Introduction to Premium Lens Implants
The doctors at Eye Consultants of Atlanta aim to achieve the best for every patient, and carefully analyze your eye health and visual needs to select the appropriate intraolcular lens. The standard intraocular lens is a medical marvel and has been in development for more than 60 years.
When appropriate, you may be offered the option of choosing a premium lens implant. Premium lens implants offer patients visual advantages beyond the standard intraocular lens. Premium lenses are intended to help patients achieve the goal of decreased dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Some patients are completely free from wearing glasses after cataract surgery with premium lens implants, while others may only need glasses in specific settings. The doctors at Eye Consultants of Atlanta are skilled and experienced in the use of the latest lenses that provide multiple focal points by use of an optical process called diffraction. They are designed to correct presbyopia (near vision loss that occurs with age) in order to provide a range of vision: near, intermediate and distance vision. Part-time glasses may still be needed after implantation of this type of lens. ReSTOR® and Tecnis® are the two brands of lenses that utilize this technology.
This style of lens does not correct astigmatism and can create visual effects at night from lights. Generally, patients are not severely bothered by these phenomena.
Accommodating lens implants are premium lenses that contain a hinge-type design, and are intended to provide near and far vision. Crystalens® is currently the only FDA approved intraocular lens (IOL) that utilizes this type of lens function. Part- time glasses may still be needed after implantation of this type of lens. This style of lens does not correct astigmatism.
Toric Lens Implants are astigmatism-correcting monofocal lens implants. This type of lens is designed to correct astigmatism. The goal is to create focused vision at a predetermined location, either distance or near targets. Most patients opt for sharp distance vision. Reading glasses are expected to be used after implantation of this type of lens. This type of lens is not intended to provide distance and near vision simultaneously.
Multifocal IOLs
Multifocal IOL lens implants intend patients to see distance and near targets after cataract surgery. The two major brand names in this category are the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL by Alcon and the Tecnis® by Abbott.
AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL
The ReSTOR® lens is a multifocal lens implant that is designed to replace the natural lens of the eye after cataract surgery. Comprised of a flexible plastic material, the ReSTOR® lens has a patented design that allows it to focus light on the retina for clear vision for near and distance sight. The benefit for cataract surgery patients is a high level of spectacle freedom. Alcon has patented the application of apodization technology to an IOL, making the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens the first apodized diffractive IOL.
For many cataract surgery patients the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL by Alcon delivers very good vision at multiple distances including near and far vision. Many people also obtain good intermediate vision without the need for reading glasses. The AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL by Alcon is a very unique innovation which is ideal for those patients seeking spectacle freedom after cataract surgery. AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL by Alcon has been FDA approved for the treatment of cataracts since March of 2005.
FDA Clinical Data:
During U.S. clinical trials, the results with AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL by Alcon were remarkable:
- 80% of patients reported that after lens implant surgery with ReSTOR lenses, they no longer needed glasses or contact lenses to see clearly at all distances.
- 94% said they could drive and read the paper without contacts or glasses.
- Nearly 94% were so satisfied that they would have the procedure again.
References:
Alcon Website 2007. Alcon Technologies Inc.
The Tecnis Multifocal IOL
The Tecnis Multifocal IOL implantable lens provides focus for near and distance targets. In fact, nearly 9 out of 10 patients don’t need glasses after the procedure.(1)
The Tecnis Multifocal IOL lens by Abbott Medical is similar in design to the Acrysof ReStor lens implant, but there are differences. The Tecnis lens has its multifocal optic on the rear lens surface, whereas the ReStor lens has its multifocal designed on the front surface. There are very subtle differences in the ratio of near-, intermediate- and distance-focusing proportions of these lenses and in their edge design.
References
TECNIS Multifocal Foldable Acrylic Intraocular Lens. Santa Ana, Calif: Abbott Medical Optics.
Accommodating IOLs
Crystalens®
Crystalens® is an artificial lens implant that is intended to allow patients to see distance and near after cataract surgery. This lens implant functions by attempting to recreate lens movement within the eye. The unique design of the Crystalens® is designed to allow you to enjoy a fuller, more natural range of vision for most activities, including: reading a book, working on the computer, and driving a car.
Crystalens® was modeled after the human eye. Like the natural lens, it is a lens implant that uses the eye muscle to flex and accommodate in order to focus on objects in the environment at all distances. Crystalens® dynamically adjusts to your visual needs.
FDA Clinical Trial Information - Crystalens®
- 98.4% of patients implanted with Crystalens in both eyes could pass a driver's test without glasses.
- 100% could see intermediate (24" to 30") without glasses, the distance for most of life's activities.
- 98.4% could see well enough to read the newspaper and the phone book without glasses.
- Some patients did require glasses for some tasks after implantation of the Crystalens.
- Significantly more patients implanted with a Crystalens (88.4%) could see better at all distances when compared to patients implanted with a standard IOL (35.9%).
Toric IOLs for Astigmatism After Cataract Surgery
Toric intraocular lenses are designed to offset the eye’s natural astigmatism. These lens implants are carefully placed in the eye in a manner to reduce or eliminate astigmatism. The goal of these lenses is to provide astigmatism patients with sharp vision. If you are unsure if have astigmatism please check with your eye doctor.
Astigmatism Definition
Astigmatism is a refractive, or focusing error, in which one is unable to see objects clearly and is due to an irregular shaping of the eye's surface. For our discussion in cataract surgery, astigmatism is asymmetric steepening of the cornea. The irregularly shaped cornea causes light to be focused unevenly. Astigmatism may occur in varying degrees in each eye and can accompany myopia or hyperopia (nearsightedness or farsightedness, respectively). For individuals with uncorrected astigmatism, images may look blurry or shadowed. Astigmatism can accompany any form of refractive error and is very common.
The eye doctors at Eye Consultants of Atlanta are pleased to offer Toric IOLs for astigmatism correction after cataract surgery. Recent advancements in intraocular lens (IOL) technology has made it possible to provide an effective solution for patients that have astigmatism. Until recently cataract patients with astigmatism did not have an option to correct their astigmatism with cataract surgery. Now astigmatic patients have the choice to correct this problem.