What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. Cataracts tend to develop gradually, and are most common in older patients. Early cataracts can be present for years, causing only minor problems with vision. Sometimes, however, cataracts advance rapidly.  It is difficult to predict how quickly cataracts will cause a noticeable problem that requires surgery. The decision to have cataract surgery is based on how much trouble they are causing in day-to-day vision activities such as reading and driving at night.

Most people that live long enough will develop cataracts.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of Cataracts?

The most obvious symptom is a loss of clear or distinct vision, and occasionally poor vision in bright light such as car headlights or sunshine. Others include double vision, a reduction in the ability to distinguish colours, and an increase in the number of times reading glasses are being changed. Eyes with well developed cataracts in them have a characteristic ‘milky’ film over them, and one eye is usually affected before another.

What treatment will I need if I develop Cataracts?

Once the cataract as fully "ripened," surgery will be performed to remove the lens and replace it with a new one. Technology has advanced so much in recent years that new lenses called Multi-Focal Intraocular Lenses (IOL's) can now be used to restore vision. Many of our patients find they have excellent vision after surgery and the majority are free from using glasses.

 

At the Mount Ogden & Bountiful Hills Eye Centers, we provide several intraocular lens options. TECHNIS® Multifocal, crystalens®, ReZoom™, and toric lenses are available to our patients. Each intraocular lens offers unique advantages, and different patients will experience the best results with different lenses.

Intraocular lenses (also called "lens implants" or "IOLs") are placed inside the eye to replace a clouded natural lens that has been removed during cataract surgery. These lenses are some of the most advanced available, and they offer our patients excellent vision after surgery.

Below you will find information on the different IOL's we offer. You can also schedule an appointment with our IOL Specialists to determine which will be the best fit for your lifestyle.

 

TECNIS® Multifocal Lens

Only the advanced TECHNIS Multifocal Lens enables you to see clearly at near, intermediate, and far distances without glasses in all light conditions.

(1) Compare the following images. In the first image, which demonstrates vision with theMultifocal Lens, you can see the coffee cup close up, the dashboard at intermediate, as well as road signs in the distance—all clearly.

Now, compare the second image. This image demonstrates what you might see with
a monofocal lens. Although the intermediate and distance vision is clear, notice how
the coffee cup is now blurry.

Immediately after surgery, some patients may notice rings around lights when driving
at night. However, as the eye adjusts to the lens, the visual impression of rings may
lessen or go away over time.

Toric

The AcrySof® Toric IOL is a unique lens designed specifically for lens replacement patients who are also affected by astigmatism. Though other IOLs offer astigmatic patients noticeably improved vision, their astigmatism typically makes glasses or contacts necessary even after lens replacement surgery. By contrast, astigmatic patients who receive the Toric lens are able to see more clearly at distance even without corrective lenses.

 

 

ReSTOR®

ReSTOR® intraocular lenses, created by Alcon®, rely on a series of tiered concentric focal rings in the lens to give patients better vision at near, middle, and long distances. The thick inner ring is used for near vision, while the thin outer ring is used for distance vision. The ReSTOR® design, which is based on lenses used in telescopes, microscopes, and other precision optical devices, is proven to provide to both transmit and gather light over a full range of focal distances, producing clear, even vision.

Like other multifocal lenses (lenses that work at multiple focal depths) the ReSTOR® intraocular lens gives most patients excellent functional vision, allowing them to participate in most daily activities without glasses or contacts, and it represents a significant improvement over less advanced monofocal lenses that only provide clear vision at longer distances. In a clinical study commissioned by Acrysof®, four out of every five patients reported that they did not need glasses or contact lenses after receiving the ReSTOR® intraocular lens. By comparison, only one out of every ten patients who received traditional monofocal lenses reported similar results.

 

Crystalens®

Crystalens® implants flex just like the eye's natural crystalline lens, giving patients clearer vision at a variety of focal depths and in a variety of light conditions. These intraocular lenses are so effective that many patients with failing vision who receive them experience restored visual acuity that is similar to what they enjoyed in their 20s.

The Crystalens® implant was approved by the FDA in 2003 after establishing an outstanding success and safety rate in a clinical study performed by the FDA. According to the study, over 98% of patients who received Crystalens® implants could read a newspaper without glasses or contacts, and they enjoyed visual acuity ratings of 20/40 or better. Every patient in the study was able to read email and other written content on a computer monitor. The majority of patients in the study achieved 20/20 or 20/30 vision, allowing them to participate in almost all normal daily activities without relying on corrective lenses.