Instructions:
The Crystalens® vision workbooks are a series of six different books used for post-Crystalens vision therapy. Each book has sixteen different word search puzzles designed to be completed over a two-week cycle, with the patient completing one exercise per day. There are six books so it will take twelve weeks to complete the entire program.
The program is a series of structured exercises that allow the eyes to focus on letters of progressively smaller size, thereby stimulating the eyes to accommodate. The size of the letters and the number of puzzles are intended to establish a controlled, daily accommodative exercise program to gradually improve and enhance accommodative efficiency and amplitude.
Most of the puzzles have fun, light hearted topics selected to be entertaining to the patient. Just like traditional word search games, these have a series of words hidden throughout the puzzle. The words are listed on each page so the player knows which ones to look for.
Book One should be very easy for the patient, the font size being the largest. Once that book is completed, the patient can advance to the next book. With each new book the print will get smaller, increasing the difficulty of the puzzle.
The patient should be instructed to complete one booklet over a two-week period. If they stall at one book and have trouble finishing it, you may wish to give them another copy and keep them at that level for a few more weeks.
The therapy should start two weeks after surgery on their second eye is completed. If the Crystalens is only going to be implanted in one eye, or if it is anticipated that the second eye will not be implanted within one month of the first eye, the program should be started once the implanted eye is two weeks post-op. You should plan to exchange booklets every two weeks. We recommend the patient bring in each completed puzzle book and exchange it for the next. Some offices prefer to give their patients several booklets at one time and let the patients work through them at their own pace.
This program was designed to help the patient throughout their ninety-day postoperative period. If your patient is comfortable beginning with one of the later books, be sure to encourage them and let them know that they are ahead of schedule. Every patient is different. Some patients may be able to begin the program on one of the more difficult books. For example, some may need to use only books four through six. Our overall objective is to provide the patient with tools to help on their road to visual rejuvenation.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Paul S. Koch, MD and Jackie Hammett in the creation of the Crystalens vision workbooks.
