Crystalens misery; what next?

[flimflammed]

My experience is very similar to that of crystalensgonewrong.  One of the nation's "top" opthalmology departments implanted a crystalens a year ago.  Vision was very good for reading and distance but a patch of haze frequently moved into the field of vision, worsening it.  The surgeon said the haze would clear after a couple of weeks or so.  Months later, it was still there, but I was still being told to be patient.  Nearly a year later, my distance vision had decreased quite significantly and the haze was still there.  The surgeon told me that I was one of about 20 percent of patients who had that outcome and that a YAG laser treatment would likely correct it.  After the drops administered for the examination wore off, my vision was indeed clearer, but only for a few hours.  Subsequently, a haze began taking over my field of vision, worse than before because instead of appearing momentarily, it was a constant haze.  In addition, I had more floaters, including a very large one that blurred everything it covered. My distance vision was complicated by the fact that everything now was low contrast; so a sign with colored text on a colored background was perceived as a murky blur.  

The greatest effect was on my near vision.  I could no longer read a newspaper or the average book, as I had prior to the YAG laser treatment.  I also had additional floaters and recurring pain in my affected eye.  I called the surgeon's office about the problems, but they didn't return the call until a day later (which they claimed was an excellent response time).  Another day later, I finally had a follow-up examination, by a different opthalmologist and technician in the same eye clinic. This one said the problem was most likely dry eye, although I have dry eyes most of my life and never had these effects before and have had no pain in the other eye.  First, they claimed my vision had no changed since the laser procedure (absolutely not true).  Again, I was told that the haziness would probably go away after a couple of weeks (although, this time, they recommended using moisture drops in the eyes).  But, when I brought up the fact that the original surgeon failed to describe these possibilities either before the cataract surgery of the laser treatment, the two said I should be thankful for what I have. Well, I am anything but thankful.  Every day, all day, I am miserable.  The eye pain wakens me at night, and I feel stressed throughout the day as I struggle to read, to drive, and to do househould chores.  To make matters even worse, this was my only good eye.  My other eye suffered corneal damage years ago from an infection and now is further obscured by a heavy cataract.  When I stop to think that I paid an extra $2,000 out of my own pocket for the crystalens, I feel ripped off...flimflammed by a doctor who didn't give me the whole story and then failed to act promptly whenever I reported problems.  A representative of the clinic claims they provided services "above and beyond" normal expectations.

What can be done at this point, if anything, to correct this, particularly with regard to the constant haze and large floater?

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

Good luck
JCH MD

[flimflammed]

Thank you for your response.  I have seen a second opthamalogist (who specializes in cornea problems and dry eyes) at an unrelated clinic.  He put a temporary plug in the tear duct of the affected eye, prescribed new eye drops, recommended moist, warm compresses twice a day, and arranged to see me again next week.  So far, no bureaucratic runarounds.

I will see a third doctor next week to discuss removal of the cataract in my other eye.

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

Get a second and third opinion from eye MDs not in that practice.

JCH MD