Options for the Cataract Patient

Article submitted by Denver Eye Surgeons. They can be reached at 303-279-6600.

It is well documented that nearly all Intraocular lenses, or IOLs, are the artificial lenses that replace the eye's natural lens that is removed during cataract surgery. IOLs have been around since the mid-1960s, though the first FDA approval for one occurred in 1981. Before that, if you had cataracts removed, you had to wear very thick eyeglasses or special contact lenses in order to see afterward, since the natural lens that had been removed wasn't replaced with anything.

Now, there is an intraocular lens option for cataract patients - multi-focal and accommodating intraocular lenses. These relatively new lenses give you more than one focus. They not only treat cataracts but also restore your ability to see up close and at a distance. In fact, many people who have worn glasses or contacts for most of their lives can undergo cataract surgery and become totally free of glasses.

Multifocal IOLs and Accommodating IOLs:

Traditional IOLs are monofocal, meaning they offer vision at one distance only (far, intermediate, or near). They are definitely an improvement over the cataractous lens that is replaced during surgery, which provides only cloudy, blurred vision at any distance. But traditional IOLs mean that you must wear eyeglasses or contact lenses in order to read, use a computer, or view objects in the middle distance.

The new multifocal and accommodating IOLs offer the possibility of seeing well at more than one distance, without glasses or contacts. Here are a few examples:

AcrySof ReStor uses apodized diffractive technology to provide near, intermediate, and distance vision. ReZoom is a multifocal refractive IOL that distributes light over five optical zones to provide near, intermediate, and distance vision.

Crystalens gained FDA approval in late 2003. It was designed to restore the eye's accommodation ability, which is gradually reduced as presbyopia progresses. "Accommodation" is the ability of the eyes to change focus from near to far, far to near, and all distances in between.

Each IOL has strengths and weaknesses, and while none of the lenses is perfect, surgeons have an obligation to be knowledgeable about the options available to prospective cataract and refractive patients. However, not all patients are suitable candidates for a multifocal IOL. Ophthalmic surgeons have the ability to provide patients with something very special and for those patients who are interested and well-suited, multifocal IOLs can be a true miracle.