Crystalens, Lens Implant Saves Vision and Improves Upon Cataract Surgery
Typically, standard cataract surgery consists of removing the cataract and replacing it with a clear lens implant. Local anesthesia is usually used because it is not generally required to put the patient completely to sleep. Healing occurs rather quickly, and the patient usually sees an improvement in his or her vision within a few days. However, with today's modern techniques, patients still are required to wear glasses after surgery because they have difficulty with seeing objects close up, far away, or both.
Mark Sczepanski M.D., an ophthalmologist with the North Dakota Eye Clinic, said there is a better solution. Instead of having to live with difficultly in eyesight after surgery, he said that a new implant called Crystalens can reduce many of the problems associated with traditional lens implantation. The crystalens hinges and contracts on a muscle inside the eyes called the ciliary muscle, whereas the old type of implant was rigid and would not focus or move with this muscle. About two years ago, the FDA approved crystalens for adults older than 50 years. Today, about 300 surgeons nationwide use it in their practice.
Sczepanski said, so far, results are exceeding expectations. All 10 of his patients are able to see without glasses and feel they are getting back a piece of their youth. According to the two-year study conducted by the FDA, 92 percent of participants could see 20/25 or better at distance, and 96 percent could see 20/20 at arm's length. Also, 98 percent could read the telephone book or newspaper without glasses or contact lenses.
Most patients who have healthy eyes other than their cataracts would be potential candidates for this surgery. It is FDA-approved for patients older than 50 years and can be used off-label for younger patients. Patients who are too near-sighted or far-sighted for LASIK surgery are likely candidates for crystalens.
Update:Please see the comments below for firsthand user experiences before you decide to go with this product.
Filed under Cataract Surgery, Contact Lens, Eye Treatment, Lasik Eye Surgery, Refractive Eye Surgery
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September 14th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
I have heard [from an unamed doctor] that the post op complications for the Chrystalens are greater in frequency and type vs rigid lenses. Further there may be some concern about the overall results of the lenses and may be taken off the market in the near future.
Can anyone give me a way to validate or refute this info?
All I see is the commercial info on the web.
October 6th, 2005 at 10:24 am
I had a Cyrstalens implant in April in my left (bad) eye. I am not happy at all with the results. There has been zero improvement in the eye to date (almost 6 months later.) To make matters worse, I have a design and remodeling service and my color perception in vital to me. This lens is like viewing everything under florescent lights. I was due to have the other eye done and I am now holding out until there is a lens with true color perception.
Another friend also had crystalens implants at the same time and she is still having vision trouble too. She has been told “it may take a year” for her eyes to improve. This after originally being told it would be a few months before her eyes settled down
October 6th, 2005 at 10:33 am
I also had vitreous detachment in that eye about two months after surgery. I understand that is not uncommon after surgery.
October 11th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
@Frank
> Can anyone give me a way to validate or refute this info?
That is exactly why this blog is for. I want to know your experiences. Thanks for Martly now you have some direct user experience.
@Martly
Thanks for sharing this.
October 23rd, 2005 at 11:24 pm
After speaking with a couple of other doctors in Houston that have stopped using the Crystalens, I decided to go with the Restore.
The net net of all my research was that the Crystalens did indeed work as advertised in most cases but the degree of accomdation did not satisfy a significant percentage of implantees. Also the time it takes on the calendar and the doctor followup time is much greater than other lens options. Bottom line is that any specific outcome you might is going to be a lot less certain than on other options with the best case being better and the worst case being somewhat worse.
The story on the Restore is simpler. If you want very good near and far vision and are willing to comprimize a bit on the mid range, then the probability of that outcome is almost certain. Restore customers are happy on the second day. Operative and Post operative complications and followup needs are also lower. Fewer cases require the JAG procedure followup to clear up the back of the capsular bag.
I’ll give you an update in a few weeks after I’ve settled in with the new Restore lenses which go in this week and next.
