Finally, the opportunity for freedom from reading glasses and bifocals.

AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL

Until recently, life without reading glasses or bifocals was not an option for most cataract

Cataract: A “clouding” of the lens in your eye.
As light passes through the cataractous lens, it is diffused or scattered. The result is blurred or defocused vision. Patients now have an option. The AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL Intraocular lens (IOL): An artificial lens that is implanted in the eye to replace the eye’s clouded crystalline lens during cataract surgery is a unique technological innovation that can provide you with quality vision throughout the entire visual spectrum – near through distance – with increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals!

How does the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL work?
As we perform daily activities such as reading, watching television or working at the computer, our eyes are constantly focusing on objects at varying distances – up close, far away and everything in-between. The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation.Unfortunately, this ability diminishes as we grow older, causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses. However, the

AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL was designed to provide quality near to distance vision by combining the strengths of apodized and refractive technologies. 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.

Apodized Diffractive Apodization is the gradual tapering of the diffractive steps from the center to the outside edge of a lens to create a smooth transition of light between the distance, intermediate, and near focal points. Diffraction involves the bending or spreading of light to multiple focal points as it passes through the lens. On the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL, the center of the lens surface consists of an apodized diffractive optic. This means that the series of tiny steps in that center area work together to focus light for near .

Refraction Involves the redirection of light passing through the lens, to focus on the retina. The refractive region of the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL bends light as it passes through the lens to a focal point on the retina. This outer ring of the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL surrounds the apodized diffractive region and is dedicated to focusing light for distance vision.

Toric IOLs

Advances in Intraocular Lens (IOL) technology now provide a reliable and effective option for patients with astigmatism. Until the recent introduction of Toric IOLs, people who were considered candidates for intraocular lenses could only have their nearsightedness and farsightedness corrected during lens implant surgery. Patients with astigmatism had to either have corneal refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, or Limbal Relaxation Incisions) after lens implant surgery or remain dependent on glasses or contacts.

Astigmatism is caused by the cornea being more curved in one direction than the other, much like a football. Toric IOLs are specially shaped IOLs designed to offset the imbalance created by the irregular shape of the cornea. Once implanted and aligned inside the eye, they stay fixed in place thereby eliminating pre-existing astigmatism.

There are two manufacturers of Toric IOLs that are available to correct various amounts of astigmatism. Your doctor will select the Toric IOL that is best suited for your eye condition. Toric IOLs are considered “premium” IOLs which means there will be additional costs associated with these lenses.