What is Reading Vision?
As people age, it is not uncommon to experience a decline in near vision. Specifically, near vision becomes blurry, making it difficult to read a newspaper or read messages on a mobile phone. Some people notice that they need to hold their book farther away than usual to focus on the words. This blurry near vision is caused by an extremely common condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia is an age-related refractive error that typically begins in your 40’s and 50’s.
About Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a normal part of aging and happens to almost everyone. The natural lens inside of the eye, responsible for focusing light onto the retina, is normally flexible. This flexibility allows the eye to move to accommodate the close range. With natural aging, this lens loses its elasticity, becoming less flexible and unable to accommodate near vision.
Until recently, with advances in technology, most people would manage the effects of presbyopia using reading glasses. However, it can be frustrating to need to reach for a pair of reading glasses many times a day. For those who find reading glasses inconvenient, premium intraocular lenses, or KAMRA® inlays may be a solution to consider.
Alcon Panoptix Trifocal IOL
Much like a multifocal lens, a trifocal intraocular lens implant has “built-in multiple focus rings” set to alternating refractive powers. However Trifocal lenses are truly better for close, intermediate, and distance vision. The technology of the lenses allows for crisp reading, computer, and driving focusing because the alternating rings contain sections specifically set to provide aberration-free, crisp images at multiple functional focal points.
This can be beneficial for people who want an advanced technology lens to achieve a sharper vision for using their phone, reading books, seeing on their desktops, watching TV, and driving.
TECNIS® Symfony IOL
The TECNIS® Symfony IOL is a newer offering for those that are suffering from presbyopia in addition to cataracts. The Symfony IOL is the only lens that has been approved to treat presbyopia, as well as improve distance vision.
Unlike many intraocular lenses, the Symfony IOL doesn’t give patients halos or glare around lights, instead of leaving them with clear, crisp vision.
How Does the Symfony IOL Work?
For patients who are having their cataracts removed, the Symfony IOL is implanted during surgery. The Symfony is used to replace the natural cataract-affected lens of the eye.
The Symfony does not change how cataract surgery is performed; it only changes the way you see afterward. Patients see clearly almost immediately after surgery, with full results achieved shortly after.
Why Choose Symfony?
Many patients who receive the Symfony IOL find that they no longer need their reading glasses, which is a large advantage over standard lenses. Another distinct advantage over standard lenses is a decreased chance of experiencing the annoying glare and halos around lights. The Symfony IOL also provides patients with improved vision at ALL distances!
How do I get the Symfony IOL?
Since the Symfony IOL is a new lens, not all cataract surgery practices are currently offering it. Chicago Cornea Consultants™ is pleased to be among the first in the Chicago area offering this advanced technology.
It is important to note that Symfony is a revolutionary new lens, but it’s not for everyone. Make sure to talk to your Chicago ophthalmologist and see if you are a good candidate for cataract surgery. For those suffering from both cataracts and presbyopia, the Symfony IOL is a great new option for regaining clear vision. To learn more about the Symfony IOL and to see if it is right for you, schedule a consultation.
Crystalens™
Imagine if you could read, sew, drive, and go about your life without having to depend on glasses. A revolutionary intraocular lens implant (IOL) called the Crystalens™ may make that possible. Crystalens™ is used to replace the eye’s natural lens when removed either at the time of cataract surgery or during refractive lens exchange, where the lens is removed strictly for refractive correction.
Crystalens™, an intraocular lens implant (IOL), has the ability to accommodate, or change shape, allowing it to focus on both distant and near objects. Not everyone is a candidate for Crystalens™, but a screening examination at any of our three locations (Chicago, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates), will help our surgeons determine your candidacy.
Patients over 50 who are nearsighted or farsighted can receive Crystalens™ as part of a refractive lens exchange. With the Crystalens™, these patients are less likely to have to depend on reading glasses than they would with a “standard” monofocal IOL.
Crystalens™ may allow you to live your life without being dependent on glasses. To determine if you are a candidate, please contact one of our three offices, located in Chicago, Highland Park, and Hoffman Estates, to schedule an evaluation. Please specify that you are interested in the Crystalens™ procedure.
Other Presbyopia Correction Options-IOL’s that Correct Both Presbyopia AND Astigmatism
About Presbyopia and Astigmatism
Astigmatism is an irregularity of the shape of the cornea, and it generally presents itself in a person’s teens or early twenties. Astigmatism is typically hereditary and corrected by glasses and/or contact lenses. In the past decade, there have been many advances in the types and styles of intraocular lens implants implanted during cataract surgery.
IOL’s are lenses that are placed in the eye after the natural lens (the cataract) has been removed. Until recently, these implanted lenses could not correct astigmatism, requiring patients to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses after cataract surgery.
Due to advancements in IOL technology, there are new options for those who suffer from both presbyopia and astigmatism and need cataract surgery. These options may provide clear vision without glasses after cataract surgery. It is important to discuss your visual expectations with your eye doctor. Below are lenses that are implanted in Chicago Cornea Consultants™ that treat both presbyopia and astigmatism.
Tecnis® Symfony IOL
The TECNIS® Symfony IOL is a newer offering for those that are suffering from presbyopia in addition to cataracts. The Symfony IOL is the only lens that has been approved to treat presbyopia, as well as improve distance vision. Unlike many intraocular lenses, the Symfony IOL doesn’t give patients halos or glare around lights, instead, leaving them with clear, crisp vision. The Symfony Toric IOL corrects both astigmatism and presbyopia.
Trulign™
The Trulign™ Toric IOL combines the benefits of Crystalens, cataract surgery, and reduces or eliminates your astigmatism! If you have a cataract and astigmatism, then the Trulign™ Toric IOL may be a great choice for you. Toric means the IOL corrects astigmatism. The Trulign™ Toric IOL is essentially the same lens as the presbyopia treating Crystalens, with the added benefits of astigmatism correction.
Many people with cataracts also have astigmatism, which can cause blurry vision. The shape of a normal eye is round, but some people are born with an oblong-shaped eye which alters the pathway of light coming through the lens, causing a distorted image. Traditional cataract surgery involving standard monofocal intraocular lenses did not treat astigmatism, making eyeglasses necessary even after cataract surgery.
The latest in lens replacement products, Trulign™ is the first FDA-approved premium IOL that not only solves the problem of cloudy lenses from cataracts, it also corrects astigmatism. It also offers you a wider range of vision. Trulign™ not only improves near, intermediate, and distance vision, but also offers superior rotational stability.
By conducting a thorough ophthalmic exam, your Chicago area eye doctor can determine if you are a good candidate for Trulign™ and custom-select a lens for your specific degree of astigmatism. This customized approach offers you an ideal treatment option to improve your vision while reducing or eliminating your dependence on eyeglasses. Trulign™ is also built to last, having been designed and tested to be a permanent solution for your vision needs.