November 19th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
I recently had a crystalens procedure on both eyes. (two weeks apart) It turned out that my left eye was slightly near-sighted and my right eye was slightly far sighted. I could read very well with my left eye at a normal didtance but distance was fuzzy. With my right eye I couldn’t read at all but could see fairly well at a distance. After about 6 weeks, I woke up one morning and the vision in my seft eye had become significantly more near-sighted. Instead of reading clearly at a normal distance I now had to hold the paper about 6-8 inches from my eye. A subsequent visit to the doctor verified that with eye tests. Has anyone had this experience, and if so, was anything done to correct it. My doctor is talking about a couple of different laser procedures, one of which can be done after 3 months from time of surgery. I would like to hear from anyone who has had a similr experience or has any knowledge of it.
November 22nd, 2005 at 10:17 pm
Dear Frank K.,
My dad has crystalens and is extremely pleased. Doesn’t wear glasses at all now. I went to the FDA to compare the actual data on file for a non manipulated message. Please let us know how you are doing, we were concerned about the reports of glare and halo.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p030002.html
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/MDA/DOCS/p040020.html
December 3rd, 2005 at 2:21 pm
I am a 65 year old male in exelent health. I had a crystalens installed in my right eye on July 15, 2004. I had bad vision on next day followup at far mid and near. although Crystalens own CO spokesman says ” A careful evaluation be made on day one postop - you may need to exchange the lens with a more appropriate power.” (From crystalens web site. Dr Colvard) My doctor chose not to followups he passes that to a OD In his office. At this time (18 months later) I have no accommadation effect. Poor vision far mid & near. Last exam was 20/50 . Night vision terible with bright rings around all light sources. I am very unhappy with this product!
December 31st, 2005 at 9:42 am
I had the crystalens implanted in both eyes about a year ago and have not been satisfied with the results. My near vision is not what I was told it would be. I reach for my reading glasses throughout the day. In bright, optimum conditions I can usually read, and during the followup exam I performed well (and my doctor was pleased) but everyday lower-light situations keep me in glasses. My distance vision is good but I experience a lot of glare at night, particularly when driving. I wish now that I had had more unbiased information about this lens before my surgeries.
January 4th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
Hi, I am slated to have cateract surgery and Crystaleen lenses implanted in February ‘06. Based on reading the reviews above, I am somewhat concerned. Is it the lense or is the the experience of the doctor that determins how you see? Please get back to me. Thanks.
January 18th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
In mid-December 2005, I had a Chrystalens implant to deal with a cataract problem. Post-operative testing indicates I am now near-sighted in that eye. Can’t quite read the newspaper but close. All else is blured. Dr. wants to give it 3 months and if necessary at that time consider a laser fix. Is that a normal process or is the Chrystalens changeable? So far a agree with Paul Rupe in being unhappy with the product.
February 26th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Insurance covers the basic surgery and the price of a monofocal lens but not one of the advanced lenses. I have been quoted a price for the Chrystalens of over $3,100 per eye (over the surgery). Does this sound right to you?
Aso, I do lots of computer work and require good midrange sight. No current problems with reading unless it’s tiny print. Driving distance sight is OK with glasses but I hope to eleiminate the glasses after cataract surgery. My cataract surgeon (scheduledfor first week in March, 2006) recommends Chrystalens. Second choice is Restore. Your comments please?
March 7th, 2006 at 9:52 am
Some of the commentators above appears to have bad experience with Crystalens. Please discuss them with your catarct surgeon. My gut feeling would be to go for Restore.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
I am an independent healthcare investigator currently researching problems with the CrystaLens implant on behalf of a major New York Class Action law firm client. I would very much like to talk to people who have had bad experiences with this lens. Feel free to email me at jmp@healthcareinvestigations.com. I will then call you back.
October 19th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Crystalens: Hell no
Multifocal: no
Monofocal: yes. Your best chance for long term functional vision with the least expense and risk of problems. Especially for elderly drivers.
October 28th, 2006 at 6:02 pm
I had Crystalens inserted Monday, October 23, 2006. As soon as I got up off the table I saw a new world. The next morning my vision in the eye was 20/25. The next day I began to use the computer and to half way read the paper.
Night driving is great with little halos. I truly bekieve that a lot of the troubles mentioned were caused by the doctor selected. Crystalens is difficult to implant. Hope the future is good. I recommend the lens highly at this point.
