Multifocal IOL
IOL Stands For "IntraOcular Lens"
An intraocular lens (IOL) is an implanted lens in the eye, usually replacing the existing crystalline lens because it has been clouded over by a cataract or as a form of refractive surgery to change the eye's optical power. IOLs may be used for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, cataracts and astigmatism.
Cost and Availability
One of the newest options available to Beyer patients is the ReZoom ™ Intraocular Lens IOL, or AcrySof Restor IOL. Statistically, cataract removal/IOL implantation has one of the highest success rates among all surgeries, but it's important to know the risks beforehand. Ask your surgeon to explain any potential problems that your new IOLs could cause.
You'll also need to think about cost. Cataract surgery is covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and virtually all health insurance plans. The traditional IOL implants are fully covered as well, since insurers view these implants as medically necessary. But the newer implants – such as ReStor, ReZoom and Crystalens – are not currently covered (even if the procedure itself is), because they cost more and because their special features tend to be viewed by insurers as "nice to have" but not absolutely necessary. Medicare will reimburse the surgical facility for the cost of a traditional IOL, and the patient will be responsible for the difference, which could be anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the surgeon and the IOL.
Financing is available at Boulder Eyes. There are a variety of plans that can be discussed at your consultation but, basically, the options include 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24-month interest free. Or, an 18-60 month extended payment plan.
The Surgical Procedure
Insertion of an intraocular lens is a commonly performed surgical procedure. The procedure can be done under local anesthesia with the patient awake throughout the operation which usually takes less than 30 minutes in the hands of an experienced ophthalmologist. The recovery period is about 2-3 weeks.
More commonly, aphakic IOLs are implanted via Clear Lens Extraction and Replacement (CLEAR) surgery. During CLEAR, the crystalline lens is extracted and the IOL replaces it in a process that is very similar to cataract surgery: both involve lens replacement, local anesthesia, both last approximately 30 minutes, and both require making a small incision in the eye for lens insertion.
People recover from CLEAR surgery 1-7 days after the operation. CLEAR has a 90% success rate (risks include wound leakage, infection, inflammation, and astigmatism). CLEAR can only be performed on patients ages 40 and older. This is to ensure that eye growth, which disrupts IOL lenses, will not occur post-surgery.
After surgery, patients should avoid strenuous exercise or anything else that significantly increases blood pressure. They should also visit their ophthalmologist regularly for several months after to monitor the eye health.
Technology Advances
There are foldable intraocular lenses made of acrylic or silicone which can be rolled up and inserted through a tube with a very small incision not requiring any stitches.
Unlike the natural lens, the curvature of traditional intraocular lenses cannot be changed by the eye. Standard intraocular lenses provide good distance vision and the patient needs reading glasses for near vision.
Newer bifocal intraocular lenses give distance vision in one area and near vision in another area of the vision field. AVAILABLE at Beyer!!!
Advances in technology have brought about the use of silicone and acrylic, both of which are soft foldable inert materials. This allows the lens to be folded and inserted into the eye through a smaller incision. PMMA and acrylic lenses can also be used with small incisions and are a better choice in people who have a history of uveitis, have diabetic retinopathy requiring vitrectomy with replacement by silicone oil or are at high risk of retinal detachment. Acrylic is not always an ideal choice due to its added expense.
IOL Benefits
Once implanted, IOL lenses have four major benefits: 1) They are an alternative to LASIK, a form of eye surgery that does not work for people with serious vision problems. 2) Effective IOL implants also entirely eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses post-surgery. 3) IOL implants prevent cataracts from forming later in life. 4) And of course to replace lenses in cataract clouded eyes.
History
Sir Harold Ridley was the first to successfully implant an intraocular lens on November 29, 1949, at St. Thomas' Hospital at London. That first intraocular lens was manufactured by the Rayner company of Brighton, East Sussex, England from Perspex CQ made by ICI. The intraocular lens did not find widespread acceptance in cataract surgery until the 1970s, when further developments in lens design and surgical techniques had come about. Currently, more than a million IOLs are implanted annually in the United States.
