“You are 50 years of age and above, and you want to experience all life has to offer – you want to see it all,from the big expansive picture, down to the smallest, most precious details”
 

Introduction

When your sight is compromised, your life is compromised. Fortunately, there’s a very effective solution to presbyopia and cataracts. Cataract surgery with the multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) enables most people to see near, far and everywhere in between.

Such dramatically improved eyesight immediately multiplies the possibilities in your life. Passengers could become drivers again. Golfers could keep their eye on the ball and enjoy the surrounding scenery. Family celebrations, reading special birthday cards, looking at sunset, seeing everyone’s happy faces won’t be missed.

What is cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside your eye. This lens, located behind the iris, works just like the lens of a camera – focusing light images on the retina, which sends images to the brain. The human lens can become so clouded, it keeps light and images from reaching the retina.
A cataract can be the reason sharp images become blurred, bright colors become dull, or seeing at night is more difficult.

It may also be why the reading glasses or bifocals that used to help you read or do other simple tasks no longer seem to help. Vision with cataracts has been described as seeing life through old, cloudy film.

But a cataract is not a “film” over the eyes, and neither diet nor lasers will make it go away, nor can it be prevented. Eye injury, certain diseases, or even some medications can cause the clouding. The best way to treat a cataract is with surgery that removes the old, clouded lens and replaces it with a new, artificial one to restore your vision, and in many ways, significantly improves your quality of life.

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the condition in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus at near. It’s a common condition that could accompany cataracts and impair your ability to see objects that are close up. Have you ever found yourself holding a menu or a book farther and farther away to read it? The need for reading glasses is usually a sign of presbyopia. This aging of the eyes eventually affects everyone.

If you have cataracts with presbyopia, Multifocal lens implants, such as the AcrySof® Panoptix®, is our recommended lens of choice can correct both conditions.

What is astigmatism?

Sometimes the surface of the cornea is curved more like a rugby football than a basketball, with both flatter and steeper curves. This common irregularity, called “corneal astigmatism”, causes blurred or distorted vision. This occurs when light rays are not focused at one spot to provide clear vision.

Presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism requires the use of bifocal or “progressive” lenses to see clearly both near and far. The important thing to remember is that cataract surgery can often correct one or more of there at the same time. This means it may be possible for you to gain clear vision with little or no need for glasses or contact lenses.

What is exactly is cataract surgery?

One of the safest and most successful procedures performed today.

Huge medical advances have been made in the treatment of cataracts. Cataract surgery is generally a simple, outpatient procedure with little discomfort, requiring only 15 minutes and a topical anesthetic. The operation itself entails making a tiny incision in the eye. Through this incision, the surgeon inserts an instrument about the size of a pen tip. This instrument breaks the cloudy lens into pieces and removes them from the eye. Once the cataract is removed, a cataract replacement lens is inserted through the same tiny incision and set into position to replace the natural lens.

What can I expect following cataract surgery?

Most patients typically return home the very same day as cataract surgery. Eye drops may be prescribed to guard against infection and help your eye heal. For a few days, you may need to wear an eye patch to keep away irritants. Everyone heals differently, but most patients see well enough to return to most of their routine activities within a few days of recovery.

What is an IOL?

An intraocular lens(IOL) is the replacement lens that is surgically implanted in the eye to replace the existing clouded lens during cataract surgery. The good news is that you’ve encountered cataracts at a time when intraocular lens technology has taken great leaps of progress. Traditionally, the replacement lens used for cataract surgery was a monofocal IOL. This type of lens restored good functional distance vision, but people still needed to continue wearing reading glasses. Today, you also have the option of the multifocal lens, which can improve vision in a full range of distances, from near to far, to everywhere in between.

Why we at ISEC prefer the AcrySof® Panoptix® lens?

The AcrySof® Panoptix® lens is a breakthrough lens for cataract surgery that lets patients see from near to far, to everywhere in between usually without glasses. An innovative optical technology incorporating advanced optics, including true trifocal focusing, makes the lens uniquely effective, especially when placed in both eyes. A similar technology has been used for years in microscopes and telescopes to improve image quality and has now been patented for use in intraocular lenses by Alcon.

Most AcrySof® Panoptix® lens patients find that they can read a book, work on the computer, drive a car – day or night – and play golf or tennis with increased freedom from glasses. You may, however, experience visual disturbances, especially glare and haloes effects, in low lighting conditions. As a result, increased care should be taken when driving at night.

Patient with astigmatism can also experience true performance at all distances with the AcrySof® Panoptix® Multifocal Toric IOL.

Why you can take comfort in the AcrySof® Panoptix® Multifocal +/-Toric IOL:

• The AcrySof® Panoptix® lens comes from Alcon, the world’s leader in lenses for cataract surgery.
• The Alcon AcrySof® family of lenses is the most widely used brand for cataract surgery.
• The history of the AcrySof® family of lenses speaks for itself: more than 100 million AcrySof® IOLs have been implanted worldwide.
• AcrySof® IOL patients are pleased with their vision. For example, over 93% said they would have the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® +3.OD lens implanted again; and similarly, over 95% of Panoptix Trifocal patients in our own experience would have the lens implanted again.

They’re your eyes and you have options:

The AcrySof® Panoptix® lens is an advanced type of multifocal IOL, but it may not be right for you. There are other types of multifocal lenses such as EdoF lenses, (Zeiss’ AcriLISA® and LARA®, AMO’s Symfony® etc) or rotational asymmetric multifocal (Oculentis®) which may be suitable for you. Talk to your eye care professional about the options within the AcrySof® family and other lenses for your cataract surgery.

In choosing your cataract replacement lens, your eye care professional will take into account many aspects of your eye health. You will also be asked to consider your lifestyle. How much reading or computer work do you do? What are your hobbies? Do you often drive at night?

Important questions to ask you eye doctor:

1. Do I have a choice of cataract lenses?
2. Do all cataract lenses let me see far, near and everywhere in between?
3. Can you explain cataract surgery and how long it takes?
4. What is the difference between a traditional cataract lens and a monofocal lens?
5. I enjoy reading. Am I a good candidate for a multifocal lens?
6. After cataract surgery with a multifocal lens, will I still need glasses?
7. Are there any risks with a multifocal lens?
8. Is the AcrySof® Panoptix® lens right for me?
For information on Supracor LASIK as an alternative for presbyopia correction, click HERE.