A Journey to Clear Vision: One Patient’s Year-Long Transformation
In August 2023, a 48-year-old Hispanic woman with severe nearsightedness (high myopia) came to Parkhurst NuVision with a significant problem: she had been experiencing floaters and a sudden loss of vision in her left eye for a week. Upon evaluation, her best corrected vision was 20/20 in her right eye and 20/30 in her left, using eccentric fixation. After a detailed examination, we found signs of myopic degeneration in both eyes, and more concerning, an inferior retinal detachment in her left eye. She was immediately referred to a retinal specialist for urgent repair.
Two months later, in October 2023, she returned to Parkhurst NuVision for a cataract evaluation in her left eye following successful retinal surgery. At that visit, she was using a rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens in her right eye, achieving perfect 20/20 vision, while leaving her left eye without any correction. Her anisometropia (a condition where the two eyes have significantly different refractive powers) didn’t bother her at the time. Her best corrected vision in the left eye was 20/40, but a mild-to-moderate cataract was detected. Given her high myopia and the recent retinal detachment, our team recommended laser cataract surgery with a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) for distance vision. We discussed the need for readers post-surgery, which she fully understood.
In November 2023, she underwent a successful cataract surgery in her left eye. Her vision improved to an impressive 20/20 at a distance just one day after the procedure. However, she struggled with near vision and began to express interest in eliminating the need for reading glasses. We advised patience as her eye continued to heal.
By December 2023, her distance vision remained excellent at 20/20 in the left eye, but she was increasingly uncomfortable with her anisometropia and still wanted to move away from relying on readers. We advised her to stop wearing her RGP lens in the right eye to allow her cornea to stabilize. We also sent her to her retinal specialist to ensure her eye was cleared for further procedures.
By February 2024, after her cornea had stabilized and she received clearance from her retinal specialist, she proceeded with refractive lens exchange (RLE) in her right eye, this time opting for a light-adjustable lens (LAL) to target near vision.
Over the next few months, from March to June 2024, two LAL adjustments and two lock-in procedures were performed to fine-tune her near vision. The results were remarkable—she achieved J1 vision (the equivalent of reading small print) without any correction in her right eye.
August 2024 marked her “Graduation Day” from Parkhurst NuVision. After a long, intensive journey, she now enjoys 20/20 vision in her left eye and J1 unaided near vision in her right eye. Her follow-up visits with her retinal specialist and referral back to her optometrist for annual eye care will continue, but her year-long commitment to achieving clear vision has paid off beautifully!
Her story is a testament to perseverance and the remarkable possibilities of modern eye care.
