1. Toric Intraocular Lens
Cataract patients now have the option of reducing or eliminating pre-existing astigmatism with the Toric Intraocular Lens (IOL). This new lens design provides quality distance vision and astigmatism correction all in one step.
In the past, patients undergoing a cataract procedure only had the option of a single-focus lens to correct distance vision. However, they would still have to wear glasses or contact lenses to correct astigmatism. Sometimes, they would undergo additional procedures to correct astigmatism. With the Toric IOL, this astigmatism correction is provided in one step and is more predictable and precise.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism simply means that the curvature of the cornea is irregular. Instead of being shaped like a basketball, its shape resembles a football with both steep and flat curves. These different curvatures in an astigmatic eye cause light to focus at multiple points in the eye instead of focusing only at one point on the retina (the light sensing part of the eye). The result is blurry, distorted vision.
Results
The Toric IOL has been used in more than 25,000 cases nationwide. In clinical trials, 97 percent of patients reported freedom from glasses for distance vision.
Medicare Approved
The Toric IOL is Medicare approved. Medicare and most insurance companies will cover a portion of the cost of this procedure. New insurance guidelines allow the patient to pay the additional costs associated with the Premium Toric IOL because of its astigmatism correction properties. The fees associated with the lens upgrade may be compared to the cost of glasses to correct astigmatism after surgery.
Financing
In some cases, CareCredit, an independent financing company, may finance the additional fees. Some financing plans are interest-free. For more information on payment plans, please contact our office or visit www.CareCredit.com to apply.
Benefits and Risks
By treating astigmatism and cataracts in one step, our patients enjoy clearer distance vision while enjoying activities, such as traveling, sports, driving, and other hobbies, without the hassle of glasses.
Cataract treatment is among the most commonly performed procedures in the United States. The procedure is performed in an outpatient surgery facility under local anesthesia and can be completed within a matter of minutes. However, it is important to understand that with any medical procedure there may be unforeseen complications and that outcomes cannot be guaranteed. Even with our best efforts, some patients may still require minimal correction to sharpen their vision.
Patient Care
At Omni Eye Care, patient care is of utmost concern. Our staff will discuss your lifestyle and vision needs to help you determine which treatment is the best for you. Our goal is to provide the most advanced surgical treatment options while maintaining patient safety and satisfaction.
For more information on the Toric IOL or other treatment options, including cataract surgery, please contact our office.
2. Multifocal Lenses
Imagine the ability to see your world as well as you did when you were young, without glasses or contact lenses. Being able to see all you want to see – regardless of how far away or close up you are viewing? Youthful vision is possible with the new Acrysof ReSTOR® and other multifocal intraocular lenses. Based on your lifestyle, our doctors will advise you on which lens is best suited for you.
What Is ReSTOR®?
ReSTOR® provides you with a range of vision without relying on mechanical movement of the lens. Through the use of apodization – a series of small steps built into the optics of the lens – light is smoothly transitioned between near, intermediate and distance focal points. The result is an increased range of quality vision that delivers a high level of spectacle freedom. FDA trial data shows that 93% of patients implanted with the ReSTOR® lens never wear glasses for distance, and 81% never wear glasses for near. Patients in this study averaged 69 years of age, making these results even more impressive.
The ReSTOR® Procedure
The medical procedure to implant the ReSTOR® is the same safe, proven cataract surgery performed annually on over 7 million eyes globally. Over 65 million procedures have been done in the US in the last 25 years.
Typically performed in an outpatient surgical facility, the actual surgery takes less than twenty minutes. In a pain-free procedure, your surgeon will place a few drops in your eye, then use an ultrasonic probe to remove the cloudy lens from your eye. The ReSTOR® lens is then gently placed where your original lens used to be. Once surgery is complete, your surgeon will place additional drops in your eye to prevent infection and decrease inflammation.
Because the opening into the eye is so small, it heals quickly on its own, without any need for stitches.
What makes ReSTOR® different from other lenses?
