Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOLs)

Your eye is equipped with a natural crystalline lens that moves within your eye to help you focus on the world around you. As we age, that lens hardens and expands, affecting your ability to focus. The first signs of this leads to presbyopia which cause blurry vision for near (see our Presbyopia FAQ page). Then, over time, the lens becomes cloudy and causes blurry vision and glare problems. When this happens, this is called a cataract. The eye surgeons at Professional Eye Associates can restore your view of the world by removing the hardened and/or cloudy lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL). Professional Eye Associates is proud to be the only practice in the Northwest Georgia area to offer all of the latest technology IOLs to our patients. More choices means more personal and customized vision for your individual needs.

There are several IOLs to choose from, depending upon your condition, your needs, and the vision correction required.

Crystalens®

Professional Eye Associates is pleased to offer our patients Crystalens, the world's first pseudo-accommodative intraocular lens (IOL). Crystalens is inserted into the eye just like the standard IOL, but it has the ability to shift positions inside the eye. The Crystalens mimics your natural lens by moving and can shift your focus from near to distance, and all points in between.

ReSTOR®

Another exciting option for our patients is the aspheric ReSTOR multifocal intraocular lens (IOL). Using revolutionary apodized diffractive technology, this lens is designed to diffract light in such a way as to allow the eyes to focus at a variety of distances - near, far and intermediate. According to the results of U.S. clinical trials:

  • 99% of recipients are able to drive a car without glasses or contacts;
  • 97% of recipients can read the newspaper without reading glasses or bifocals;
  • 90% of recipients can shave or apply makeup without glasses or contacts;
  • 74% of recipients can read the stock quotes in the newspaper without reading glasses or bifocals.

Tecnis™

The new Tecnis multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) is another option for our patients. The Tecnis lens works similarly to the Restor lens by splitting light at a variety of points to improve distance, intermediate, and near vision with less need for glasses.

Toric Monofocal IOL

Astigmatism is when the visual system is more oval in shape rather than a circle. This causes blurry vision. The Toric IOL eliminates astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery. This implant improves vision with less need for glasses at a specified target - usually distance vision. Patients usually only have to wear reading glasses for near work.

Standard Monofocal IOL

The standard monofocal IOL has been used very successfully over the past 20 years. These lenses are targeted at one distance but they do not correct presbyopia or astigmatism. These lenses are standardized lenses which means that they are not custom-designed. As a result, although patients will have excellent vision after standard cataract surgery, they may be more dependent on reading glasses or prescription glasses for their best vision.

The ability to see better without glasses using a standard IOL is entirely dependent on the shape of the patient's eye, not on your surgeon's skill. For example, if you go into a shoe store and measure your foot as an 8.73 shoe size, you already know that you will have to pick a size 9, not a size 8.73. And this is because they only carry standard sizes on the shoe shelf. In the same respect, if you have a size "8.73" eye, there is no "8.73" on your surgeon's IOL shelf. So a "9.0" must be chosen thus the vision may not be perfectly clear without glasses. On the other hand, just like some people can happen to have a perfect 9.0 sized foot for a 9.0 sized shoe, similarly a cataract patient may be fortunate to have a "9.0" sized eye. When he/she receives a "9.0" sized IOL on the shelf, the vision can be clear without glasses for a specific distance. These patients can see fairly well without glasses even with a standard IOL, thus no two eyes are alike just as no two people are alike. You will have to speak with your eye surgeon for more detailed information about the specifics of your eye. And don't dismay if you chose a standard IOL and realize afterward that you wanted to see more clearly without glasses after cataract surgery. Seeing well without glasses can always be improved after standard IOL placement, but may require additional surgery such as a lens implant exchange or laser vision correction, LASIK or PRK.

PanOptix®Trifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL)

This lens is the first and only trifocal lens for U.S. patients undergoing cataract surgery. PanOptix is clinically shown to deliver an exceptional combination of near, intermediate and distance vision while significantly reducing the need for glasses after surgery.

Please click on the link below to watch a testimonial video of one our patients who now has the lens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3FskMudB7c

Choosing the Right Lens

Lens implant technology has revolutionized vision after lens surgery. It dramatically improves vision and in some cases, improves vision so well that there is much less dependence on glasses or contacts. Our eye surgeons want what is best for you. And they will evaluate the health of your eyes as well as assess your lifestyle, hobbies, and visual demands in order to determine the best treatment plan for you.

For more information on these exciting technologies, contact us today to schedule a ReStor, Crystalens, Tecnis, Toric, or PanOptix consultation in Dalton, Calhoun, Ft. Oglethorpe, Chatsworth, or Ellijay, Georgia.