ACRYSOF ReSTOR® IOL
What are your options?
The standard option...
The Alcon ACRYSOF® Single-piece Monofocal IOL provides clear distant vision. This means that you will be able to see objects that are far away, but will most likely need reading glasses for near vision. The standard monofocal IOL has been successfully implanted in millions of cataract patients who have experienced clear distant vision results.
The deluxe alternative... "ReSTOR® Your Vision"
The Alcon ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® Apodized Diffractive Optic IOL is a new brand of cataract treatment that provides the highest level of spectacle freedom. The apodized diffractive IOL accommodates a full-range of vision, both near and distant, and greatly reduces the dependency on reading glasses or bi-focals. Simple stated, this lens can ReSTOR® your vision and provide you with a superior quality of life.
There is a chance that the sharpness of your visual acuity may slightly decrease. Even with glasses, this visual side effect may become worse in dim light, at night, or in fog. For optimal results, the ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® IOL, should be implanted in both eyes.
For more information on the ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® IOL log-on to www.acrysofrestor.com.
What does this mean for you?
ACRYSOF® Single-piece Monofocal IOL vs. ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® Apodized Diffractive Optic IOL
Key points to remember regrading your choice:
It means a higher quality of life, through visual freedom. In fact, FDA clinical studies have demonstrated that 80 percent of patients never needed to wear glasses or bifocals again, compared to 8 percent of patients with monofocal lenses. Both the Alcon ACRYSOF® Monofocal and ReSTOR® IOLs can restore your vision following cataract surgery. Discussing your lifestyle or visual needs with your eye doctor can help determine which IOL is best for you. If freedom from glasses is your desired outcome, the Alcon ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® IOL may be your best choice. This IOL gives you the best possibility to have clear distance vision and be able to read and perform detail-oriented work without the need for glasses. However, there is a slightly greater chance of having severe difficulty with halos or rings around lights (5 out of 100) and glare (5 out of 100) compared to a monofocal IOL (1 or 2 out of 100). You may grow accustomed to them or continue to notice them. If you drive a considerable amount at night, or perform delicate, detailed, "up-close" work requiring closer focus than just reading, perhaps a monofocal IOL would be a better choice.
What are lens implants (INTRAOCULAR LENSES)?
Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are micro lenses that are placed inside your eye to correct cataracts, nearsightedness, farsightedness or presbyopia. There are two types of IOLs: anterior chamber lenses, which are placed in the anterior chamber of the eye between the iris and the cornea, and posterior chamber lenses, which are placed in the posterior chamber behind the iris and rest against the capsular bag.
IOLs may be used for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, cataracts and astigmatism. The newest option available to people who are very nearsighted is the Verisyse™ Phakic Intraocular Lens (IOL).
Verisyse™ Phakic IOL
The Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is used to treat moderate to severe myopia, the medical term for nearsightedness. With over 18 years of use and 150,000 procedures performed worldwide, results prove that the Verisyse™ design is safe and effective for very nearsighted people who are tired of thick glasses and are not candidates for Custom LASIK.
How Verisyse™ works
The procedure involves placing the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL behind your cornea and on top of your iris. This gives your eye another focusing lens that provides high-quality, high-definition vision like a normal eye. Although the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is intended to be permanent, the procedure is reversible if desired.
The word "phakic" means that your natural crystalline lens is left in the eye. This is important because your natural lens plays an important role in helping your eye adjust between seeing objects that are near and far.
About the Verisyse™ procedure
Implanting the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is an outpatient procedure that takes around 15 to 30 minutes. Usually, one eye is treated at a time.
1. Drops will be placed in your eyes in order to reduce the pupil size.
2. For better access to your eye, your doctor will use an instrument to comfortably hold your eyelids open during the procedure.
3. A local anesthetic is given to sedate the eye, so the procedure is virtually painless.
4. A small incision is made in the cornea for the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL to be placed in the space between the iris and the cornea.
5. The Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is centered in front of the pupil (the black part in the center of your eye), and is gently attached to the iris (the colored part of your eye) to hold the lens in place.
6. The small incision is closed with microscopic stitches that dissolve on their own.
7. A temporary shield will be placed over your eye to protect it during the time just after the procedure.
How Verisyse™ looks in your eye
Diagram of an eye with the Verisyse™ Phakic IOL.
The crystalens® at our Boston Center
The crystalens® is an accommodative IOL (intraocular lens) that presents an exciting vision correction option for patients with cataracts. Like traditional IOLs used in cataract surgery, the crystalens® is used to replace a patient’s natural, cloudy lens. However, what makes the crystalens® unique is that it is the first accommodating IOL that allows patients to focus on objects at all distances, the same way a natural lens focuses. This means that patients who receive the crystalens® at our Boston practice usually do not require contact lenses and eyeglasses for daily activities following surgery. This is different from patients who receive standard, non-accommodating IOLs, which only produce clear distance vision.
About Cataracts
This lens of the eye lies behind the iris and the pupil and works to focus light onto the retina, which is located at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye’s focus, allowing us to see objects at all distances. Sometimes, as we age, protein from our eye’s lens clumps together and clouds the lens. This is called a cataract, and it can greatly impair a person’s ability to see.
For over 50 years, surgeons have been treating cataracts by surgically replacing clouded lenses. Today, cataract surgery is considered one of the safest and most effective procedures in medicine.
If you have noticed that your vision seems blurred or hazy, light seems glaring, or colors seem duller than usual, you may have a cataract. Please contact our practice so we can evaluate your vision and determine if cataract surgery is right for you.
Cataract Surgery: Placing the crystalens®
Before placing the crystalens®, the surgeons at our Boston practice will place eye drops to dilate your pupil and anesthetize your eye. You will then be asked to lie down, a microscope will be positioned over your eye, and your eyelid will be propped open with a special tool. The surgeon will then proceed to place the crystalens® in your eye. You will feel no pain, and the entire procedure will take less than 20 minutes. After surgery, more drops will be placed in your eye and you will be asked to wear a temporary eye patch.
Within a day or two of surgery, your distance vision should greatly improve. However, you middle and near vision may be blurry for about two weeks. It may take several months before you achieve optimal vision. Though some people wear glasses for some activities following placement of the crystalens®, you will not be dependent on the lenses.
The crystalens® vs. Fixed IOLs
The crystalens® is unique because it is the first FDA approved accommodating IOL in the United States. It was designed to mimic the eye’s natural way of focusing in order to allow patients to see clearly at all distances. Unlike the crystalens®, the design of standard, fixed IOLs prevents them from moving to focus (accommodating). Therefore, patients who receive fixed IOLs remain dependent on glasses to see items close up.
Possible Risks/Side Effects
Though the crystalens® is very safe, all surgery involves some degree of risk. The following are possible risks and side effects that may be caused by undergoing this procedure:
- Rare sight-threatening complications include infection, hemorrhage, and retinal detachment.
- Some patients experience temporary light sensitivity following surgery.
- Following cataract surgery, some patients experience minor night vision problems, such as glare.
General Considerations
- Most patients with good general health are candidates for crystalens® implantation. However, those with chronic infections, uncontrolled diabetes, or other health problems may not be suitable for the surgery.
- Patients who have had prior refractive surgery can still receive the crystalens®.
- Patients who have already had cataract surgery are not candidates for the crystalens® procedure.
- Seniors undergoing crystalens® treatment can now receive standard cataract surgery reimbursement. Visit our financing page for more information.
Before you undergo crystalens® implantation, your surgeon will thoroughly evaluate your vision and overall health to determine if it is right for you. To learn more about the revolutionary crystalens® procedure, contact our Boston practice today.
