to read the article - Williamson Eye Center

Cataracts:
More than
Dr. students
Blake Williamson
LIFESTYLE LENS OPTIONS
TODAY FOR CATARACT
SURGERY
In the last installment of our discussion on
cataracts, we discussed what a cataract is
and what one can expect during and after
cataract surgery. Now comes the fun part
… deciding what type of lens you want
inside your eye! Remember that cataract
surgery is a one time procedure, so the
lens you choose is the one that will be
with you and determine your quality
of vision for the rest of your life. It’s
important you choose wisely since there
can be no buyers remorse as removing a
lens once implanted is more complicated
and generally not advised. Remember if
you have other disease processes
such as dry eye, glaucoma, macular
degeneration or any other eye disease
obviously these can decrease your vision
as well despite cataract surgery.
reduce your need for glasses, should you
desire. There’s no guarantee to be totally
free of glasses “all the time”, and there’s
no “perfect lens” but a consult with your
surgeon will decide which type of lens is
best fit for you and your lifestyle. Each
lens we recommend is customized and
tailormade
for that specific patient’s eye. We may
routinely implant 5 or more different lens
technologies on any given surgery day.
We have access to and offer every lens
available in the United States.
MD, MPH, MS
Williamson Eye Center
A. Monofocal
(Basic lens implant)
B. Toric
(Premium lens implant)
C. Multifocal
(Premium lens implant)
D. Accomodating
(Premium lens implant)
Below are just a few examples of our
most common lens implant options:
In the past, your surgeon could only
offer a basic lens, which corrected
distance vision but still required you
to use glasses for intermediate tasks
(golfing, cooking, computer, dashboard
of car) as well as near tasks (reading,
knitting, craftmaking). However, at the
Williamson Eye Center we are on the
cutting edge of all new lens technologies
and we now have several different
“premium lens” implants for you to
choose from which will dramatically
10
2ND QUARTER | POLISHED
MONOFOCAL: The Monofocal lens is
the basic lens option that is specifically
designed for one range of vision or one
focal point, which is usually far distance.
If you don’t have an astigmatism or other
eye problems, patients with a basic lens
implant may have good vision at
distance. This is a good option if you are
comfortable still wearing glasses after
surgery. What these lenses fail to offer
is “range of vision” and reading glasses
or contacts will be needed after surgery
to have good vision at intermediate and
near targets. If a patient has significant
astigmatism, glasses will be needed to
correct it and you will likely still be in
bifocals after surgery unless you choose
a toric lens implant.
TORIC: Many patients suffer from
the common eye condition known as
astigmatism. Astigmatism can lead to
blurred or impaired vision if it becomes
moderate or severe. The cause of the blurred
vision is the result of the eye’s cornea having
an irregular shape. A normal eye’s cornea is
rounded like a
basketball whereas the eye of a patient with
astigmatism is steeper and more shaped
like a football. The basic lens implant
will not correct astigmatism so a patient
with astigmatism will need a specialized
lens, called a toric lens, to correct their
astigmatism in order to have good distance
vision without glasses. The toric lens
implant is specifically for cataract patients
with astigmatism who want to be less
dependent or free of glasses for distance
vision. It should be noted however that these
patients will still need glasses to read.
MULTI-FOCAL: As opposed to the basic
monofocal lens which has one focal point
(distance), the multifocal lens has multiple
focal points (distance, intermediate, and
near). Multifocal s offer the latest in
innovative premium lens technology and
are designed to return the natural vision
that cataract patients once had when they
were younger, thus allowing the most
freedom from glasses after cataract surgery.
Multifocal IOLs use a ring pattern design
much like trifocal glasses, to provide vision
at every range of vision. Not everybody is a
candidate for these lenses. These maybe the
lenses of choice for younger patients in their
40s without cataracts who are no longer able
to see up close and just want to get rid of their
reading glasses.
ACCOMMODATING: Patients who we recommend to have an accommodating lens
implant can have expanded “depth of focus” and good vision at variable distances. The
lens has the ability to shift position in the eye and focus much like your natural lens
did when you were younger. This is made possible by the unique hinged structure of
the lens, which allows the optic, or the part of the lens that you actually see through,
to move back and forth as the muscles in your eye constrict and relax. Different from
multifocals however, accommodating lenses have atoric lens version and can also correct
astigmatism. This often allows for good distance and intermediate vision without the
need for glasses. Patients may still require glasses for near reading however.
At the Williamson Eye Center, we believe that patients should have the best vision possible after cataract surgery. Because of the advanced
nature of the premium lens implants, there is an additional cost beyond what your insurance would normally pay.All of this can be
discussed at length during your cataract consult at the Williamson EyeCenter.
2ND QUARTER | POLISHED
11