Multifocal intraocluar lenses
 

Has anyone on TOTV had the upgraded multifocal intraocluar lense implants when having cataract surgery? If you have had them, what were your results? Thanks for any information.

Hope you get lots of answers. My cataract evaluation a couple of weeks ago, Dr Jay Singleton said that multifocals (ReSTOR and Tecnis) had proven to be, in his practice, underwhelming in patient satisfaction. After testing he recommended (for my eyes) either toric lenses which would eliminate my astigmatism (moderate, under 1.5 D), provide good distance, but probably require light cheaters for intermediate and reading. Or the Crystalens toric lens (Trulign) which would proved good distance and intermediate, a 50/50 probability of not needing glasses for reading. With astigmatism he prefers laser precision for best results. I have a 2nd opinion evaluation scheduled for next Thursday, with another surgeon who has implanted all of the lens options. We shall see. :beer3:

Thanks for your reply. I still haven't decided what to do. Btw I noticed you have lived in Mt Clemens. My son did his internship at the hospital there.

Check with your insurance carrier before you go for these lenses. Many insurance carriers do not pay for these "upgraded" lenses and they are not cheap!

When I had my cataract surgery, I got a presentation from my eye doctor about these lenses and the fact that many insurance companies will not pay for other than the basic lenses. I can only say from word of mouth that they are not that great.

I got the basic lenses and they are great for long distance sight but I still need reading glasses for close up. $1.00 a pair at Marion market.

Z

St Joseph, which I think is now Henry Ford Hospital, or Mt Clemens General. Been a while.

Mt Clemens General.

My insurance will not pay for them and the up charge is $2750.

Is that per lens, or total? Not too bad if total.

Think about your life style. I did not want my distance vision corrected, because they said I would have to wear reading glasses. I love to read lying on my side in bed at night, and it would be very uncomfortable to have to wear reading glasses. That would be a big change in my lifestyle, making something I've done my whole life difficult. I went with just the normal cataract lenses.

From people I know who had the bifocal kind, the amount of light around you makes a difference. My friends have had to use reading glasses anyway, in situations such as church and restaurants and other low-light situations. I haven't met anyone yet who has been thrilled with them, and several who have said they aren't worth the extra money. But maybe there have been advances recently. I had mine done in 2012.

I am pretty sure that is per lens. And if they do not work that great you are out the money.

I think that anyone that wants these lenses should do a very good check on what they buy you.

Z

Please do your research, I have for the last two years and still have not been sold on it. I use mono vision contacts and they work great, one for distance, the other for close up.

Mono vision contacts are great, but not good for sports like pickle ball where you have to have middle-distance vision. I have three contacts--left distance, right distance, and left mono vision.

Well, since the majority (2 out of 3) of us have some astigmatism, and astigmatism is not covered by Medicare or most insurances, you can probably count on being out-of-pocket for around $1K per eye, unless you are comfortable wearing glasses full time.
And it is your vision, extremely important, so not something to cheap out on.
My brother-in-law had the Crystalens done about 2 years ago, cost about $2500 per eye, he loves them and claims he hasn't worn glasses since.
A fellow retiree, had the Torics done, didn't have the laser assisted surgery (cost issues) and is happy to need glasses only for reading.
I really don't think that cost should be the most important factor in a decision that will last you the rest of your life. Your eyesight should meet your lifestyle needs. Money is only a number.

It's surgery, it isn't an emergency, you have questions about your choices. :undecided:
Get a 2nd opinion...or 3rd if you are still conflicted.
Second opinions before surgery | Medicare.gov

2nd evaluation
 

Please let us know the results of your second opinion. I have a bad astigmatism, plus I need double cataract surgery. Previous lasix surgery a few years ago pretty much ruined a lot of vision in my right eye because they removed too much tissue. I also would like NOT to wear reading glasses and am wondering about the implants to achieve that. I am anxious to hear what you find out.

I had the Toric lense upgrade to correct astigmatism in my right eye. My out of pocket was $1050 as Medicare does not cover the Toric lense.
I had the right eye set for distance and the left eye for close.
A week after the last eye was done I tested 20-20 capable. That was 3 years ago and I still have no need for reading glasses.

My research before deciding to go mono and with the Toric lense confirmed for me that the much touted upgraded bi focal type lenses had significantly less (SIGNIFICANT ) than 50% satisfaction and users relying on glasses....not just readers..........hence my decision........and 100% satisfaction.
By Dr. Ireland at St. Luke's in Sumter Landing.

I loved my mono vision contacts. So you may have the answer, BTK. I could not, however, play pickle ball or tennis with them as the middle distance vision was not good. So for instance, when the ball is going over the net, my vision was not good. But that may be a personal issue with my eyes. Maybe others can relate their experiences with mono vision when playing tennis or PB.

