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.

[dean9]

I had the Vision ICL implanted in both eyes a few years ago overseas, because I wanted the toric version, which is still only available outside the U.S.  This is a phakic IOL, so it is inserted into the posterior chamber and does not affect the natural lens.  I spent a few months researching the lens (along with other treatments for high myopia with astigmatism) and various surgeons.  I selected one who has extensive experience with the Vision ICL and routinely presents at conferences and publishes papers.

The surgeon and all the staff spoke perfect English and the surgical facility seemed top-notch.  Each O.R. has positive air pressure, all staff switch to O.R. shoes before entering.  The surgeon rewashed and changed gloves, smock, mask, etc. between eyes.

I am now developing a cataract in one eye and am considering the Symfony for when my vision deteriorates to where I need surgery.  I would no concern with again going overseas if best lens for me is not approved in the U.S.

[rwbil]

I contacted AMO directly and they provided to me the clinics conducting the trials in my state.  My understanding is they where selecting people in Dec. and performing the operations in January so I think the trials are closed, but you can contact them and check.  I was not interested in the trials as they would not tell you if you were in the control group or not and the other lens was a mono-focal lens.  I will give you another option that I am now considering.  I contacted the person heading the Symfony trials and he recommended to me the newly approved Tecnis low-add lens.  He had also done the trials with that lens and he was very impressed with the results.  I am still researching it but I feel there is risk (imagined or real) with having an operation of this nature done overseas, so I am now leaning toward the Tecnis Multifocal low-add lens.  From all my research it is a superior lens over Restor's Multifocal.   Anyway another option for you to consider.  I would recommend finding the clinics in your area who did trials for both the Tecnis Symfony and the Tecnis low-add lens and talk directly with that Ophthalmologist and get his assessment.  The person I talked to called me on the phone and went into great detail about the 2 lenses.  I also heard the Symfony is on the fast track for FDA approval.  Of course the FDA idea of fast is usually slow to everyone else.

[Mizmo412]

Could you provide info about how to contact clinics in the Symfony trial?

[SoftwareDeveloper]

re: "that seems so promising."

I'm still waiting to post more until after Friday postop with US eye doc when I've had some recovery time. However I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I can already read the small print on medicine bottles (like the eye drops I'm using) if I concentrate a bit, and I can use my smartphone. The vision is fluctuating a bit so I suspect I'm still recovering from the surgery, but since it can take a few months to fully adapt to the lenses I'm hopeful that I'll have useful enough near vision even without reading glasses usually.

[rwbil]

Thanks for the update,  Please let me know which center you went to and the Dr. you used and your experience as time passes.  I did finally call the Clinic doing the trial closes to me.  Like you said 50% chance you get the Symfony lens, but the other lens is a mono-focal, not a multifocal, so not crazy about the idea.  Plus they require a lot of follow up so a lot of traveling back and forth.  Also still waiting to hear back from them on what the cost would be.  You still have to pay for surgery, surgery center and other things.

BTW, I want to thank you for being brave enough to try out this rather new lens that seems so promising.

[SoftwareDeveloper]

re: "Might be worth calling this surgeon who has experience with both. "

Actually I had contacted him first, , and after an initial reply he didn't respond to a followup query. He'd suggested that neuroadaptation is much faster in the AT Lisa tri, and so I hoped to get him to quantity that a little bit but never heard back. That article also gives a defocus curve for the AT Lisa tri which doesn't match any of the ones I'd seen in other articles with far larger numbers of patients. I'm not sure if its an artifact of the curve fitting software he used along with a random statistical fluctuation due to the low number of patients, or what explains it. The fact that he both didn't get back to me with even a quick reply made me consider going elsewhere, as did  the fact that he didn't address this odd discrepancy in the article.

I'd contacted other doctors who used both lenses who suggested that the Symfony was a better bet.

I decided to get the Symfony, and things appear promising. I just had the surgery a couple of days ago so still recovering/adapting so I wanted to hold off on comments (especially since I'm also not fully awake after major jetlag doing a weeklong trip to Europe for the surgery, with 8 hour time difference and long travel time with little sleep). I'll give an update in a few days after a postop with my usual eye doc where I'll try to get more detailed results.

I hope I adapt well since I actually got both eyes done, even though I'd hoped to wait on the other and get to decide later. One eye  barely had a cataract and was still correctible to 20/20, but after I had the first eye done and had the bandage off the next day,  it appeared hard to get the vision in the 2 eyes to merge even though each eye seemed to have good vision by itself . The other eye was using a contact lens, -6D. I'd read of others just doing one eye and wearing a contact lens on the unoperated eye. So its possible  I may have adapted to it quickly, it may simply have been the issue of adapting to the new lens. However I didn't have much time to wait to see if that would  happen if I were going to get the 2nd eye done on this trip. I figured  perhaps I'm myopic enough that its harder to adapt to, and   I didn't want to risk getting home and having trouble, so I went ahead and got the 2nd eye done a few hours after the bandage came off the first eye.

After the bandage came off the 2nd eye, I didn't feel any trouble merging the two eyes.  I will note that  the day the bandage came off the 2nd eye, when I tried a few hours later I was able to read gmail on my phone (with concentration), without changing font sizes,  though the vision still seemed to fluctuate a bit still recovering from surgery. I figure that is a good sign that with adaptation I'll be able to read it without struggle. (perhaps even merely after I've recovered from surgery, and caught up on sleep, within a few days).