Lifestyle Lens Implants
Vision for the Way You Live
Anyone who elects to have traditional (older-style) cataract surgery will have their cloudy lens replaced with an approved monofocal intraocular lens ("IOL"). They will typically achieve great results, and visual clarity will be promptly restored. The benefit of traditional IOLs is that, in addition to clarity achieved by removal of the cataract, they correct for pre-existing nearsightedness or farsightedness. The downside is that these IOLs do not correct for astigmatism or presbyopia. Therefore, it is likely that glasses will be more necessary after IOL care, especially for reading. For many, a standard lens is a fine option; it's nice to have one's vision restored to enable clarity, and with that, enhanced quality of life.
Thanks to amazing advancements in lens technology, there now exist Lifestyle Lens implants that can restore a wide range of vision, customized for your specific vision needs. People who select Lifestyle Lens care enjoy a wider range of clear focus for distance, intermediate and near vision, significantly reducing the need for glasses the majority of the day.
Depending on general health, the health of your eyes, and your visual lifestyle desires, we will customize a treatment plan that will afford you the best overall visual results, and broadest range of clear focus without glasses. To do this, we select from four types of advanced Lifestyle Lens technologies:
Accommodating IOLs
The Crystalens AO IOL is called ‘accommodating’ because it is designed with some of the same properties as the natural lens of the eye, with some capability to responds to the eye's internal focusing muscles, enabling clear focus at different distances. When we wish to view something up close, the focus-adjusting muscle in our eye (called the ciliary muscle) contracts, changing the pull of certain microscopic fibers (called zonules) on the natural lens, which changes the lens curvature. This elegant mechanism within the eye works much like the autofocus function of a modern camera. The Crystalens is designed to move slightly forward or backward inside the eye in response to ciliary muscle tension, thus adjusting for focus in a manner slightly different than the natural lens of the young (pre-presbyopic) eye.
Read more about Crystalens
Multifocal IOLs
This Lifestyle Lens is called a ‘multifocal’ lens because it is designed with several viewing ‘zones’. These zones are responsible for viewing objects at near, intermediate and far, restoring the widest range of vision possible. In clinical studies, most recipients of multifocal IOLs report they don't need to wear glasses for the vast majority of their activities, and many report being comfortably glasses-free at all times! The two multifocal IOLs currently available in the US are the the AMO Tecnis multifocal lens and the Alcon AcrySof ReStor lens.
Learn more about the Tecnis Multifocal IOL
Learn more details about the ReStor Multifocal IOL
Toric IOLs
A Toric IOL is designed specifically for the correction of astigmatism, in addition to correcting pre-existing nearsightedness or farsightedness. Prior to the development of toric lenses, after cataract surgery, people still had to wear glasses to correct astigmatism, or undergo a second surgery to correct this optical imperfection. Toric IOLs are designed to eliminate any astigmatism that existed prior to your procedure, while at the same time giving you clear distance vision.
Aspheric IOLs
Aspheric IOLs are a type of premium lenses designed specifically to enhance the 'crispness' of one's vision. An aspheric lens is designed to correct spherical aberration or asphericity, a type of optical aberration that causes such issues as glare, halo, and decreased night vision clarity. The result is not only improved clarity, but also improved vision quality in any light condition.
We use several different aspheric IOLs depending on your eyes, prescription, age, and whether you have previously had laser vision correction. Certain aspheric IOLs including the Tecnis (monofocal) can actually offset or correct for corneal asphericity. This is why some aspheric IOLs provide better overall visual clarity, and better night vision, than traditional IOLs.
Clear Lens Replacement
In some cases, people struggling with vision issues are more mature in age but haven’t yet developed visually significant cataracts. Perhaps the natural lens in their eye is still clear but no longer allows focus on near objects. In this case, we may suggest Clear Lens Exchange.
Similar to cataract surgery, the eye's natural lens is replaced with one of the aforementioned lifestyle lenses. This affords great distance clarity, good close up vision, and potentially greater independence from glasses. Plus, cataract surgery will not be a concern in the future, because their natural lens has already been replaced.
A Journalist's Documentary Experience
We were fortunate to recently have the opportunity to treat a patient with over 40 years' experience in TV journalism, first as a reporter, then cameraman/videographer, then director and producer of his own shows. His name is Jim Ryerson; he had all his life been significantly farsighted; and came to us seeking our advice regarding his own vision correction. At the time he first saw us he was 64 years of age, so we felt it more than appropriate to offer him clear lens replacement with Premium IOL care. He offered to document his own experience, and gave us following video clips of his experience. All we asked at the time was that he be completely candid, forthright, and totally honest in his reportage. We thank you, Jim, for doing such good work!
If you would you like to know more about the customized vision solutions offered at LA Sight, Schedule a convenient time to visit us today!