Advanced Technology Lenses

Intraocular lenses illustration

Recent advances in lens implant technology now permit us to provide artificial lens implants designed to reduce the need for glasses after cataract surgery. These lens implants are designed to provide good distance and near vision allowing most patients to function the majority of the time without glasses after surgery. While advanced lens implant technology allows for more predictable outcomes and less dependence on glasses after surgery, there is no guarantee of independence from spectacles, and it may still be necessary to wear glasses for certain activities after surgery.

Intraocular lenses come in a variety of materials and designs. Your surgeon will discuss your needs with you and help you to choose a lens that is best suited to your individual situation. All intraocular lenses used in our practice are coated with UV filters.

Patient Stories

Accommodative and Multifocal Implants for Clear Vision at Distance and Near

There are currently three lens implant designs available in this category: Crystalens, Toric, Tecnis, and ReSTOR™. Your surgeon will discuss your options during your consultation to assure that the lens you choose will optimize your visual outcomes.

Standard Artificial Lens Implants

These lens implants were developed in the 1950s and are, historically, the most commonly implanted lens. These tried and true lens implants focus light at a single distance and are usually selected to provide good distance vision. As these lenses do not focus at near, it is still necessary to wear reading glasses after surgery and it is usually necessary to wear glasses for intermediate activities, such as computer use. Newer intraocular lenses are designed to reduce the need for reading glasses after surgery.

In addition, standard artificial lenses do not correct astigmatism, and for patients with significant astigmatism it will still be necessary to wear glasses for both distance and near vision after surgery. For patients with astigmatism who wish to reduce their need for glasses after surgery, a toric lens implant may be a better option.

Toric

Many patients have been forced to wear glasses for most of their lives because of astigmatism. Toric lens implants are designed for individuals with significant astigmatism who would like to reduce their dependence on glasses after cataract surgery. These lenses are highly effective at reducing astigmatism and most patients, after surgery, can function well for distance activities without glasses. These lens implants do not provide near focus and reading glasses are still needed for viewing at near after surgery.

The results of the FDA clinical trial with the Alcon Toric lens were as follows:

  • For patients with astigmatism in both eyes, the Toric lens provided spectacle free vision at distance for 97% of patients. This is compared to patients with astigmatism who received a standard lens, who were only spectacle free at distance 50% of the time.
  • For smaller amounts of astigmatism, a toric lens may not be needed. In these cases, special incisions, called Limbal Relaxing Incisions, may be made in the cornea to change the shape of the eye and reduce astigmatism. Your surgeon will advise you as to the best option for your eyes.

Refinements in lens implant technology have advanced significantly in recent years providing a variety of options to fine-tune the vision after surgery. However, it is important to remember that while cataract surgery with customized intraocular lens implantation frequently results in a reduced dependency or even complete freedom from eye glasses, that it is never possible guarantee complete freedom from glasses after surgery. In addition, there are other factors besides the implant that can determine the final vision after surgery, such as ageing of the retina, the shape of the cornea, or various other degenerative conditions of the eye.

ReSTOR

Restor IOL diagram

ReSTOR™ Multifocal Intraocular Lens

The ReSTOR™ foldable IOL uses a combination of three complementary technologies: apodization, diffraction, and refraction, to allow patients to experience a full range of high-quality vision with a reduced need for reading glasses or bifocals. This range of vision without glasses is achieved through the optical properties of the IOL. Twelve small concentric rings on the lens create varying points of focus from distance to near. This allows images to be focused at both near and distance to create a higher level of spectacle freedom for patients.

During FDA clinical trials, the results with ReSTOR™ were remarkable.

For patients implanted in both eyes, the following results were achieved:

  • 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.
  • In the FDA Clinical Trial, 80% of patients reported never wearing glasses for any activity at any time.
  • 94% said they could drive and read the paper without contacts or glasses.

The most common circumstance where glasses may still be required is for intermediate vision. It should also be noted that patients implanted with the ReSTOR™ lens have reported experiencing nighttime glare and halos at a greater frequency than reported by those patients implanted with a standard lens. If present, these symptoms tend to improve during the months following implantation.

