Multifocal IOL

Case #43: Man in his 50s from Chiba City, Chiba, airport worker (extreme myopia: MiniWELL Ready)

This is an English translation of the original Japanese case report. If the two differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. Visual acuity is shown in decimal notation (1.0 ≈ 20/20).

Change in visual acuity (decimal; corrected values in parentheses)

Right eye: pre-op → post-op

Far: 0.03(0.3)→1.5p(1.5)
Near: —→1.2(n.c.)

Left eye: pre-op → post-op

Far: 0.1(0.8p)→1.5p(1.5)
Near: —→1.2(n.c)

Since we have recently had many inquiries about MiniWELL and AcrivaUD Trinova, we add this case, though somewhat old, from May 2019. Also, through the patient's kindness we received a detailed postoperative survey as an electronic file; please see it via the link below (a PDF opens).
MiniWELL postoperative survey (Japanese, PDF)

He was being seen at another clinic for advanced nuclear cataracts with extreme myopia exceeding −20 D in the right eye and −10 D in the left, and he first visited us from distant Chiba City for cataract surgery with multifocal lenses.
He had researched the types and characteristics of multifocal lenses himself in advance online and elsewhere, and since he works at an airport, he wished, with safety in mind, to choose a lens that put quality of vision first; so although he had advanced medical care insurance, the surgery was done with MiniWELL Ready, said to have the fewest halos and glare at night. He also had optic disc changes from high myopia, so considering the future risk of developing and progressing glaucoma, MiniWELL, with little light energy loss (no figure has been published yet, but there is said to be almost no loss), seems suitable.
The nuclear cataract was very advanced, about 4.0 in hardness, but the surgery was completed without problems, without the feared postoperative refractive error typical of high myopia, and postoperative uncorrected vision was very good, 1.5p distance / 1.2 near in both eyes. He was very satisfied, saying that at work too he could see far and near without inconvenience as when he was young, and that every time he woke up he was amazed at his own eyesight.

*People who want MiniWELL probably tend to value quality of vision. Recently we have had more consultations from people torn between it and trifocals such as Trinova and PanOptix, so for reference, the features and differences of each lens are briefly listed below to help you choose. They are based on information from meetings and the literature as well as postoperative interviews with our patients. Please feel free to consult us for details.

Halos and glare: MiniWELL << Trinova < PanOptix
Near add: PanOptix (+3.2 D) > Trinova (+3.0 D) ≧ MiniWELL (+3.0 D)
Light energy loss: MiniWELL < Trinova (8%) < PanOptix (12%)

2020.1.19

2020.01.19

Patient questionnaire

Answers translated from Japanese.

What was your condition before surgery?: I was diagnosed with nuclear cataracts in both eyes. My vision had gradually declined from about two years before and dropped sharply from about six months before; before surgery, even with high-power contact lenses, I had only 0.3 right and 0.6 left. At work it was causing problems: typing errors on the computer and time spent checking them, not being able to see materials projected in meetings, and so on. Rather than cloudiness, things looked double or triple, so when driving, traffic lights (their colors) were hard to recognize in daytime. At night there were considerable halos, but I could tell the colors of the lights more clearly than in daytime, so daytime driving worried me more. Oncoming headlights felt somewhat dazzling, but not enough to bother me.
What led you to have surgery?: The computer (keyboard and screen) was hard to see, so I had to bring my face close and take time to check the screen; I couldn't see materials projected during presentations at meetings; and I felt uneasy driving (especially in daytime) because traffic lights were hard to see. With drastically less information coming through my eyes, my awareness of situations declined, and with problems in almost every area, I decided to have the surgery.
Which did you choose, a multifocal lens or a monofocal lens?: I chose a multifocal lens (MiniWELL). The deciding factors were two: it is closest to the natural lens (things look natural), and it has few halos and glare, since I also drive at night. I can feel it performing exactly as I hoped. Information online said near is hard to see, but thanks also to the doctor's advice on choosing the lens power, I don't feel any inconvenience even close up.

Back to all cases

Case #43: Man in his 50s from Chiba City, Chiba, airport worker (extreme myopia: MiniWELL Ready)

Change in visual acuity (decimal; corrected values in parentheses)

Patient questionnaire

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