What is an Implant or Introcular Lens?

An implant, or IOL is an artificial lens that is implanted in the eye to replace the eye's clouded crystalline lens during cataract surgery.

Brief history IOL’s

Prior to cataract implants, when a cataract crystalline lens was removed from the human eye the only way to replace the focusing power was to prescribe thick (coke bottle) glasses. The evolution of cataract surgery took a giant step forward in 1949, when an English eye doctor named Harold Ridley developed and implanted the first intraocular lens.

While there are several different types IOLs they share a common basic construction-they typically consist of a round lens (called the optic) and two arms (called haptics.), which keep the lens in place and centered in the eye. Since 1949, different materials have been used to make IOLs.

Today, the most widely used IOL materials include silicone and a soft, foldable acrylic called AcrySof® IOL material. AcrySof® lenses can be folded and inserted into the eye through a small incision, where it gently unfolds into its permanent position. These smaller incisions often do not require sutures, allowing for faster recovery with better results.

For the last Fifty years the goal when performing cataract surgery has been to replace the natural lens of the eye which has grown cloudy and yellow through aging with an artificial lens. Fifty years of advancement in that technology and tens of millions of surgeries have lead to the first artificial lens which can actually mimic the function of a perfect lens in a young person. This type of lens is called an accommodating lens because it is flexible and therefore able to change focus in response to effort by our focusing muscles in our eyes just as the natural lens does for people under the age of forty.

The first lens of this type is called the Crystalens. The Crystalens received FDA approval in 2004 and has subsequently gone through several small improvements resulting in an increased depth of focus compared to an ordinary lens implant. The Crystalens has the great advantage of allowing virtually all patients to see at both distance and intermediate distance without using glasses. In addition, most patients are able to read most of the time without glasses for all but the finest of print. In practice, the Crystalens is able to satisfy the visual needs of most patients for most of their daily activities without glasses. It is particularly good for driving, computers, cell phones, and newspaper sized print.

The current Crystalens is limited in one aspect: not all patients are able to use their eye muscles effectively enough to give good reading vision all the time, especially for finer print. In the future we will see numerous other accommodating lenses that attempt to better simulate the natural human lens in all cases. Researchers hope to some day create lenses that will actually perform better than the natural lens, and be fully adjustable throughout our lives as we age. It is likely that in the not too distant future we may be replacing the natural human lens in patients of all ages, not just older patients, as a method of improving the vision of young and old alike.

Good candidates for the Crystalens should have realistic goals for their vision and receive a complete evaluation by an Ophthalmologist who specializes in deluxe lens implantation. EyeHealth Northwest has surgeons with vast experience in the implantation of these types of state of the art lenses. Our surgery centers have access to all FDA approved lenses. EyeHealth Northwest is the largest provider of deluxe lens implants in the Portland Metro area.

In the past, the choice of which type of lens implant to have was really made by the cataract surgeon.That's because there really weren't any options for patients. All lens implants were of a type called a monofocal lens implant.A monofocal lens implant provides excellent vision after cataract surgery-but only at one set distance-usually for seeing things at a distance.This means for seeing distant signs when driving, going to a movie or going to a ballgame, a monofocal lens implant will provide the vision you need to see clearly.But with a monofocal lens implant you will most likely need to wear glasses for any type of near vision activity-for example reading, knitting, sewing, playing cards or keeping your golf score will require you to wear glasses.

Today, we are able to offer you the choice of a multifocal lens implant.A multifocal lens implant provides excellent vision after cataract surgery at a variety of distances.ReSTOR and ReZoom are types of multifocal lens implants your cataract surgeon might suggest.Multifocal lens implants correct both your distance vision and your near vision after cataract surgery.For the vast majority of patients, having a multifocal lens implant means that you will be able to see at distance and up close without being dependent on glasses. Patients choosing to have a multifocal lens implant will likely find that they can drive, watch television, read or do crafts-without the need for glasses.

As with any surgical procedure there are associated risks and benefits.While there may be a decrease in the need for glasses some patients may notice rings around lights at night.These side effects may make it more difficult to drive at night or perform tasks in low light conditions.While virtually everyone experiences an improvement in vision after cataract surgery, some people will have better uncorrected vision than others.Therefore, it is important to discuss the potential risks and benefits with your doctor.

Good candidates for the Multifocal lens implant should have realistic goals for their vision and receive a complete evaluation by an Ophthalmologist who specializes in deluxe lens implantation.EyeHealth Northwest has surgeons with vast experience in the implantation of these types of state of the art lenses.Our surgery centers have access to all FDA approved lenses.EyeHealth Northwest is the largest provider of deluxe lens implants in the Portland Metro area.

ReSTOR

A new Multifocal Lens can potentially eliminate glasses from your life after cataract surgery.

Because Eye Health Northwest cares deeply about the visual outcomes for our patients we now offer the latest technology in multifocal lens implants.

Multifocal lenses are designed to correct a range of vision – near through distance. You may be a candidate for the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL, which is an advanced type of multifocal IOL. Ask your doctor if the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL is right for you.

How does the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL work?

As we perform daily activities such as reading, watching television or working at the computer, our eyes are constantly focusing on objects at varying distances – up close, far away and everything in-between. The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation.

Accommodation: The ability of the eye's lens to change shape to focus on objects at various distances.

Unfortunately, this ability diminishes as we grow older, causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses. However, the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL was designed to provide quality near to distance vision.

The majority of modern IOLs are made from either silicone or a hard plastic), but AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL uses a soft, foldable acrylic, which makes it easier for the eye doctor and more comfortable for the patient. A smaller incision also removes the need for stitches, providing faster recovery times and clearer, more youthful vision.

With AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL, patients with both cataracts and presbyopia can have both conditions corrected at the same time, eliminating the need for spectacles after surgery in most patients.

For cataract patients with astigmatism, successful cataract surgery is only half the battle for regaining quality vision. EyeHealth Northwest offers the AcrySof Toric lens implant, a design proven to correct both your cataracts and astigmatism simultaneously. Implanted in the eye to restore distance vision after cataract surgery, the AcrySof Toric lens has a unique patented design that provides both spherical and astigmatic correction.The AcrySof Toric intraocular lens belongs to the trusted family of Alcon AcrySof lens implants that are some of the most widely used intraocular lens for cataract surgery, with more than 30 million implanted worldwide.

 

How astigmatism affects your vision:

Good candidates for the Toric Implant should have realistic goals for their vision and receive a complete evaluation by an Ophthalmologist who specializes in deluxe lens implantation.EyeHealth Northwest has surgeons with vast experience in the implantation of these types of state of the art lenses. Our surgery centers have access to all FDA approved lenses. EyeHealth Northwest is the largest provider of deluxe lens implants in the Portland Metro area.

Since 1949 when the first intraocular lens was implanted, there have been steady improvements in intraocular lens design. The most recent developments involve what is called Wavefront design. Essentially a computer model of the human eye is used to increase our understanding of how we focus light rays for clearest vision. These studies have shown that a simple spherical lens intraocular implant can leave a patient with less than perfect vision. Wavefront design implants are aspheric, meaning the curvature of the lens surface changes depending on how far you are from the center of the intraocular lens. This more sophisticated shape improves the sharpness of a cataract patient’s vision after surgery. At EyeHealth Northwest we only use the best intraocular lenses available. Using technology such as Wavefront design ensures that our patients obtain the best possible visual result from cataract surgery. Standard Wavefront lens are an excellent option for those who don’t mind wearing glasses after their surgery and want to improve the quality of their vision.