I knew when I had my ICL surgeries 7+ years ago that there would probably come a time when I'd need reading glasses, just like anyone else in their 40's. Sometimes I do feel like I could use some when I've spent way too long on the computer, as my eyes feel the strain and occasionally trying to read the text on my smartphone is difficult (I've since enlarged the font). I'm a graphic designer so my workday is filled with computer time, and then I'm on my home computer a lot. Plus, my home office chair is a recliner so it sits farther back from the monitor (great for those Netflix binges).
Since the surgeries I've had 3 different pairs of 'computer glasses' and while they do help improve the clarity of what I see, I can still read the computer just fine without them most of the time. The main problem I'm having now is that when I do wear the glasses, if I have to look away to a farther distance, or if I take the glasses off, one or both of my eyes burn very intensely. It's so intense that my eardrum vibrates and my eyes turn bright red as they run with tears.
So now I have once again abandoned the glasses altogether, which has reduced the burning instances to next to never.
I think part of the problem is my optometrist (who is not my ICL surgeon) doesn't understand the impact the halos have on my vision tests when I'm in his dimly lit exam room during those eye tests. That's the worst lighting situation you can be in when you have a halo problem. He insisted last time that the right eye "wouldn't pass a driving test", and yet I know in normal daylight driving my right eye is remarkably sharp in its vision and the left eye is pretty close.
25 comments:
Hi Nancy, I've just run across your blog and wanted to ask you questions. I'm 45 years old, and my eyeglasses are -22 diopters in power (been this way since I was 22). I've heard about these procedures and always thought they were too radical to consider, but recently my friend had lens replacement done due to cataracts, and I was surprised that it could be done on outpatient basis. So that's got me considering the idea of ICL. I want to know what's the most advanced lens on the market - if I take the trouble to have the surgery done, I'd rather put a better lens in my eye than something lousy. What are all the side-effects I'd have to worry about, and do you know if the newer improvements will reduce these side-effects? Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
Hi San,
My procedures occurred in 2008, so I'm sure both the current ICL procedure and lenses have improved since that time. Unfortunately, I can't advise you on either, as I only know of my own experience.
My primary side effect continues to be the halos. I don't know if the newer lenses offer less halos, but even if they did, I'm not sure I'd do anything about mine. This is an expensive procedure, and while they are done on an outpatient basis, it's not as simple as walk in and walk out. It's surgery, so there were shields over the eyes for 24 hours, and LOTS AND LOTS of drops to apply in differing schedules over many days, there was some pain afterwards when my pupils dialated suddenly due to fast lighting changes (the concert I went to the next day with the swirling spotlights was a bad idea). So it's not like picking up a new pair of contact lenses or glasses. So while I'm glad I made the decision for ICL, I wouldn't go through it a second time just to change out the lenses in the hope of no halos. I would only do it if I were having a major problem.
Anyway, good luck if you do decide to make the leap.
Hi nancy, i ve had my icl yesterday but still my vision is foggy. Since you have 6 years of experience can you tell me that how soon i can recover my vision.
Hello Abhinav,
I had clear vision from the moment the lenses went in, and I have never had foggy vision. I would advise you to contact your physician if you're experiencing issues.
Good luck! I hope your vision issues are resolved soon!
Nancy
Hi, I underwent ICL last month.. Right eye is fine. But lenses were implanted twice in my left eye. Surgical pi was also done. Lens was implemented for the second time in my left eye on 11th Nov. Still the vision is blurred and pupil is dilated. You have any ideas about it?
I'm sorry, Maria, but I don't. I'm not a medical professional and I only know of my own experience with ICL. I hope your vision has improved! Good luck to you.
Hi nancy,
Sorry for being quiet for a long time. Its been almost a month passed since my ICL. I am still on doubt, whether my decision is wrong or right. My foggy vision is clear but very much disappointed with halos and glares. Is there any chance of disappearence of halos by themselves overe the time?
Plz advice
Abhinav,
Maybe your experience will be different, but it's been over 7 years for me and the halos have not diminished in any way. The halos are caused by your pupil dialating beyond the perimeter of the lens. I have large pupils for my age, and my right pupil is larger than my left, so the halos are worse in the right.
There are prescription drops you can ask your doctor about, but the drops I stopped working after continued use, so I just gave them up altogether. I had some halos with my regular contact lenses, but the ICL halos are worse. That said, I live with them just fine. They don't impact my quality of life.
