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AN ALTERNATIVE TO LASIK - ADVANCED LENS IMPLANT
By Jack L. Weiss, M.D., F.A.C.S.
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If you are over forty and have been told that you are not a candidate for LASIK, one of our advanced lens implant procedures may be ideal for you. Intra Ocular Lens Implants (IOLs) are non-laser refractive surgical procedures designed to reduce or eliminate your dependency on glasses or contact lenses.
| Also view the Crystalens Accommodating IOL, ReSTOR IOL, and the ReZoom Multifocal lens |
LASIK corrects vision by changing the shape of the cornea. IOLs on the other hand, do not change the shape of the cornea, but rather change the lens in your eye. As light enters the eye it is first focused by the cornea and then by the lens. During our lens implant procedures, we remove the aging crystalline lens in the eye, and replace it with an artificial lens specially designed for your focusing needs. This new lens allows light to better focus on the retina, the seeing membrane in the back of the eye. This procedure is very similar to cataract surgery.
In modern cataract surgery, the clouded crystalline lens or cataract is removed through a very small incision and replaced with an artificial lens implant. Cataract surgery has become so advanced that unaided vision after cataract surgery can be quite good. IOLs utilize a surgical technique very similar to cataract surgery to significantly improve vision without glasses or contact lenses. Our lens implant procedures involve removing the aging crystalline lens and replacing it with a lens implant of a specific focusing power.
Prior to the procedure, our highly skilled technicians, utilizing state-of-the-art ultrasound instruments, measure the eye. The surgeon reviews these measurements and calculates the appropriate implant for each individual eye using advanced computer programs. The surgery itself is painless, and the recovery is usually quite comfortable.
IOLs can treat a greater range of nearsightedness and farsightedness than LASIK. This is due to the fact that no tissue is removed and the shape of the cornea is not changed. Many patients have been told that LASIK is not a good option due to too large of a correction; these individuals may be excellent candidates for one of our lens implant procedures.
The natural, crystalline lens in the eye changes shape to focus different distances. The range of focus decreases over time. Most people start having some difficulty reading in their forties due to this decreasing focusing ability. The artificial implant does not change shape. The implant is usually designed to be clear at one distance only; for example, clear in the far distance and not up close for reading. However, due to modern advances, there are techniques that can be used with lens implants that can improve vision for distance and near. These techniques include monovision and multifocal implants. The surgeon discusses in depth with each patient which technique is best suited for him or her.
Not all individuals are candidates for every procedure. One of the many strengths of Gordon Binder Weiss Vision Institute is that multiple refractive procedures are offered. There is no attempt to have all patients undergo the same procedure; rather we can offer the procedure that is optimal for each patient. LASIK is a wonderful procedure, but for some individuals LASIK is not an option. This can be because the correction needed is too great or because the cornea is too thin or too flat. In many of these patients, IOLs may be a great alternative.
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