The ReSTOR® IOL provides focus points at varying distances, providing sharper vision without corrective lenses throughout a full range of vision from near to far.
Standard (single vision) monofocal lens implants do not have the ability to provide a full range of vision. Most people who have single vision lens implants MUST wear glasses for middle and near vision.
Can my vision be corrected to 20/20?
The ReSTOR® IOL has been designed to focus your eyes at all distances after cataract surgery. While virtually everyone will experience a significant improvement in their uncorrected vision after surgery some people will not see 20/20 at all distances.
Many people who have not had surgery, are not able to see 20/20 at both near and far even with glasses or contact lenses. This is due to a variety of ocular and physiological problems as well as lifestyle preferences, yet most of these people function quite normally despite this reduction in their vision.
The clinical study results for ReSTOR® indicate that 93% of the people enrolled in the study (implanted bilaterally) never wear glasses for distance tasks, and 81% of these same patients never wear glasses for near vision tasks. The average age of these patients was 69 years old.
Will I be able to read in all light conditions?
The ReSTOR® lens functions very much like the normal human lens. It is important to remember that reading vision in low light is also influenced by the overall health of your eye and by the condition of the light sensors in the retina. As we get older, our ability to see in low-light conditions may start to decrease. It is always best to read in good light conditions.
How do I know if I am a good candidate for ReSTOR®?
Our doctors will perform a thorough examination and advise you of a customized treatment plan for correcting your vision. Almost everyone with good health is a candidate for implant surgery, but people with chronic infections, diabetes, or other problems may have to wait until these conditions are under control prior to surgery.
People who have had prior corneal refractive surgery are acceptable candidates for ReSTOR® implantation as long as their eye is in good health.
Please Note that if you have already had cataract surgery, you are not a candidate for the ReSTOR® procedure.
Should I have a multifocal lens put in both eyes?
Typically cataracts will develop in both eyes. If only one eye has a cataract, only one implant is necessary. If both eyes have cataracts and the vision in one eye is worse, your surgeon will generally elect to implant that eye first. If both eyes are the same, he usually starts with the ‘non-dominant’ eye. Our doctors will look at a number of factors in deciding which eye to implant first.
How long will the surgery take?
The ReSTOR® procedures are typically performed in an outpatient surgical facility. You will arrive at the surgery center about an hour before the procedure. A number of topical drops will be placed in your eye and oral medications may be administered to help you relax. The eye drops anesthetize your eye and dilate your pupil.
Once in surgery, you will lie down, a microscope will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to look up into the light of the microscope.
The actual surgery usually takes less than 20 minutes. Your surgeon will stabilize your eye with a device to keep your eyelids open. You will feel no pain, only slight pressure on your eye. Upon completion, additional drops will be placed in your eye to prevent infection, decrease inflammation, and keep your pupil dilated. A patch may be placed over your eye and someone will need to drive you home. When you are at home, you should rest for the remainder of the day. You should avoid any strenuous activities. We will see you the day after surgery to remove the eye patch and examine your eye. Do not rub your eye.
You will be given additional medications that you will need to put in your eye for the next week or two. These drugs help the eye heal leaving no residual effects.
What are the chances that something could go wrong with the surgery? What would they be?
The contemporary treatment for cataracts is to remove the crystalline lens and replace it with an artificial lens. ReSTOR® represents the state-of-the-art in artificial lens design and are the result of over 50 years’ evolution in the treatment of cataracts.
The medical procedure to implant a ReSTOR® lens is the same safe, proven cataract surgery performed annually on over 7 million eyes globally. Over 40 million procedures have been done in the last 25 years. It is important to note, like any surgery, it is not completely risk-free.
When will I be able to return to normal activities?
You will be able to return to normal activities within several days after implantation with some limitations. Your eye may be sensitive to touch and bright light, but you should be able to drive and return to work in two to three days.
