Light Adjustable Cataract Implant Lenses?
Blog vol 5.17. Light Adjustable Cataract Implant Lenses?
We are always talking about protecting ourselves from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. We put on SPF 40 or don our sunglasses to shield ourselves because these rays pack a lot of power and can damage tissues by producing free radicals. However there are helpful uses for UV rays such as disinfecting water, curing many types of polymers, contact lens production, curing dental composites, treatment for keratoconus (a corneal disorder), and now, fine-tuning intraocular implant lenses.
In conversation with my wife’s parents this past weekend, they mentioned that Herzig Eye Institute on 96.3 FM (beautiful music for a crazy world) is advertising light adjustable cataract implant (LAL) lenses. What are they, how do they work, will they work for me, and it sounds expensive?
What:
In 1997, some physicians and chemists developed a way of using UV light to change the structure of the polymers making up the implant lenses used in cataract surgery. This makes it possible to customize the power of the implant to better correct the final vision after surgery. The outcomes from routine mono-focal implant surgery are quite good, but even after laser biometric readings and well performed surgery and implant placement, there can still be uncorrected vision. With the advent of refractive surgeries, Lasik and PRK, the bar has been raised to where the refractive outcomes after cataract surgery are now expected to equal or surpass that of corneal laser procedures.
In other words, the usual cataract surgery has good results, the vision is good. However, the final vision could be improved in many cases. We are talking fine tuning.
How:
Light adjustable cataract lenses (LAL) have a polymer that is sensitive to 365 nm wavelength, very strong UV rays, but has a filter in its back side to stop the UV from going to the retina. This UV changes the material, causing the lens to increase or decrease in power and even correct astigmatism. The fine tuning is done with 2-3 treatments of UV within the first 3-4 weeks of surgery. The beauty of LAL is that the eye prescription can be finely tuned, and unlike Lasik or PRK, it is not invasive and there is little to no recovery time.
The patient must be free of macular disease or previous bouts of corneal herpetic disease, must be off of UV sensitive medications, and must wear UV filtering lenses until treatment is finished.
$$$
This new technology requires more visits, UV filters, and more cash. The procedure has been available State side for some time with excellent results. So if you would like your postoperative vision to be as close as possible to 20/20, then this is for you. Like it or not, it is cataract SURGERY, and everybody reacts differently, healing happens differently, so a customizable lens is a great option. (Read more here).
Definitely sounds good. I have yet to see a patient who has these lenses and I look forward to seeing the results and hearing about the experience. I’ll keep you posted.
The good doctor
