RLE, Intacts, Visian, and Multi-Focal IOL in Boulder Colorado

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease, which causes a thinning of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. As keratoconus progresses, the quality of one's vision deteriorates and contact lenses or glasses no longer become a satisfactory solution for most people. Historically, a corneal transplant has been the only option – until Intacs!

Intacs corneal implants are an exciting option for individuals experiencing an intolerance to contact lens and are facing a corneal transplant. Intacs corneal implants may be the best possible option to stabilize the cornea, improve vision and potentially defer the need for a corneal transplant.

Intacs corneal implants are indicated for use in the correction of nearsightedness and astigmatism associated with keratoconus where contact lenses and glasses are no longer suitable.

Intacs corneal implants are approved by the FDA for keratoconus under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE).

RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange)

While LASIK concentrates on correcting the cornea, refractive lens exchange replaces the natural lens of your eye with an advanced multifocal or accommodating intraocular lens (IOL), allowing clear vision up close, far away, and in between. Additionally, patients undergoing the refractive lens exchange procedure will never have to worry about cataracts as they age, since the advanced refractive lens exchange lens will remain clear.

Refractive lens exchange works best for older patients who are hyperopic (farsighted) or myopic (nearsighted) and want to lessen their dependence on reading glasses. To find out if refractive lens exchange is right for you, contact Boulder Eyes today.

The Refractive Lens Exchange Procedure

During the refractive lens exchange procedure at Boulder Eyes, a small incision is made at the edge of the cornea. A special probe is inserted through the incision to gently break up and suction out the damaged lens. The intraocular lens implant is then inserted into place. The entire refractive lens exchange procedure is completed in about 20 to 25 minutes, and visual recovery is rapid.

What Are the Benefits of Refractive Lens Exchange?

There are several advantages to the refractive lens exchange procedure, including:

• Quick visual recovery
• Permanent results without the use of a laser
• Eliminates the need for cataract surgery in the future
• Eliminates the dependence on glasses and contact lenses

Visian ICL - Phakic IOL (ICL)
Commonly Called - Implantable Contact Lens
Also Known as the Implantable Collamer Lens

Have you been turned down for LASIK in Denver or Boulder, CO? Patients who are not strong candidates for LASIK may have the option of having a Visian ICL procedure. The Visian ICL is an implantable collamer lens that is designed to help improve vision in patients who suffer from myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Visian ICLs are FDA approved and have been thoroughly tested and have proven results.

Visian ICL works best for patients whose corneas are thin and have prescriptions that require wearing thick glasses. Patients with thin cornea are not suitable for LASIK, therefore Visian ICL is a strong alternative. The Visian is the preferred choice over Veriseye because a much smaller incision is required. The smaller incision eliminated the need for sutures after the contact lenses have been implanted. Dr. Beyer believes that all patients should have the opportunity for better vision and Visian ICL helps allow patients to see better.

The ICL procedure is an outpatient procedure that is performed at our office. Dr. Beyer will make a small incision on the cornea and then will insert the foldable lens between the iris and the natual eye lens. The procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes for each eye and only requires a topical anesthesia. Vision is normally restored within a few hours after surgery. The place of the Visian ICL makes it invisible to anyone try to notice the ICL. The Visian ICL will stay in place indefinitely and should require no maintenance.

For more information on the Visian ICL visit: www.visianinfo.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I’m a candidate for Visian ICL?
Patients who are between the ages of 21 and 45 who are nearsighted are good candidates for the Visian ICL. It is preferred that the patient has not had any previous eye surgies or suffer from a form of an ophthalmic disease. Boulder eyes will do a thorough screening of your eyes prior to recommending the Visian ICL.

Where in the eye is Visian ICL placed?
The Visian ICL will be surgically inserted inside the eye just between the iris and the natural lens of the eye. Dr. Beyer is a highly skilled ophthalmologist with the training required to make the small incision necessary to implant the lens in the eye. The Visian ICL will not interfere with other internal eye structures and will remain in place indefinitely.

Does the Visian ICL procedure hurt?
Most patients tell us they are very comfortable during the procedure. We use a topical anesthetic prior to performing the procedure. Depending on the patients a mild sedative may be recommended.

What if my vision changes after the Visian ICL is implanted?
The Visian ICL offers patients flexibility if their vision changes. If their vision becomes worse the ICL can be removed and replaced, or another procedure can be performed. With the Visian ICL, glasses or contacts can be worn if necessary. The Visian ICL doe not help patients suffering from presbyopia.

Can the Visian ICL be seen by the naked eye?
No, the Visian ICL cannot be seen by you or someone else who is trying to see it. The Visian ICL creates a natural cosmetic appearance. Your eye doctor will be the only one to tell that you've had a vision correction procedure.

What is the Visian ICL made of?
The Visian ICL is made of Collamer which is an advanced lens material that is highly biocompatible. Collamer does not cause a reaction inside the eye and it contains an ultraviolet filter that provides protection to the eye.

What is involved in the Visian ICL procedure?
One to two weeks before your surgery, your doctor will make a small opening with a laser to allow fluid to pass between the lens and the front chamber of the eye. The actual Visian ICL procedure typically takes approximately 15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis, although you will need to have someone with you to drive you home from your procedure, you will be functional when you leave the office. Normally, very little discomfort is associated with this procedure. A light topical drop anesthetic is administered and a mild sedative may be given. In addition, eye drops or an oral medication may be prescribed. You will come back to our office the next day for a follow-up visit and we will see you again at one week, one month and six months for follow-ups.

Understanding High Myopia
What is Myopia? What is High Myopia or Extreme Nearsightedness?
Myopic or nearsighted individuals typically have problems seeing well at a distance and are forced to wear glasses or contact lenses. The nearsighted eye is usually longer than a normal eye and the cornea may also be steeper. As a result, when light passes through the cornea and the lens it is focused in front of the retina, making distant images appear blurred. Myopia or nearsightedness is perhaps the most common vision disorder known to ophthalmologists. For years glasses and contact lenses have been the typical protocol for correcting myopia so that light can focus on the retina. In most circumstances the myopic patient has a plethora of very good options for correcting myopia such as glasses, contact lenses, intacs corneal ring segments and laser vision correction. If someone’s specific myopic problem is severe also know as high myopia or extreme nearsightedness options for correcting vision can be limited.

Treatment Options For Patients With High Levels of Myopia
The main treatment options include a traditional set of glasses which may be thick, and the NEW Visian ICL also known as the implantable contact lens or implantable collamer lens. Refractive surgery procedures such as LASIK or ICL may reduce the need for glasses, but do not decrease the risk associated with being highly myopic.

Are you a Candidate for a Phakic IOL? (Visian ICL)
Individuals who suffer from extreme nearsightedness will have a solution for their poor vision. The ICL provides an opportunity to those individuals who are not candidates for lasik eye surgery. Some people cannot have lasik for reasons ranging from high prescriptions to thin corneas. The ICL will now give these patients the opportunity to experience the same lifestyle change that lasik has brought to millions.

You're likely a good candidate for ICL if:

• You have extreme to moderate nearsightedness
• You have thin corneas and are not a LASIK candidate
• You have a history of dry eye
• You have large pupils

Page Topics Include: Visian ICL, Implanatable collamer lens, implanatable contact lens, other vision correction options, better vision correction options in Denver, lens implant doctors boulder, colorado, high myopia, treatment options for high myopia.

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.