Good luck.
Nancy
Hi nancy,
I am getting some anxiety because of halos and glares. still my final follow up is due with my surgeon, i am so disturbed with these side effects that i have started thinking about removal. I dont know whether i can cope with halos for the rest of my life. I have nobody who can understand this unless who has undergone ICL. I hope you can understand it better. Please advice me how to get adjust with halos and glares.
Abhinav,
I would advise waiting awhile and see if the halos bother you as much. I'm not saying they'll go away - maybe they will, maybe they won't. But your perspective might change. I was like you in the beginning - all I could think about what how I'd spent all this money to exchange one vision problem for another. I could only focus on what was wrong in my vision, and not on what was now right. After I realized that I now had great vision most of the time without glasses or contacts, I worried less about the halos. The fact that I can see the alarm clock in the middle of the night without aid is a good thing. The halos around the clock display is an annoyance. But I can see *better* than I did before in most circumstances. I had severe dry eye before surgery, so contacts were making that worse. Not having to wear contacts now help the dry eye somewhat.
Your halos may be more intense than mine, though, so you really are the only one who can decide what's best for you. Here's some examples of what mine look like:
http://myicl.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-talk-halos.html
Ask your surgeon about the drops to combat halos. I was prescribed Brimonidine Tartrate, but you have to avoid using it 24/7 or else you'll develop a tolerance to it and it'll stop working. It also takes 30 minutes to kick in before you see a difference.
Nancy
Hi,
Its been 2 weeks after my ICL surgery, i have slight double vision and glares in my right eye at times and they keep coming and going and its not constant.
Hi Amrutha -
If it's only been two weeks, you're still healing so your problems might improve. Definitely ask your doctor, though. If you've read my blog, though, you know that it's been 8 years for me and I have issues like glares, halos and 'echoes' in my vision. I call them 'echoes' because it's not true double-vision. It's the images visible through the YAG holes. These persisting issues are common with ICL.
Anyway, good luck with your eyes!
Nancy
Marion,
It was instant for me - literally the minute the doctor put my lenses in, I could see the ceiling clearly. Of course, that doesn't mean anything's wrong with your lenses, since everybody is different. What does your doctor say?
Nancy
Hello Nancy,
Thank you for taking the time to put this blog together! I recently (2/16/2016) underwent ICL on my right eye and I am scheduled for the second implant (left eye) tomorrow. I have my contact out now, in preparation for the procedure tomorrow. When I removed my contact yesterday I really started noticing the halos produced by my right eye. I had noticed halos before but they were not nearly as prominent as when I began using my newly implanted lens only (left eye closed). Previously, the overlap in vision between my contact eye and ICL eye did not make the halos as obvious. I came across this blog while researching this side affect. I too have very large pupils (6.4 mm +) and the halos are likely the result of my pupil dilating larger than the implant (5.8 mm I think) in low-light situations. Your blog has been very insightful (no pun intended) about this condition and your photos represent exactly what I experience. I might postpone tomorrow's procedure and take some more time to contemplate how I want to proceed (even though I have already had the YAG in my left eye). Currently, the halos are barely noticeable since I can still wear my contact in my left eye but I am worried about night driving (I do a lot of this) after having the procedure in both eyes.
Regarding the comment left by Marion Reilly -
My recovery has been different than what Nancy has described. No surprise there, it has been discussed that people respond differently to the procedure and rates of recovery differ among individuals. My vision was still very poor after the first week, cloudy with lots of stray light. I was concerned because my corrected vision was 20/25 before the procedure and I tested a very blurry 20/30 at my one week check-up. It has now been 12-days since the procedure and I am seeing much more clearly out of my right eye. I am very much looking forward to the next eye exam because I feel that my vision is now at least as good as it was before the procedure. I would encourage folks to be patient during the recovery process (I have struggled with this myself) but don't hesitate to contact your doctor should you have any concerns.
A couple things about myself and my experience that may be useful for other readers to know: I am 39 years old. My ICL was manufactured by STAAR Surgical. Diopter of implant is -11.5
The question was recently asked if newer implants still cause glare. Yes, potentially.
