I am the first to admit that I’m not the best patient. I’m very obsessive and demanding. I have very high expectations. And I am very active and especially enjoy water sports like surfing, kite surfing, and scuba diving. But in March 2019, at age 54, I underwent cataract surgery with implantation of the AT LISA tri IOL (Carl Zeiss Meditec), and I couldn’t be happier.
My motivation to have the surgery as early as I did was that I wanted to be more comfortable in the OR and in my personal life. I wanted to see through the microscope oculars as clearly as possible, and I wanted to see what was happening with the waves while standing on the surf board.
When I decided to undergo cataract surgery, I had already been implanting the AT LISA tri in my patients for about 3 years, and I was continually impressed with their results. I couldn’t believe how soon most reached 20/20 visual acuity, and very rarely did patients complain about visual phenomena or poor vision at night. I knew I wanted a lens that would work just as well outdoors as indoors, and I decided that the AT LISA tri was the best lens that I could choose.
THE PROCEDURE
Before surgery, I was hyperopic in both eyes, and my near vision was very poor. Measurements from my preoperative examination are found in Figures 1 through 4. My dominant right eye, which had an axial length of 25.04 mm, an anterior chamber depth (ACD) of 3.48 mm, and keratometry (K) readings of 41.11 and 41.41, was operated on first, and a 19.00 D AT LISA tri was implanted. I usually operate on the dominant eye first in my patients because I think it helps the brain best decide how to read and to choose far and near distance with the new optical system.
Surgery in my left eye, which had an axial length of 25.07 mm, ACD of 3.61, and K readings of 40.91 and 41.26, was performed 1 week later, and in that procedure an 18.50 D AT LISA tri was implanted. I had very little astigmatism, so I did not require a toric lens in either eye.
Right after surgery, I couldn’t believe how well I could read. And I continue to maintain that quality of vision. Now, in the OR and in my personal life, I no longer need glasses.
ENHANCING THE PATIENT CONNECTION
Having had cataract surgery, I can now relate completely to my patients’ hopes and fears of surgery, and sharing my experience with them has helped to enhance the surgeon-patient connection. I reassure my patients by explaining what I went through pre- and postoperatively, and I tell them that I don’t use glasses anymore.
I share that I am now 20/20 and J1 OU and that even the first day after surgery my vision was crisp and clear. I also tell them that I experience halos in both eyes, but over time my brain has learned how to adapt to them. However, I tell them, the older you get the less you will experience halos. By about 60 years, most people do not experience halos at all. (Also, as a trained cataract surgeon who has performed more than 80,000 procedures, I was consciously looking for halos. This is different from most patients.)
CONCLUSION
At some point in our careers, we will all require cataract surgery. When that time comes, I recommend picking a lens that you truly believe in, like I do with the AT LISA tri. If it’s good enough for my patients’ eyes, it is good enough for mine. More than 1 year after my cataract surgery, I am still very happy with my decision.
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Printed in 2020
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Each case is based on the author’s own professional opinion or on their study results. It is not necessarily a reflection of the point of view of Carl ZEISS Meditec AG and may not be in line with the clinical evaluation or the intended use of our medical devices. ZEISS therefore recommends that you carefully assess suitability for everyday use in your practice.