Monovision
 

My opthamologist also gave a negative review to the new lenses. His exact words: "They are not where they need to be yet." I had surgery and my right eye was corrected for distance. I had to wait two weeks for the left eye to be corrected. We tried an experiment during the interval. He gave me two contact lenses for the left eye: one corrected for distance and the other for reading. He advised me to try both and see which worked better. To my surprise, the reading lens worked better. I had the second surgery and my left eye was corrected to read a computer screen. My brain somehow takes the different inputs from my left and right eyes and I see perfectly for distance and for reading. The only time I need glasses is to thread a needle or do my nails. It's awesome. I highly recommend experimenting with contacts before surgery to see if this works for you. It's called monovision.

Just had my annual check up and will be having the surgery. The one that's the least expensive is around $300.00 per eye. The next 'step up' would cost around $2000.00 per eye (would help with astigmatism) and the creme de la creme would be the "Cadillac" of lenses--would cost $3000.00 per eye. The least expensive one is taken care of by Medicare and insurance BUT the other two are not. IF you have the cash---you have a choice.

Most practices offer CareCredit, or something similar, with interest free financing options. So, if you needed it, you could pay off the $3K in 24 months at $125 per month, with no interest if paid in full in 24 months. :$:
Certainly cheaper than throwing it on your Visa.

Cataracts lens
 

Had both eyes operated on in 2009/2010 when mono lens were first introduced.Yes chose the upgrade,cost 2K + per eye.Was advised that my
astigmatism or halo would always be there and may even be worse at night,
and yes i understood i might and most likely have to use readers for closeup
reading.All of this is true,but I have worn glasses since i was 15 years old.
I first tried contacts in 1962 and several times over the years,never really worked very well for me.
Long story short,no I would have saved 4k and gone with regular lens for distance and still use readers.Oh, i do have 20/20 vision, but everything seem
as if I'm looking thru a drop of water all the time.
To each their own however.

Was this from the beginning....or developed later on?
Might be a secondary cataract aka PCO (posterior capsule opacification) which can be treated and is covered by insurance.
Cataract Surgery Complications - AllAboutVision.com

Thank you for all the replies. I still haven't decided but when I do decide I will update everyone on how it turns out.

It IS surgery and Medicare and my BCBS covers 2nd and even 3rd opinions.
http://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/02173.pdf
I am far-sighted (plus 2 and 3 diopters) and moderate astigmatism (average 1.5 Ds measured with cornea topography) and no previous surgery or other eye problems. So your mileage may vary.
My 2nd opinion with Dr Patel pretty much agreed with my 1st evaluation, except Dr Patel favored torics with mini-monovision (plano eminent eye, near 0.5 D in non-dominant eye), and Dr Singleton preferred the Trulign torics with the same mini-monovision.
Standard toric or Trulign toric? If I'm going to pay for a premium toric lens, I think I'm going to go with the lens that gives potentially better vision and increased eyeglasses independence. The cost of the Trulign is about $450 per eye over the standard toric with laser. So, total costs per eye of $2450 out-of-pocket for the laser cataract surgery with the "Cadillac" of premium IOLs.
The trouble with monovision is that a difference of 2.25 or 3.0 diopters (see the "Add" in your prescription) between eyes is a BIG difference and a lot of people hate it.
There is no perfect IOL to give back youthful vision at all distances, so compromises are necessary. In the end it all depends on what you like to do. Seeing the golf ball in flight, driving at night without glare/halos, and playing on the computer, are big factors in my decision.

I will be having cataract surgery when I get home in December. I have always had "natural" monovision, so I assume my doctor will probably keep them that way with the surgeries. I never needed glasses until the past couple of years and I hate it and driving at night is a nightmare with the glare/halos, so I can't wait to have my eyes done. Two questions, 1. how long do you have to wait to have the second eye done? I was told they won't do both at the same time. 2. How long after the surgery will I be able to drive? I am planning to drive to TV from Boston as soon as possible after the surgery.

Interval
 

It was two weeks for me between surgeries. I liked having the time because it gave me a chance to play with contact lenses to see if monovision worked. It did, and 4 months later I see better than I ever have. My brother only had a week, however, so this seems up to the individual surgeon.

You will most likely have 3 follow-up appointments after your cataract surgery. Your first follow-up appointment is the day after your surgery.
The 2nd follow-up appointment is usually about 2 weeks after the surgery. This gives the surgeon more insight into your healing times, and the lens results, which may or may not change the type or power of the IOL for the other eye.
The final follow-up appointment happens about 1 month after the cataract surgery.
Repeat the follow-up appointments for the 2nd eye.
Personally, I wouldn't want to be a thousand miles away from my eye surgeon until at least a month after the 2nd eye was done, in case anything were to go wrong

Thank you, good advice. Maybe I better think about having it done in TV and not Massachusetts. I love my doctor so I hate to not have it done in Boston. I'll have to think about that.