Brooks, thanks for your comments. I'm glad you found my blog useful. I had halos with contact lenses so I had asked about them being a possibility with ICLs, and was told they were a possibility. My ICL halos are definitely worse than the contacts halos, though. Every once in awhile, though, there'll be night where they're almost gone. Still can't figure out what causes that. I've asked myself "what did I eat/drink today?" "how much sleep did I get last night?" "how long did I look at the computer today?" - anything to explain the difference. But so far, I haven't been able to determine the influence. One night they're gone, and they next night they're back.
I'm interested in what you decide to do with your ICLs. I think for a lot of people going from no halos to prominent halos (with ICLs), even if you're 20/20, its a startling side effect that negates any perceived value the clear vision adds. It is a hard thing to get used to, but it does happen.
P.S. - thanks for the additional info on your healing rate. Good info to know!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for putting together such an excellent blog! Your posts have helped me understand the ICL procedure much better.
I'd like to get ICLs and I hope you might be able to answer a couple of questions for me.
I'm struggling to assess the activities I could carry out following ICL surgery. I'm worried that I'd be scarred to carry out activities that might cause the ICL to move and to touch my natural lens. My fear is that I might induce an early cataract or worse still, dislodge the ICL. Specifically, I practice a martial art where I often get thrown from heights of about 1.5 meters. If this were to cause me concern, I'd want to consider whether or not this is the right procedure for me.
Although the Visian documentation says you can carry out this type activity after 3 months, I'd really like the opinion of someone who has actually had this procedure. To help me gauge the vigor of activity I could carry out, let's suppose you were to go to a trampoline park, bounce around, and carry out some somersaults. Would you feel comfortable doing this, or would you feel that this level of activity would cause damage to your eyes?
My second question is: can you feel the ICL in your eyes? Visian say you can't feel ICLs, but again, I'd appreciate the first hand opinion of someone who has actually had this procedure. After your procedure, you said you had a sensation of something in your eyes. Has this completely diminished over time? If there are patients that experience the sensation of ICLs, I'd need to consider the benefit of ICLs over my current situation of wearing contact lens.
Having ICLs would be a major life decision for me and I'd like to do everything I can to ensure that I'm making the right choice. Therefore, I really appreciate your time and all the info you've put together here.
Thanks Nancy!
Tim
Hi Tim!
I think I would be comfortable doing the trampoline thing, but with martial arts I would be more concerned with an accidental elbow to the eye. As long as you could wear protective eyewear, I think you'd be ok. But do confirm that with your surgeon.
Most of the time, I can't feel them. But I do feel something in the right eye in certain circumstances. My right pupil is larger than my left and when my eyes are really tired from computer work I'll feel a mildly uncomfortable (but not painful) sensation in the right eye as I try to continue focusing on the monitor.
Note that I can also see the lenses in certain lighting situations. If the lighting is low, the halos I typically see in both eyes will actually be strong enough in the right eye that I can see the tabs on the lens. You can see mockup of what that looks like here: http://myicl.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-talk-halos.html
Good luck!
Nancy
Hi Tim,
I can't feel the lenses and I'd feel comfortable with sporrs, but I developed an astigmatism because if the surgery and it drives me nuts to have paid this much and not have as good of vision as I had with contacts. The halos are severe--it's been 4 months for me.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
From your reply, I now have a better understanding as to how confident I would feel doing vigorous activity after ICL surgery. I don't think I could have found this information anywhere else, so I appreciate your advice. Recently, I noticed occasions where my eyes would become itchy due to hay-fever. I'd alleviate this irritation by rubbing my eyes. I tried to imagine a future where I could never rub my eyes. The thought of resisting this urge felt really difficult. With ICLs, would you always avoid rubbing your eyes, or do you feel safe enough to gently rub them if necessary?
It's reassuring to hear that most of the time, you can't feel the lenses. But it's also useful to know that sometimes, you feel some discomfort in your right eye. I suppose your dry eye condition is a contributing factor?
Yesterday, I had an initial consultation at the eye clinic. We had a long conversation about halos. The conclusion of this conversation was that on the balance of probabilities, I will see halos after the surgery.
The biggest impact this would have is to diminish my ability to drive at night. For me, I need to ask myself whether the benefit of ICLs is worth this risk. Supposing you were to drive at night, I'd be interested to discover if you can avoid the use of drops by switching on the internal light. By increasing the ambient light inside the car, can you constrict your pupils to an extent where you don't see halos? Or are the halos too severe, and the only remedy is to take drops?