Refinements in lens implant technology have advanced significantly in recent years providing a variety of options to fine-tune the vision after surgery. However, it is important to remember that, while cataract surgery with customized intraocular lens implantation frequently results in a reduced dependency or even complete freedom from eye glasses, that it is never possible to guarantee complete freedom from glasses after surgery. In addition, there are other factors besides the implant that can determine the final vision after surgery, such as ageing of the retina, the shape of the cornea, or various other degenerative conditions of the eye.

Crystalens Accommodative Intraocular Lens

The Crystalens is an accommodating intraocular lens used in cataract surgery or as a lens alternative in presbyopic lens exchange. The lens is engineered with a hinge design to allow the optic, the part of the lens that you see through, to move back and forth as your focus on an image changes. The Crystalens®, once implanted, is designed to work in a similar fashion as the natural focusing system of the eye. Normally, the crystalline lens of the eye changes shape to allow for focus at different distances. After the age of 40, people will often start to experience difficulty reading as the eye’s natural lens starts to harden. Because, prior to this many people experience excellent vision, it can be confusing as to what is happening to their eyes. This difficulty focusing at near is known as loss of accommodation, or presbyopia (“old eye”). The crystalens, engineered with a hinge design, allows the optic of the lens to move back and forth as your focus on an image changes. This keeps the image in focus for a continuous range of distances including distance, intermediate, and near. The Crystalens IOL is the only lens implant approved by the FDA as an “accommodating” IOL.

FDA Crystalens Clinical Trial Information for patients implanted in both eyes:

  • 98.4% of patients implanted with the crystalens 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, including computer use.
  • Some patients did require glasses for some tasks after implantation of the crystalens. While the FDA study showed that over 95% of patients could read the newspaper and the phone book without glasses after surgery, it is sometimes necessary for patients implanted with the crystalens to require light reading glasses in order to read very fine print or to read for extended periods of time.

Refinements in lens implant technology have advanced significantly in recent years providing a variety of options to fine-tune the vision after surgery. However, it is important to remember that, while cataract surgery with customized intraocular lens implantation frequently results in a reduced dependency or even complete freedom from eye glasses, that it is never possible to guarantee complete freedom from glasses after surgery. In addition, there are other factors besides the implant that can determine the final vision after surgery, such as ageing of the retina, the shape of the cornea, or various other degenerative conditions of the eye.

For more information, please visit Crystalens.com.

Opciones de lentes intraoculares

Los nuevos avances en la tecnología nos permiten ofrecerle nuevos diseños de lentes intraoculares que reducen y hasta eliminan la necesidad de usar espejuelos despues de la cirugía de catarata.  Estos implantes están diseñados para proveer buena visión de distancia y de cerca.   Hay que tener en cuenta, que aunque estos avances han revolucionado las opciones para los pacientes, es imposible garantizar, en cualquier caso, que el paciente no va a necesitar espejuelos luego de la cirugía de catarata.  En algunos casos es posilbe que  todavía sea necesario usar espejuelos para ciertas actividades.

Los lentes intraoculares vienen en varios diseños y materiales.  Su doctor le podrá explicar sus opciones y junto con el podrán decidir cual sea la mejor opción para usted. 

Lentes acomodativos multifocales para vision de distancia y de cerca

Hay varios diseños disponibles en los lentes intraoculares. Porfavor presione en cada categoría para obtener más información acerca de cada uno:

  • Standard
  • Tórico
  • ReSTOR™
  • Crystalens

Ways to pay Request an Appointment Our locations 954.925.2740

Our locations

300 South Park Road Suite 300 
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954) 925-2740

603 N. Flamingo Road Suite 250
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028
(954)431-2777

2300 N. Commerce Parkway Suite #307
Weston, Florida 33326
(954) 217-3155
Hours
Monday - Friday: 8AM–5PM
Sat & Sun: Closed

7593 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. Suite 280
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(954)925-2740