Mono- or Multifocal - Eye Care Archive

by eyecu, Nov 17, 2006 12:00AM

The Rezoom multifocal is in your power. Go to www.rezoomiol.com for more information.

by Susan12345, Nov 20, 2006 12:00AM

If you had trouble adapting to bifocal glasses DON'T go for a multifocal IOL. I had ReStor IOLs installed and it was the biggest mistake I ever made, I regret it daily. I asked the doctor before whether not being able to adapt to bifocals would have any effect on not being able to adapt to multifocal IOL's and he said no, but he was clueless. I'm still constantly switching glasses (I can't read with the ReStors's at all without reading glasses (same strength I had before surgery) so it's still back and forth switching glasses) and there is a frequent fluttering which drives me nuts as my eyes and brain try to catch up with each other. I still haven't figured out HOW these are supposed to work, but they sure don't work for me. Susan12345

by K-D, Nov 20, 2006 12:00AM

To: Susan1234

Susan,

Maybe it would be better if you tried not to use the glasses. I read that for some, it can take 9 months for the brain to adjust to multifocal implants. I gave up on the halos improving after 8 months, and then to my shock, in the 9th month, they are getting smaller. Maybe using glasses is preventing your brain from adapting to the Restor.

by Susan12345, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

Well, but I can't not read for 9 months. I do see the halos at night but don't find them any big deal.  But not reading would be a VERY big deal!!!



I went to another doctor to find out the risks of having the ReStors removed.  He wants to get my surgery records and examine me again.  I really doubt that I'll have the nerve to go through more surgery though.  Something else would go wrong.  The fluttering drives me nuts, but it's not all the time, worse with bright fluorescent lights like a grocery store or with reading for too long. At least I CAN see and read.  So it could be worse.   I'm TERRIFIED of going blind.

I asked this new specialist how the ReStors were supposed to work.  He said, frankly, he'd been trying to figure that out for a long time and still had no idea!  He does put ReStors in, and I asked him how many he'd taken out.  He said none.  I asked him how many IOL's of any kind he'd taken out and he said hundreds.   Which sounds like a lot, but from his age he's probably been doing this for 30 years, so that's maybe one a month.  Though they probably didn't do as many explants until the multifocals were invented.  When I see him again I'll ask him how many of the hundreds were successful.

Anyone, I desperately wish I'd never heard of the ReStors!!!!!!!!!

Susan12345

by K-D, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

To: Susan12345

I would not be comfortable with a doc that did not know how the Restor worked. I had a very detailed explanation regarding the refrective vs the defractive lenses. He should have knowledge of this if he implants them. Did you go to the Restor site and put in your city and town to see if he is on the list? I don't have the link anymore but maybe Hud or Jodie do.

Yes, I know what you mean about terrified. Initially I wanted my lens removed too. But it was too much of a risk for me also. But after many months, my vision came in very clear. You should be able to read without glasses, as that is Restor's strong selling point.

by Susan12345, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

The thing is, I knew after the 1st ReStor that I couldn't read with it. But the doctor said you had to have both eyes done for good results. I should have had the 1st ReStor replaced with a monofocal right then instead of having the 2nd Restor, the 2nd eye had only a very small cataract and I'd still have my biological lens in that eye, which might not have to be replaced for years. I don't know why I thought it would work with the 2nd eye if it didn't with the 1st. Hindsight, unlike surgery, is 20-20. If I were to have my ReStors replaced with monofocals I'd have to decide what strength to have them. I HATE HATE HATE not having close near vision like when I was nearsighted, so I'd thought of having IOL's for near vision and wearing glasses for distance like I did for 40 years. But on the other hand, if something went wrong with the 1st eye I'd never dare to have the second one done, and having one eye for distance and one for near would drive me nuts, so I'd probably be better having the 1st eye intermediate between nearsighted and distance vision. WHY do doctors not tell patients how incredibly difficult it is for nearsighted people to no longer be able to see things close up? Susan12345

by Susan12345, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

Only a few doctors are on the ReStor website list (probably those who pay for the advertising), but only those doctors who complete the ReStor course are allowed to order the IOL's and I called the ReStor Co. and both doctors had completed the course. I got the impression that my doctor did understand how the Restors are SUPPOSED to work, he just didn't understand why they SHOULD (for those they do). The website says flat out that only 80% of their patients are able to go without glasses, but NOBODY told me how bad my near vision would be if I was one of the 20% and certainly nobody told me about the fluttering, or the dry eyes from the astigmatism repair. I'd take my cataracts back in a heartbeat!!! Susan12345

by Susan12345, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

K-D, please give me a brief version of the refractive vs defractive difference. Someone said the ReStors are supposed to give you near vision in the center and distance around the edges, but I'm totally unclear how this is supposed to work. It's not like you only read with the center of of your eyes and only look at distance with the outside. Susan12345

by JodieJ, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

To: Susan

You may always hate your ReStors, but I do have a suggestion for you which is guaranteed to improve your vision with them: a laser enhancement. (I think PRK might work better for someone with dry eyes.) As I recall from your previous posts, your cataract surgery left you farsighted in both eyes with significant astigmatism (about 1.75 diopters, I believe). This is WAY too much refractive error for any multifocal lens to perform well. Most surgeons who use multifocals include a post-surgery laser enhancement in their fee. (Actually, many surgeons would insist on a post-surgery enhancement for someone with your degree of astigmatism, because the ReStor lens is very sensitive to even a little astigmatism--and you have a lot.) Correcting your farsightedness would improve your near vision with ReStor, and you wouldn't have to wear reading glasses for distance vision.

You are obviously a more tolerant person than me when it comes to your vision. There is simply no way I would accept the vision you reportedly have. First, I'd consult other surgeons familiar with ReStor. If they thought laser enhancement would help, I'd do it. Otherwise, I'd have the lenses explanted and replaced with something that would work better for me.

by betinhou, Nov 21, 2006 12:00AM

My second cataract surgery was completed over a month ago. I chose to have multifocal lens implanted. My surgeon uses one Resume and one Restore lens. My left eye - non dominate has the best close up vision. My right eye - the dominate one - has the best intermediate vision. I have 20/20 vision in one eye and 20/15 in the other eye. I didn't have a problem "seeing" after the first surgery (the better close vision), but I did use my old glasses for close reading for any length of time. The glasses are progressive and my doctor says the eye picks up the amount of help it needs. After I had the second eye done, I saw very well without glasses, but still needed some help for close up reading for any length of time. My doctor said it might take a while for my brain to get accustomed to the slight differences. I kept trying without glasses and found that getting a better reading light fixed that.

I notice halos, but they are not large and, unless they are halogen (those very white headlights), they don't bother me. I don't do much ni

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