Mario's Second Eye Lens Replacement Surgery is the Charm

Mario has always relied on his excellent eyesight to pursue his passions. He’d always enjoyed a fantastic range of vision, but when his eyes began to fail him in his 40s, he refused to be held back. He bought reading glasses for small print and close-up computer work and carried on as usual. 

"I never wore glasses until I got a little older when I started to find it difficult to read smaller print," Mario says, referring to his presbyopia. This age-related condition typically affects most people after 40. 

"As my eyesight deteriorated, I got presbyopia-correcting prescription eyeglasses, but it became annoying having to rely on them. I’d often forget where I’d left them, and wasting time looking for them interfered with my creative activities," Mario explains. "I wanted to wake up in the morning, open my eyes, and be able to see, just as I’d done before my vision problems began."

Mario's next step: contact lenses 

Mario decided to switch to contact lenses and persevered for two years. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t get along with them.

"I'm super active," he explains, “and putting in my lenses every morning and removing them at night just took too much time out of my day. I decided I needed to try to find another solution.”

After researching his options, he found an eye doctor who suggested artificial intraocular lens replacement surgery, also known as IOL replacement. This procedure is commonly used in cataract surgery, where the eye’s natural lens is replaced when it becomes cloudy. Artificial lenses can also restore both near and distant vision.

That doctor recommended a lens called PanOptix, a popular trifocal solution, and Mario decided to go ahead. 

However, PanOptix wasn't the right lens for Mario. He suffered from postoperative blurry vision and halos and needed to use eye drops regularly.

"That experience taught me that everyone reacts differently to intraocular lens implants. So, it’s critically important that the surgeon chooses the right lens for each patient,” he says. “I now know that carefully matching each patient to the lens that suits them is both a skill and an art, and unfortunately, my first doctor was lacking in this regard.”

Dr. Kerry Assil and the Odyssey IOL lens save the day 

So Mario went back to the drawing board and continued his research. When he came across Assil Gaur Eye Institute, he was impressed by the wide range of treatments and solutions offered and inspired when he read their patients' stories, where they spoke about their experiences. He wasted no time and quickly made an appointment.

When Mario attended his initial consultation with Dr. Assil, he explained that the ideal outcome was the return of his 20/20 vision without needing to rely on glasses or contact lenses, and he did not want a return to blurry vision or halos. It seemed a tall order, but Dr. Assil talked him through the various artificial lens options. Then, Mario underwent a thorough examination, and that was when Dr. Assil discovered a minor glitch in his right eye.

“As part of Mario’s workup, I identified a hole in the peripheral (non-seeing) part of the retina in his right eye," explains Dr. Assil. “I successfully corrected the defect in his right eye using our laser, which not only allowed us to get him a much better lens implant but would also prevent future retinal detachment.”

Before Dr. Assil treated Mario's right eye, he prepared to perform the lens replacement surgery in his healthy left eye. The only question was which lens in his arsenal would best benefit Mario.

Dr. Assil selects artificial lenses based on his patients’ needs. These range from toric lenses for corneal astigmatism, ‌mono-focal IOLs, lenses with extended depth of focus, and multifocal lenses to clear IOLs, often used in straightforward cataract surgery.

"After Dr. Assil explained all the options available, I asked him, ‘If you were to recommend a ‌multifocal lens to your son, which would it be?’” Mario says with a smile. “’ Because that’s the lens I’ll opt for.’"

Dr. Assil didn’t hesitate to suggest the new FDA-approved Odyssey lens, a multifocal, state-of-the-art lens that provides clear vision at all distances. Over a year before the Odyssey lens was rolled out nationally, the manufacturer (Johnson & Johnson) selected Assil Gaur Eye Institute to offer the new product exclusively to their patients. Dr. Assil and his partner, Dr. Gaur, were the only ophthalmologists in the United States to be granted such access, and their knowledge of the product and how it benefits patients is second to none.

“Restoring or improving a patient's vision used to require using a different lens for each eye—one for near vision and one for distance vision—but the Odyssey lens means that there is another option available that will provide visual acuity for all distances,” explains Dr. Assil. “Furthermore, there are fewer side effects, such as halos and blurred vision, that patients choosing other lens options often encounter. Opting for the Odyssey lens leads to an enhanced patient experience.”

The lens replacement surgery on Mario’s left eye went smoothly, as did the later operation on his right eye. 

"Once I exchanged the PanOptix lens for an Odyssey lens in both his eyes, Mario's vision became better than 20/20 for both near and distance," remarks Dr. Assil.

"Six months following the procedure, I’ll do a follow-up evaluation and check if the lens has shifted. If it has, I’ll perform a YAG capsulotomy, a simple procedure that uses a laser to polish and clean the central capsule.

"This procedure is routinely performed after refractive lens exchange or cataract surgery," Dr. Assil explains. "The original outer shell of the eye's natural lens remains behind to hold the new lens in place and can become opaque over time. This quick procedure fixes the problem in minutes.”

The result: another delighted patient.

"Dr. Assil is an incredible human being," beams Mario, who is now working on writing a new musical and enjoying his visual acuity. "I was impressed with his knowledge, expertise, and the care provided by him and his staff. 

“I was beginning to worry that my vision loss would continue to worsen and begin to slow me down, but Dr. Assil came to the rescue. He won't practice medicine forever, and I feel lucky to have been his patient and that he fixed my eyes so I can get on with my life just as I did before!”

Why trust Assil Gaur Eye Institute with your vision correction?

The Assil Gaur Eye Institute team has gained industry-wide respect for their extensive knowledge, inventions, and contributions to modern refractive surgery and all aspects of corrective vision care.

With many years of combined experience assisting patients with eye health, the optometrists and ophthalmological eye surgeons at Assil Gaur Eye Institute are among the most experienced in the United States at correcting refractive errors using all lenses. Their knowledge of laser eye surgery, including LASIK, PRK, IOLs for cataract surgery, and refractive lens exchange (RLE), is unparalleled. They offer their patients the highest quality of specialist eye care in the United States, ensuring you are in the best hands for your vision correction needs.

In addition to LASIK and cataract surgery, the ophthalmology experts at Assil Gaur Eye Institute are nationally recognized for their eye care and surgical procedures for a full range of eye conditions, including hyperopia (farsightedness), glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment (and other diseases of the retina), myopia (nearsightedness), cornea conditions (including astigmatism), contact lenses, floaters and flashes, dry eyes, and much more.

Call (866) 945-2745 to schedule your free LASIK consultation or request your appointment online.