October 30th, 2006 at 1:27 am
I am quite terrified after reading this blog. I am due to have surgery this Thursday. My doctor, trained at the Jules Stein Eye Clinic at UCLA suggests Crystalens. I would like mid-range for reading music and have worn glasses since I was 13. The idea of not needing glasses is very seductive. I don’t know what to do, other than take a tranquilzer right now! Any suggestions? Thanks
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:43 am
Most of the problems that the implantees describe, are ones that I also had with the Crystalens implant. My doctor (who is certified and trained by Crystalens) diagosed the problem as an iinterfenece of the lens movement with the lens sack. He said that after surgey the lens sack often times shrinks. He did a YAG laser procedure thru the front of the eye that freed up the sack. This is called a “capsulotomy”. Although it sounds complicated, it is a relatively simple procedure, and has virtually zero complications.
The Crystakens seens to have this type of problem moreso than other introcular lenses, probably because it moves forward and backward a few millimeters to give correct focus at all distances.
There are no surgical incisions of any kind, and it was done in 10 minutes. After the medications wore off, I was pleased to find that all the problems were gone. No glare at night, vision restored to 20/20 at all distances and light levels. This, for me, is a remarkable device.
November 5th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Finally…others with Chrystalens problems. My right eye (worst eye) was done twice. First, the lens was too far-sighted, the second one has neen sufficient. But my other eye…a real nightmare. My doctor doesn’t know what to do and has never heard of these symptoms I’ll relate. She’s given up and treats me like ,”well, you need there could be problems, you signed the pre-surgery release”.
Immediately after the left eye surgery, I knew it was different since the right was done twice & I pretty much knew what to expect. Immediately I started having “ghosting” images, glare, and double-vision. You know how when you are a little kid and you drew one of those cube boxes with lines and connected them ? Well, w/o the lines, that’s my left eye vision. pictures, doors, etc., are seen as an extra layer that is up and to the right. Just like the cube I mentioned.Worse in diminished light. It’s so distracting, I can’t watch TV or drive at night anymore. It will overide the sight in my right eye. I’ve gotten second opinions and nothing looks wrong when they look into my eye. I’ve had retinal and corneal specialists who find excellent results. Which is great as far as that’s concerned, but why can’t I see out of that eye?? Now, hear this. All of a sudden…it straightened out!! I couldn’t believe it. Then I was happy with my decision to have the lens. But as sudden as my vision improved, about 4 weeks later, it declined to worse than it was before. To me, this indicates bad lens placement or a defective lens, but they(doctors) disagree. It’s so bad, I sometimes feel like covering it with a patch. My surgeon had the brilliant idea of putting softlens on top of it. While it improves the distance a little (which to me was negligible compared to the real issue), it only exagerates the double vision, glare and ghosting!! If there is anyone out there with this same experience, please let me know and what you did about it. Also if the inventor or anyone in Crystalens QC is out there..PLEASE contact me. I’m told once this lens is enmeshed, you cannot get it out. It’s been 5 months of sheer frustration (minus 4 good weeks).
January 11th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I had Crystalens implanted after cataract surgery, in 2005. I now have some floaters behind the right lens, that impairs my vision. My Doctor told me that he could not remove it with laser. That it would require a 35 minute operation. Needless to say,I am terrified, because I know a friend that had retinal detachment surgery twice.after having crystalens inserted. Right now my eyes are very red, and uncomfortable. These lens feel like the hard contacts lens I wore years ago. Also I have been diagnosed with sojgrens syndrome(dry eyes). Could this be part of my problem? Can these lens be removed?
March 1st, 2007 at 5:36 pm
I have visited two doctors for cataract surgery. One recommends Crystalens; the other recommends ReSTOR. One doctor discussed the idea of implanting the ReSTOR lens in the left eye for near, small print reading and Crystalens in the right eye for distance and arm’s length vision. My eye muscles are healthy. Can the eye (or brain) adjust to two different technologies? I would like to try this as it appears, from what I’ve read, that I can achieve the best that each lens offers. May I have some opinions?
March 17th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
This whole situation is familiar. I’ve seen the same thing with blog posts about lasek, PRK, etc- it seems the large majority have excellent results, and some have problems. Of course, those with problems are going to be far more vocal than those without..