Your doctor will provide you with medications to prevent infection and decrease inflammation and may provide a protective shield to cover your eye while sleeping. A pair of plastic, disposable sunglasses will decrease your sensitivity to light as well as providing protection during the day.
It is important that you avoid heavy lifting or straining that would increase the pressure in your eye for several days after surgery. You also must avoid rubbing or pushing on your eye. You should refrain from activities that could increase your chances of getting hit in the eye. Wear your protective sunglasses when outdoors.
You can shower and wash your hair as long as you avoid getting soap or shampoo in your eye. Refrain from using eye makeup, lid liner and mascara for several weeks after implantation. You should avoid public swimming pools, hot tubs or other sources of bacterial contamination for several weeks.
Consult your surgeon on recommendations for specific activities.
How often do I need to have my eyes checked after surgery?
Typically, we will see you one day after surgery, after 2 to 4 weeks, and again around 3 to 6 months after surgery. Thereafter, an annual exam is usually sufficient unless you have a specific problem.
Will I have to have cataract surgery again?
Once your cataracts are removed and replaced with an artificial lens, you will never have to have cataract surgery again. Occasionally, several months after the lens has been placed in the eye, the vision may start to become cloudy once again. This is sometimes called a secondary cataract and refers to the clouding of the membrane that surrounds the implant.
This membrane (the capsular bag) originally surrounded the human lens. When the cataract was removed, all that remained was this membrane into which the artificial lens was implanted. The membrane healed around the artificial lens, securely holding it in place in the eye. Unfortunately, sometimes the same conditions that caused the original cataract will cause the build up of cells on the membrane behind the implant. These cells will block the vision and have to be removed.
A laser is used to make an opening in the membrane behind the implant, immediately improving vision. This is done painlessly without an anesthetic and takes just a few minutes. Once this is done no further surgery related to your cataracts will be required.
What happens if my eye is injured sometime in the future?
Eye injury can involve many different parts of the eye. The clear front part of the eye, the cornea, and the back part of the eye, the retina, are most often affected by injury.
The presence of an artificial lens does not make the eye any more vulnerable to trauma. Indeed, once the human lens has been replaced, eye trauma would not cause a cataract.
What about future eye surgery?
Since the implant is fixed in the same position as the original lens, any future eye surgery that could be performed in or around the normal eye can be performed in an eye with ReSTOR®.
BOTOX® treatments, plastic surgery, pterygium removal and other cosmetic procedures should not be performed until your eye is well healed. Typically this is around 3 months, but your doctor will advise you when it will be safe to undergo these procedures.
I have dry eyes. Will lens implantation help this condition or will I still have to use artificial tears?
Implant surgery typically will have very little influence on chronic dry eyes. This condition is related to a variety of internal and external medical conditions and is sometime associated with aging. You should consult your surgeon on a therapy that is most suited to the cause and severity of your condition as well as your lifestyle.
Will ReSTOR® influence chronic red and irritated eyes or headaches from eyestrain?
If eye irritation is a result of excessive contact lens wear, sensitivity to cleaning and storage solutions, or what is generally described as ‘eye strain’, implant surgery may reduce or eliminate these symptoms. Eye irritation can be caused by a wide variety of internal and external factors including allergies that have nothing to do with the lens implant.
What will the ReSTOR® procedure cost? Financing options available?
If you have a cataract, your Medicare or private insurance may cover the cataract surgical procedure and anesthesia; and may also allow a certain additional amount for the lens implant. You are then required to pay a deductible as well as any additional amount above the primary coverage. (Some patients are completely responsible for payment – not all insurance companies will cover cataract surgery).
If you do not have a cataract, but wish to have the ReSTOR® or ReZoom™ lens implanted to improve your distance and near vision, the procedure is viewed as elective by Medicare and private insurance companies.
In some cases, CareCredit, an independent financing company, may finance the additional fees associated with the procedure. Some financing plans are interest-free. For more information on payment plans, please contact our office or visit www.CareCredit.com to apply.
3. Laser-Assisted Surgery
