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Advanced Cataract Surgery and Premium IOL Lenses

Unlike laser corrective surgeries that change the shape of the cornea, cataract surgery and IOL (intraocular lens) surgery remove the eye's natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens implant. This lens implant can be either monofocal (which means it focuses at a single distance), multifocal (which means it has multiple focal points) or accommodating (which means it can change its focal point). The lens implant is usually made of plastic, silicone, or acrylic and remains in the eye, permanently providing good vision. Cataract and IOL surgery use the same lenses and the same procedure, but IOL surgery is an elective procedure done to correct eyesight, and cataract surgery is a medical procedure done to remove a cataract. IOL surgery is known by several different names including refractive lens exchange, clear lens extraction, clear or natural lens replacement, refractive lensectomy and presbyopic lens exchange.

Cataracts

A cataract is formed when the natural lens of the eye hardens and becomes cloudy, resulting in a loss of visual function. Cataracts are a normal part of aging and about 50% of all Americans over 65 have cataracts, as do 70% of those aged 75 and over. Cataracts can affect all ages, however, as they also result from injury, heredity, or certain medications.

A cataract is painless and usually develops gradually over several months or years. The beginning of a cataract in one or both eyes may cause decreased night vision, impaired depth perception, and increased color distortion. There is no single, objective test for cataracts. A doctor analyzes patient symptoms, performs a regular eye exam, and may test for glare disability and contrast sensitivity to make a diagnosis.

A stronger eyeglass prescription may help improve vision or be treatment enough. Just because you have a cataract doesn't mean it must be removed immediately; cataract surgery can almost always be postponed until you are unhappy with the way you see. If you do have surgery, it is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. The clouded lens is fragmented using a high frequency ultrasound probe and then removed. In either case, an artificial lens is then implanted to take the place of the lens that was removed. It takes a few weeks for the eye to heal completely, but the patient is able to return to normal activity soon after surgery.

Cataract surgery has an overall success rate of 98 percent. It has provided improved quality of life for millions of Americans by increasing their independence through improved vision.

State-of-the-art lenses offers better results and expanded benefits beyond traditional cataract surgery, improving vision at all distances and eliminating the need for glasses for over 80% of daily activities.

Special thanks goes to the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health for the photos simulating the impact of this eye disease.

IOL Surgery

IOL (intraocular lens) surgery is primarily recommended for people over the age of 50 with high degrees of nearsightedness or farsightedness that can't be easily corrected with traditional laser procedures such as LASIK. Patients over the age of 50 who have never worn glasses to correct their distance vision, or who have lost their natural accommodation due to age (presbyopia) and are experiencing a deterioration in their distance vision, are also good candidates for an IOL procedure.

IOL surgery is an outpatient procedure similar to cataract surgery. After anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye, a tiny incision is made to create an opening in the outer capsule of the eye's natural lens. Using a probe, the surgeon gently breaks up and suctions out the gel from the lens capsule. A high quality lens implant of appropriate power is then inserted into the capsule. Since the incision is self-sealing, the surgery is usually completed without stitches. The whole procedure takes about 20 minutes.

Traditionally, lenses used in cataract surgery have been monofocal, allowing the user to see well at a single distance. Patients with monofocal lenses usually choose to have their natural lenses replaced with lenses that allow them to see well at distance and wear reading glasses for up close or intermediate work. Recent advancements in lens technology, however, have resulted in the development of multifocal and accommodating lens implants. These new style lenses allow the patient to focus at different distances, giving good distance vision, plus improvement in intermediate or near vision. IOL surgery can minimize your dependence on reading glasses or bifocals, but even with the newer multi-focal or accommodating lenses, glasses may be needed in certain situations.