I had my cataract surgery performed by Dr. Holman at Lake Eye. I did pay for the laser surgery. The total cost, for both eyes was $3,000. I also took advantage of their CareCredit card - no interest and you pick how you want to pay and what you want to pay monthly. My monthly payment is $127.00 but I rounded it up to $130.00. My right eye was corrected for distance - I can now see the golf ball fly thru the air and where it lands - my left eye was corrected for close up. I do NOT wear glasses of any kind now. Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in.

Multifocal lenses
 

I went for these at Lake Eye. The price quoted before is per eye so it is expensive. I have had them for 15 months. The procedure itself is easy. My results have been mixed. Took a while for me to get use to them. At first floaters are more pronounced. I am more sensitive to light but not real bad. They seem to be getting better as time marches on. I am pleased with them as I can read without glasses for the first time in 55 years. Are they worth the price? Depends how bad you don't want reading glasses. Good luck. I went through the same decision process.

I had cataract surgery on my right eye last Tuesday 8/12 at the VA Hospital in Gainesville. They put in a standard distant vision lens, they had highly recommended against the multivision lens. The doctor said they create that lens by placing a small hole in the center of the lens and if they are off by a millionth of a millimeter there is a problem. When I heard that, the choice was simple.

So far everything is great, my right eye is about the same vision as my left eye which is 20/40. The eye will get better, it's only been 6 days, the biggest difference is everything is whiter. When I look at print or something white, especially on TV, the old eye sees an amber tint where the right eye sees pure white.

I have to go back tomorrow for post-op, and pre-op for the left eye which will be done on Thursday 8/28. The biggest problem now is I'm not allowed to do any exercise. Cannot bend over and look down, lift anything more than 5 pounds and not even ride a stationary bike. This is for two weeks after surgery, which ends just in time for the other eye. This is hard for someone who normally goes to MVP Gym 5 days a week.

Somebody is pulling your chain. That is NOT how they create a multifocal lens. They have different zones within concentric rings for focusing at varying distances. But, no holes.
http://www.maloneyvision.com/assets/...ifocal-iol.gif

The doctor was explaining it verbally without using any aids. As in your diagram, he said there was concentric rings around a center hole, I probably mistook him for meaning a physical hole. The centration of these rings needed to be fairly exact or problems could arise like blurry vision, halos, glare, etc. He said the single vision lens had very little problems. Overall in his 8 years at Gainesville and over 12,000 procedures in his office he was only aware of one patient losing their eye sight after surgery. He said that patient had other problems and was probably not a good candidate for the surgery. When I heard all that, I was confident this would work but wanted the less complicated and went with the single vision lens.

So far so good in my right eye, everything is so much brighter, I never knew whites didn't have an amber tint. I had been in twilight five previous times for various procedures such as cardiac cath and carpal tunnel surgery. This was the most twilight of all, I was nowhere near groggy or in and out of sleep, full awake but yet no pain whatsoever. However, with an oxygen tube in your nose and your face covered except for the hole around the eye, you see nothing and only hear music, they played my choice, which was the Beatles.

The concept of someone sliding a blade into my eye is probably my biggest concern, but you've addressed that pretty well.
When I told the surgical consultant that I was nervous about having a sharp stick poked in my eye, she laughed and said that with the new technology the stick didn't have to be sharp anymore. :oops:

I think we are all skeptical about anything in and around our eyes. I wear contact lenses and it was hard to get used to putting them in, but soon I was able to pop them in and take them out with no problem. Currently, I have developed Macular Degeneration and the Dr. has told me that if it progresses, I will have to have injections into the retina.

TALK ABOUT FEELING NERVOUS!!!

I have a device that I check my vision with each day and it sends the results to a monitoring company. They, in turn, notify the Dr. if there is any change that needs to be addressed by him. I have only had this device for almost a month, but it seems to be kinda neat.

I had my first eye done Monday August 11th and opted for the upgraded mulitifocal lens. I could see 20/20 the very next day and have no complaints so far. I also had a correction done for astigmatism. I will have my second eye done next Monday and I am hoping for equally good results. I do a lot of reading and decided the upgrade would be worth the price. I only worried about the success of the Lens. So far I am pleased. I will keep you posted and give more results in a couple of weeks. You are so right...it us scary to have someone remove a part of your eye and replace it with something artificial.

My surgery is coming up and I feel the same way.
Everyone who has had the surgery tells me it's easy peasy, but I'm still nervous.

My surgeon also recommended against the multivision lens.
He said some people are very unhappy with it, and once it's installed, it's there for life.
He also won't book eye number two until a month has passed and eye number one is completely healed.
I think he is being overly cautious, but that's OK because I'm a big chicken.

Thanks John W, I didn't know about the lifting and exercise restrictions.

That may be because of the Versed (Midazolam). Sedation and amnesia. :loco:

Kayaker, not remembering the surgery sounds fabulous to me.
John W even got Beatles music, that must be the deluxe package.