experiences with Symfony IOL, or trifocal IOLs?

[SoftwareDeveloper]

Has anyone here gotten the new Symfony IOL, or heard from others who have, or know more than the research you can find with google? It was just approved in June for use in Europe, but initial studies on the web seem to indicate it provides better odds of having good intermediate/computer vision, and better than the AT lisa trifocal except at very near distances. It refers to it as having an extended depth of vision rather than   calling it multifocal (perhaps because it doesn't divide itself into 2 or 3 discrete focal points but in essence it must still have a range of focuses to provide "extended depth").

I've seen detailed threads about the FineVision but only brief comments on the AT lisa trifocal.  Any more comments on any of these lenses? I'd  be curious if anyone has more comments on getting a multifocal in only one eye with the problem cataract and wearing a contact lens in the other (which is still correctible to 20/20 with only an early cataract). The hope would be that perhaps before it goes bad a new generation of lenses might come out, like an accommodating lens that is more likely to work well than the ones out there now.

Any suggestions for good doctors to get them from, preferably laser cataract surgery? I'm open to considering doctors in any country since I'm in the US and will need to travel to get the lens, the UK would be easiest since I only speak English, but I'll consider other options. I've heard the Czech Republic may be cheaper but still have   high quality clinics. Its worth a bit of hassle to get a good lens. I'm only 52 so I'll hopefully be using it a few decades, so thanks greatly for any information you can provide.

[Anomalychick]

I had a Synchrony implanted overseas. I can tell you that I definitely ran into trouble with follow up care. Doctors would look at my eyes and react with kind of like "what IS that?"
It got bad when I needed a YAG done. They were afraid to do it. They said that the design of the IOL made it look like it might be dangerous. One doctor wanted to explant instead of a yag when I developed PCO, another wanted to do a vitrectomy so they could access the back of the lens and manually cut the hole instead of using a yag laser. They told me it was extremely risky and I might end up blind.
So of course I did nothing, the PCO got worse, which caused my prescription to shift. In response a doctor told me the IOL was probably dislocating due to advance fibrosis and could end up just lying around inthe back of my eye.

So I finally had no choice other than to go back to Germany. Walked in with 20/200 vision from PCO being led by my sister while having a panic attack because I expected an explant/vitrectomy/iris sutured IOL/blindness.
       Turns out I just needed a yag. Which was perfectly safe synchrony or not. Which they had completed 20 minutes later and my vision was fine the next day save  for floaters. And I can still accomodate. The US doctors scared the living crap out of me for no reason other than I had the operation overseas. And you know what else? They  never suggested that I should go back overseas. They were going to explant an extremely difficult and dangerous to explant IOL (dual-optics) or vitrectomize me unecessarily, which would have caused me to lose accomodation. Either way I would have lost my near vision. The one doctor brave enough to try a yag was going to give me a 2mm opening. (Germany did 5mm, my vision would have been awful with 2mm)

The doctors in Germany were awesome. The clinic was awesome. Aside from really scary the experience was fine. And my vision is much better off  than what I would have gotten here. (Im 30, bilateral implants and near vision is STILL J1+ or 20/16 with distance correction.) But BE PREPARED TO GO OVERSEAS FOR FOLLOW UP!

I still need a lasik touch up, guess where I'm going? I was warned that due to my age the PCO could reoccur, if it does, guess where I'm going?

[Sunil111]

PCO is not a big deal to tackle, it is to be dealt with YAG laser. Only thing is to avoid formation of pits on lens surface. That is avoidable and in my practice i never had optic pits due to YAG laser posterior capsulotomy.Size of Opening has to be 2-5 MM depending on pupil size but patient with small opening can benefit with Pin Hole effect.IOL do not fall back into the vitreous cavity if Yag Laser capsulotomy is done.

[KayakerNC]

Evidently you've convinced yourself that the Tecnis Symfony is the best choice.  
It seems to be a modified Tecnis Multifocal to provide better intermediate vision which is the Tecnis Multifocal's weakest vision area.   The Acrysof ReSTOR 2.5, and the toric versions of the 2.5 and 3.0 ReSTOR multifocals are currently undergoing US trials. They also seem like excellent IOL options and received CE Mark in Feb 2012.
Hopefully you will provide updates when/if you get the surgery.
Good luck.

[SoftwareDeveloper]

Wow, sorry to hear about your troubles with US doctors doing followups. The eye doctor I have here seems to be very reasonable, I appreciate your warning, I will be sure to be prepared to go back for followups if needed. I do live in a decent size metro area,Boulder/Denver, so I'd hope  if my current doc weren't reasonable I could find other nearby docs who are. I had considered the Synchrony lens in the past but consider other options better, I had seen a comment on this site suggesting the lens may have been pulled form the market, but I hadn't followed up to confirm that since I had been reading good results.

[SoftwareDeveloper]

Actually I hadn't decided for sure if the Symfony is the best choice, partly since there is little study/data on it yet and it has just come out so there has been less time for more doctors to confirm the initial promising results.  I figured it made sense to book surgery with a doctor who offered that as an option as well as a trifocal so I needn't decide until the last minute in case new information comes out in the meantime. Unfortunately  I am hearing conflicting reports now about whether the FineVision or the AT Lisa is the best trifocal to consider as a backup option, which I seem to be a better fit than the ReSTOR for me.

[KayakerNC]

Just wondering.
What did your "very good eye surgeon here in the US who diagnosed the cataract." recommend for your eyes.
I'm assuming he did a cataract evaluation and measured your eyes for the needed powers and astigmatism corrections, if needed.  

[SoftwareDeveloper]

My local  eye surgeon is one who doesn't implant the US approved multifocals due to concerns with them.  Since he is in the US there is no reason for him to have explored the European options in depth. He does implant the Crystalens and seemed realistic about its questionable benefit, though it seems at least a better bet than a pure monofocal for those who don't want a multifocal (and won't leave the US for other accommodating lenses).

I only have 0.25D of corneal astigmatism, so that doesn't impact lens choice,and he did a thorough exam and didn't see any other eye health problems (my optometrist hadn't been sure what accounted for a rapid reduction of  visual acuity, and shift in prescription,  over a few months, so the MD   checked to be sure this was the only issue he saw).