ReSTOR Intraocular Lens - Presbyopia and Cataract Correction
Learn all about the ReSTOR intraocular lens procedure and how it can help your presbyopia or cataract problems.


/Vision-Eye Care News Articles/ - April 08, 2007 - The ReSTOR lens can be used by people seeking treatment for:
-Cataracts
-Presbyopia

It's also available for anyone who has neither of these conditions, but who would like to gain more freedom from wearing glasses or contact lenses. This is an off-label use, meaning it's not (yet) approved by the FDA, but is legal and appropriate in the right circumstances.

Cataracts
There are 3 types of cataracts, classified according to how they form and develop. But all are slow-growing areas of opaqueness in the lens of our eye.

The light rays coming to our eyes can't pass freely through these opaque areas, but instead are scattered. So vision becomes blurry and we notice extra brightness near light sources.

Cataract Surgery
In the cataract surgery procedure, eye surgeons remove the natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL) made of a clear plastic. It's usually focused for distance vision. So it restores our full visual acuity for distance vision and we must still wear reading glasses.

Presbyopia
When we reach the age of 40 or so, most of us notice reduced near-distance vision. We need glasses for reading. This sometimes seems to be hyperopia (farsightedness), because we can often see quite well in the distance, but not close up.

But presbyopia has a different cause than hyperopia. It's not caused by the shape of our corneas, but by a combination of two age-associated tendencies:
1. The lens is becoming more stiff, so it doesn't change its shape so easily to allow us to focus at all distances
2. The tiny muscles that control the lens' shape are becoming weaker.

The result is diminishing near-distance vision. Eventually far-distance vision is affected also.

The main treatment for presbyopia so far has been monovision, where one eye is corrected for distance vision and the other for near vision. The brain learns to see this way after a month or two, and it works well for some people. But this treatment is not for everyone.
What is the ReSTOR lens?

The ReSTOR lens is a type of IOL which can replace the natural lens and improve both near- and far-distance vision. It's like a bi-focal lens. Unlike our natural lens, it doesn't work in conjunction with our eye muscles, and change its shape when we focus at different distances.

It's designed with a series of steps which are larger in the center of the lens and become progressively smaller towards the edges (known as apodization). This causes progressively less energy to be directed to close-up focus. It distributes light according to how wide or small the eye's pupil is, and regardless of the light in the environment.
It's designed in two parts.

-One part is an apodized diffractive lens, used for near distances
-The other is a refractive lens used for far distances

In between is an area for mid-range distance. So it enables you to see at all distances without glasses or contact lenses. Results are better if both eyes have a ReSTOR lens, and there's usually a wait in between the two surgeries of about a month.

Who is a candidate?
There are no known medical contraindications.
-If you have cataract surgery, it's definitely a good choice of IOL to replace your natural lens.
-If you have presbyopia, it's a good option, whether or not you have cataracts.
-If you have neither cataracts nor presbyopia, you could be a candidate as long as:
· You don't drive at night for a living
· Are not an airline pilot or amateur pilot
· Have not had a lifelong problem with glare or halos
· You'd like to toss the reading glasses

Potential risks
Lens implant surgery is one of the most commonly done surgeries in the U.S.

-The main risk would be infection, but it's very unlikely if you follow your surgeon's directions for the recovery period. Antibiotic eye drops are given both pre-op and post-op to guard against infection.
-Some patients notice some glare and halo in dim lighting conditions.

Procedure is Not Reversible

After your natural lens has been removed, it can't be replaced. But why would you want it back, since it contained a growing cataract that was progressively diminishing your vision?

If necessary, the ReSTOR lens can be removed and replaced with another lens. In the FDA clinical trials, no patient asked for this, as they were all very pleased with their new vision.

To learn whether you'd be a good candidate for a ReSTOR lens, contact a good eye surgeon, one who'll give you plenty of time to ask questions and understand the answers, who will do the surgery himself, rather than delegating it, and who will follow-up closely afterwards.

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