May 9th, 2007 at 7:14 am
I had a Crystalens implanted in my left eye last November and the right eye in February. I have had nothing but trouble with both eyes and they are still not right. I’ve had permanent “plugs” put in to help correct a dry eye problem. My visions is not as good as it was before the surgery. I feel as though I have a thin veil over my right eye. I am told that minimal lasik surgery will correct some of the problems, but I am hesitant since I have had so much trouble. Has anyone answsered the question of whether these can be removed and replaced with something else.
December 11th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I had Crystalens implants in Oct of this yeat (both eyes) My vision is great (so far) but I am suffering from terrible headaches that are really interfering with my every day life. My eye doctor sent me to regular doctor who checked me out and said it had to be results of eye operation. I am taking prescription meds for the pain but the eye doctor is very unsympathetic and says he is not reacting to any symptoms til I have been thru the three month recuperation period. The pain is now more in my right eye and it is all nerve wracking, is there anyone else who had this problem?
December 16th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I had the Crystalens implanted in my right eye in May of 2006, it did not improve my vision, and distance was worse. Colors are distorted I feel as if everything is florescent. On a recent re-check, I was told that I was now nearsighted and lasik surgery would help correct the problem. I had the surgery three weeks ago. Now the Dr is recommending the Tecnis lens for my left eye. After my recent surgery, in which they made the crystalens fixed instead of moving, I am having severe headaches and severe sharp pain in my right eye. I made an appointment with a recommended opthalmologist for tomorrow for a second opinion, I do not trust anything my current physician does or says at all. He did finally admit that the Crystalens was not doing what they expected it to do. I am hoping that this new opthamologist can remove the lens, and replace it with a very basic lens.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I had a Crystalens put in my right eye after cataract surgery three days ago and have not been able to focus yet at ten to fifteen feet or more. Worse than that is that the colors seem to bleached out: my green chair looks gray with that eye.
How long should I expect to see the focus improve, and will the colors ever improve?
February 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
thank you. I wll report my findinqs when the surgery is done.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I had Restore lenses implanted after my cataract surgery in Aug & Sept
of 07. My distance has been getting less clear. Yesterday I had the
left one removed and replaced with a monofocal lens. We are praying it will work better. But I am out $1,200.00 per eye over medicare & my supplmental. My wifw said that while she was in the waint room, 3 other patients were having the same problem with the restore lens.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I had Crystalens implanted three days ago and my eyesight is phenomenal! I had severe myopia and retinal tears which I had fixed with a laser procedure before the cataract operation. I’m a little worried about retinal problems but my cataract were so bad that I had no choice but to have them removed. The minute I opened my eyes after surgery I could see across the room and down the hall and I could read everything. My second day post op appointment verified that I had 20/20 vision…something I have never had in my life! The only problems are that I seem to see or feel the lens moving within my eye. Has anyone else had this sensation? The other ptoblem is that I cannot really read or do any kind of close work with the right eye and the left eye is 20/200 so it’s of no use at all. My doctor says he’s going to undercorrect the left eye near to intermidiate vision and that the two eyes will work nicely together when he’s done. Does anyone have experience with this type of correction?
May 10th, 2008 at 4:01 am
Ms. Diana,
Please visit Cataract is one of the most curable causes of vision loss In this blog for updates.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I need some help. my dad just had postoperative cataract/len implant surgery done for catarcacts. My father had it done 3 days ago and sees nothing. he sees light but he saw that before. he is on radiation and is having leg artery problems now. he is 69 and getting very depressed. Can anyone give me some hope for my daddy. please tell me if this does not work all he has to do is go back. is there more they can do? I am not sure I will find this again so please e-mail me- ed4kel@yahoo.com
July 31st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I just had the Crystalens implanted in my left eye a little over a week ago 7/22/08. My distance vision is good, but I cannot see things close up. My face, my watch, my hands, and paperwork on my desk are all a blur. Does anyone know if this lens can be safely removed? I need to get the other eye done also. If I had it to do over again, I would have gone with monovision. I did that with my contacts for 10 years very well. My right is my dominant eye for distance and now I am seeing distance in my left so I am having a lot of headaches also.