Normal vs cloudy lens

A cataract is a cloudy area in the normally clear lens in the front of the eye. There is no pain associated with the condition but there are other symptoms, including:

• Blurred/hazy vision
• Spots in front of the eye(s)
• Sensitivity to glare
• A feeling of "film" over the eye(s)
• A temporary improvement in near vision

Risk factors for developing cataracts include being over 55 years old, eye injury or disease, a family history of cataracts, smoking or use of certain medications.

For people who are significantly affected by cataracts, lens replacement surgery may be recommended. During cataract replacement, the most common surgical procedure in the country, the lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one called an intraocular lens or IOL.

Cataract Surgery

During cataract surgery, a small ultrasonic probe is inserted into the eye which breaks up, or emulsifies, the cloudy lens into tiny pieces and gently sucks, or aspirates, those pieces out of the eye. Phaco surgery requires a small incision of only 3.2 mm or less. To make your procedure as painless as possible, anesthesia is a combination of local and/or topical along with IV sedation.

With the recent advance of foldable IOLs, artificial lenses can be implanted through the same small incision that is created in the phaco procedure. These IOLs are made of a flexible material, allowing them to be folded for implantation. Once inside the eye, the lens unfolds and returns to its original shape.

Lens Replacement Surgery featuring Multifocal Intraocular Lenses (IOLs)

Artificial lenses (IOLs) are implanted in the eye to replace natural lenses that have been damaged by cloudy cataracts or presbyopia. Until recently, IOLs were only available to correct distance vision. These monofocal lenses helped improve distance vision after cataract surgery, but patients still needed glasses or contact lenses for near vision activities like reading and playing cards. Now, advancements in technology have produced multifocal IOLs that allow patients to see clearly at all distances -- near, far and many distances in between. Multifocal IOLs such as ReStor®, ReZoom™ and Crystalens™ preserve distance vision and correct presbyopia so cataract surgery patients -- and patients seeking treatment for presbyopia alone -- can enjoy clear sight without relying on glasses.

The procedure to replace a patient's natural lens with a multifocal IOL is the same as that used in cataract surgery.

Crystalens™

Crystalens™ is a new cataract replacement lens (IOL) that works naturally with muscles in the eye to retain the eye’s ability to “accommodate” – shift focus between nearby and distant objects – after cataract surgery. It is the first FDA-approved accommodating lens. With other IOLs, patients lose this ability and require corrective measures such as glasses or contact lenses. With Crystalens can treat both cataracts and presbyopia.

Unlike rigid lenses, the flexible silicone Crystalens features hinges that allow it to move with the eye’s muscles and accommodate seamlessly, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for vision correction.

The Crystalens is implanted using the same, nearly risk-free cataract surgery techniques as with other IOLs.

Most people with cataracts or who have had corneal refractive surgery and retained good eye health are acceptable candidates for Crystalens implantation, but those who have already had cataract surgery are not. People with eye health problems such as chronic infections or diabetes should check with their doctors about eligibility.

AcrySof® ReSTOR® Lens

Physicians have been using flexible IOLs for years to replace the eye's cloudy lens during cataract surgery and help patients enjoy clear vision again. The ReSTOR® lens improves upon the ordinary IOL by using apodized diffractive technology to provide a full range of focusing distances from near to far. A series of 12 gradual "step heights" of 0.2-1.3 microns each (thinner than a human hair and smaller than a red blood cell) in the center of the IOL create seamless focusing ability, while the peripheral refractive region helps to enhance distance vision. Apodization also allows the lens to work with the pupil to distribute light evenly in the eye in different lighting conditions and activity levels. Alcon® reports that up to 80% of patients who use the ReSTOR lens don't need glasses after surgery.

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