Cataract

A cataract is the clouding of the clear lens within your eye that creates blurred or distorted vision. You will first notice changes when completing activities like reading, sports, or driving. Cataracts are most often found in older patients but they can occur in people of any age. When a cataract affects a patient’s quality of life, the patient can decide to move forward with small incision cataract surgery to improve their vision. Cataract surgery is an outpatient surgical procedure where the cloudy lens is removed and it is replaced with a new lens, called an intraocular implant. Small incision cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful surgeries. Vision is usually restored quickly allowing the patient to return to normal activities.

Drs. Schultze and Eden offer you the most advanced intraocular cataract implant choices. A patient has a one-time lens implant choice of either a standard or premium lens implant. Here are the two choices explained:

Standard Lens Replacement

Standard monofocal lens implants are selected in about 80% of our cataract surgery patients. These lenses provide excellent quality of vision with fixed distance vision. This means that your best vision will be for those things that are far away. Eyeglasses will be needed to correct for near vision activities like reading, applying makeup, shaving, sewing, and pressing the buttons of your cell phone. The correction distance preferred is a personal decision based on which types of activities you would most like to perform with reduced dependence on eyeglasses. The monofocal implant is best suited for people who do not mind wearing glasses or people who have certain eye diseases that may limit their vision after surgery. Medicare and most private insurers will pay for the cataract surgery and the cost of this implant less patient co-pay amounts.

Premium Lens Replacement

Advanced multifocal implants are selected by about 20% of our cataract surgery patients. These lenses will enable you see far away and be able to see close, but may not totally eliminate your need for glasses. It should help you with reading the paper, looking at map or seeing things 16 to 20 inches in front of you like your computer screen. These advanced lenses have been available for about five years and results our patients have are pretty exciting. In fact, they are some of the happiest patients we have. There are currently three advanced multifocal lens choices and Drs. Schultze and Eden have experience with each of them. There is an additional expense for having an advanced multifocal lens implant procedure.

Mutifocal Intraocular Lens

A multifocal IOL has different zones within the lens that allow you to focus on objects that are near or far away. This type of lens is used to reduce dependence on glasses at BOTH distance and near.

ReSTOR® - If you're seeking freedom from glasses, the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® multifocal IOL may be the best choice for you. The AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL gives you the best opportunity for improved image quality and a full range of vision – near, far and everything in-between – with increased independence from glasses or bifocals.

However, the results of the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL clinical trials have indicated that there is a slightly greater chance of experiencing glare and halos around lights, when compared to a traditional monofocal IOL. Over time, some people grow accustomed to these disturbances and cease to notice them; others may continue to see them long after surgery.

Although not all IOLs provide a full range of vision like the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL, there are instances when a monofocal lens may offer more desirable outcomes for certain patients. For these situations, Alcon offers the AcrySof® IQ IOL. Both the AcrySof® IQ IOL and the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL can restore your vision following cataract surgery, and both offer the enhanced image quality of an aspheric optic.

Dr. Schultze was the first surgeon in Upstate NY to preform ReSTOR® IOL surgery.

Please see the attached brochure for more information.

TECNIS® - Unlike conventional single-vision (monofocal) lens implants, TECNIS® Multifocal Lens provides patients with high-quality vision at any distance, and in any light condition—even in low light. So you can see well anywhere and anytime, be it near, far or in between. Patients no longer have to settle for monofocal lenses that only provide good distance vision with limited ability to see objects that are near without glasses.

However, the results of the TECNIS® Multifocal Lens clinical trials have indicated that there is a slightly greater chance of experiencing glare and halos around lights, when compared to a traditional monofocal IOL. Over time, some people grow accustomed to these disturbances and cease to notice them; others may continue to see them long after surgery.

The advanced TECNIS® Multifocal is an implantable lens that restores vision after cataract surgery and corrects presbyopia (the need for reading glasses). It delivers results superior to those of a standard lens implant and offers an excellent chance to become spectacle independent.

Please visit Tecnis Multifocal Lens website for more information.

Accommodation Intraocular Lens

An accommodating IOL can actually shift position, in much the same way the original lens does. This type of lens is used to reduce dependence on glasses at BOTH distance and near.

Crystalens® - Crystalens® is an accommodating intraocular lens that, unlike a standard IOL, can treat both a person's cataracts and presbyopia—loss of near and intermediate vision. You probably noticed in your forties that you started to lose some of your up-close vision and had to start wearing reading glasses. Crystalens® not only treats your cataracts (a clouding or hardening of your lens), but can also reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses. It does so by recreating accommodation similar to your eye's natural lens. The unique Crystalens® can reduce or eliminate glasses for most activities, including: reading a book, working on the computer, and driving a car. With this lens the induction of glare or halo is less common however there may be more dependence on reading glasses for near activities.

Crystalens® was modeled after the human eye. Like the natural lens, it uses the eye muscle to flex and accommodate in order to focus on objects in the environment at all distances. Crystalens® dynamically adjusts to your visual needs.

Please see the attached brochure for more information.

Astigmatism Correcting Choices (Instead of Limbal Relaxing Incisions)

Astigmatism is a common irregularity of the front surface of the eye (cornea) that creates a blurred image. There are two ways that astigmatism can be treated during cataract surgery. One option is to implant a Toric astigmatic correcting intraocular premium implant during cataract surgery that reduces astigmatism and provides either improved far vision or near vision without glasses; not both. The other is a surgical procedure called an LRI (Limbal Relaxing Incisions) in addition to cataract surgery with an implant. This procedure consists of the placement of microsurgical incisions into the cornea to smooth out astigmatic irregularities. The cost of Toric astigmatic correcting intraocular premium implants and (LRIs) are not covered by insurance. Drs. Schultze and Eden will discuss astigmatic correcting options following their thorough exam of your cornea.