But after the operation she is unable to do the things she did before like reading, sewing, cooking as her vision is blurred from the operated eye and she is disappointed and frustrated. She could however see distance more clearly than before. The lens inserted was 16.0 D. (also the other eye has to be operated later which she is now scared to do).

1. Please let us know what should be done to  improve her near vision (she is not really keen on using specs or contact lenses for this).
2. Is it safe to remove and insert a another lens?
3. If so how fast should it be done?
4.What are the risks involved as she is also glaucoma patient?

Please be kind enough to respond asap.

[FredZq]

Sounds like the Doc's calculation wasn't very close or the wrong lens was made or delivered or inserted or the Doc misunderstood or forgot that she wanted near focus.

the previous discussions seem to have covered your questions. The disclaimers you sign pretty much do away with any guraantees, but if the Doc didn't order the right lens, you might get a break on the cost of any remove/replace operation.

My Left eye came out right on the button. Focus 11 inches from my nose good for close work like reading, needles, etc and close enough for cooking washing dishes etc. The other eye wasn't quite so good; supposed to be for intermediate, but it focuses about 15 inches. So I am nearsighted like I've been most of my life anyway. No big deal.

Your Mom could leave the eye as it is and request near focus for the second eye. That will probably work good provided the first eye is not too much differnt in focal length. She's going to have to wera specs or contacts one way or the other probably. It won't take long to get used to specs for near. Hundreds of millions of people do it every day.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[cdn_glenn]

And another thought ... as you said, your mother had surgery one week ago.  It takes at least a couple of weeks and most doctors say 4-5 weeks for one's eye to heal.  Right now one of the symptoms would be a swollen cornea, a side-effect of the surgery.  At one week most surgeons schedule a follow-up appointment.  If not make one and voice your worries to him/her.

I'm assuming your mother's surgeon is competent and in time better vision will result.

[JodieJ]

And here's another nonprofessional response.  I also think that your mother should set up an appointment to discuss her concerns with her surgeon.  A refractive procedure like LASIK or PRK might be an safer fix than an IOL exchange.  If she ends up with good intermediate (computer) vision in her right eye, another alternative would be to leave things as is, and have her left eye set for near vision.  Hopefully, her surgeon can make adjustments to the power calculations and get closer to the target.  If her surgeon doesn't use an IOL Master, you might consider seeing a different surgeon for the left eye.    

[peakhope]

I am not a doctor.

It sounds like she may have received a monofocal lens, which is intended to provide clear vision at one particular distance, and to require glasses or other correction for other distances. The doctor should have discussed this with her prior to the surgery so she would know what to expect. If this is what the doctor intended, she probably has the correct lens (for distance vision), but perhaps not the best lens for her expectations and/or lifestyle.

The first lens could be removed and replaced with a different lens, but that is a more difficult procedure than the original insertion, so consider all your options carefully, and discuss the risks with at least two good doctors. Plus there is no one perfect lens that provides great vision at all distances for all patients, so you should only consider this if you believe the new lens would be substantially better for her.

If you leave the first eye as it is, there are several options for the second eye, including:
- getting another distance lens, and using glasses for near work
- getting another monofocal lens, but set for near vision. This is known as "monovision", where one eye is used for distance and the other is used for near. Some people have trouble adjusting to this configuration, so don't rush into it.
- getting a premium lens such as Restor or Crystalens HD that can provide good vision at more than one distance. These cost a lot more, require an experienced surgeon, have higher risks of certain problems, and the restor in particular has some potential serious drawbacks. Search the archives of this forum for more information

I may be forgetting some options. Definitely discuss your concerns and goals with her doctor, and it's probably worth getting a second opinion too.