The halo conditions you experience sound like a nightmare! However, I love how you've come to terms with your condition, and choose instead to focus on how the ICLs have resulted in a net positive improvement in your life. I admire your positive attitude, I think it's a really special, wonderful quality to have!
Thanks again Nancy,
Tim
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for sharing the outcome of your procedure.
I'm sorry to hear about your complications. The procedure is expensive, so I appreciate how angry, frustrated, or annoyed you must feel. For me and other ICL candidates, it highlights how you can spend a lot of money to simply trade one set of problems with a different set of problems.
I've searched a lot for ICL complications, but I've not found other cases where ICLs have caused astigmatism. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced astigmatism following ICL surgery, or point to resources that mention this topic.
I genuinely hope that your halos eventually go away. Although 4 months sounds a relatively long time, I imagine you still have a window of time for your vision to improve.
The question I'd love to ask is this: - with the benefit of hindsight, would you still have chosen ICL surgery?
Tim
Tim,
On the eye rubbing - I do rub them gently, very gently, when I'm removing eye makeup. But it's not like knuckle-rubbing, get-the-sleep-out-of-your-eye, type rubbing. I bend my fingers inward towards the palm and use the nail-side (against a cloth). I don't have much trouble with hay-fever, but when my eyes do itch, I end up kind of tugging at the sides of my lids to alleviate the itch (probably ensuring future wrinkles!).
On the lens sensation - I do think it's mostly due to my larger right pupil, as I don't feel the left lens at all. I have large pupils for my age, and the right one is noticeably larger. It also has a more intense halo than the left, for the same reason (the pupil expands beyond the perimeter of the lens). The sensation I feel is not surface-area. It's hard to describe, but it feels more intense when I'm focusing more acutely than other times.
Halos - I don't use the drops anymore, as you build up a tolerance to them, they take at least 30 minutes to kick-in, which can be inconvenient, etc. (I was prescribed Brimonidine Tartrate) You mentioned the inside light on the car...one thing I've noticed is that the halos go away when the headlights from a passing car (one that's passing you on the interstate in the fast lane) hits my side mirror. I've wondered if I could rig something up like a flashlight aimed at that mirror, or something, that would reproduce that effect.
Thanks for the kind words on my attitude! I do think if you're a "glass half full" type of a person, you'll most likely be happy with the ICLs, even with the drawbacks. There are certainly pros and cons to this procedure, and you have to decide for yourself whether the cons are worth the pros. It's unlikely you'll be issue-free with your vision post-ICLs, even if you're 20/20 afterwards. You also have to consider whether your vision issues you have now are worth the potential cons. I think if I simply wanted to get rid of contacts/glasses, I wouldn't have done it because surgery of any kind is risky and this one is expensive and paid for without insurance. But my severe dry eye and no peripheral vision with glasses were major factors in my decision.
Hi Nancy,
After much thought, I decided not to have ICLs.
It was a very difficult decision. I spent months researching ICLs and I became quite emotionally invested in the idea. I had a dream that ICLs would give me perfect vision, and my decision not to have ICLs now feels like a shattered dream.
I thought very deeply about everyday life with ICLs. For me, the biggest reason against ICLs is a long term fear of ICL induced cataracts. For me, this fear would play too deeply in my mind and diminish the full enjoyment I would have from ICLs. The other documented risk factors of ICLs also contributed towards my decision against the procedure.
Once again, I appreciate your help. I like to think that you saved me from some serious challenges or complications later on in life, and I'm grateful for that. I learned a lot about ICLs and I think I might start a blog to fully explain my decision making process.
Now, my biggest challenge is to learn to be happy with glasses/contacts and to appreciate the myopic vision I have.
Thanks again Nancy! I wish you the best possible vision in your continuing ICL journey.
Tim
Tim,
Thanks for sharing your decision not to have ICLs. I'm glad you gave this so much thought and came to the right decision for you. Everyone has different needs and expectations when it comes to ICLs and it is not a decision to be made lightly, which unfortunately, too many do.
Who knows? In the next few years there may be a better alternative to ICLs that you can choose, one that matches your vision needs and expectations, and you'll be extra glad you paused now and opted against ICL.
Good luck!
Nancy
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