New lens helps cataract patients





SHARP EYE—Left and right, vision before and after with a new Dr. Khanna eye procedure.

SHARP EYE—Left and right, vision before and after with a new Dr. Khanna eye procedure.

We are going to talk about a revolutionary new technology in cataract surgery and how this can benefit you or your parents who are considering cataract surgery.

For the first time the FDA has approved accommodative lenses with built-in astigmatism correction that allows a person with astigmatism to see at all distances.

Accommodative lenses are a type of Pi (presbyopic implant). The other type of Pi is a multifocal lens, like ReStor and Tecnis.

A multifocal lens is an accommodative lens with a unique shape and movement ability that can give depth of field, allowing a person to see at various distances.

This should not be confused with monovision, which is one eye for far and the other for near. With a multifocal lens, each eye is able to see at various distances.

To clear up confusion, here’s a quick review. The only other FDA-approved accommodative lens is Crystalens Trulign.

Some lenses—like Nanoflex— even though they have the word “flex” in them, are monofocal lenses and are not approved for accommodation by the FDA.

The FDA has not approved accommodative lenses like Tetraflex.

There are monofocal lenses with built-in astigmatism correction like the ones from Alcon and AMO. These give great distance vision but cannot give near vision capability.

Multifocals like ReStor and Tecnis do not have approval for built-in astigmatism correction.

A person with Trulign lenses will be able to see better at night while driving. Enhanced vision will allow better results with tennis, golf and other sports.

Eye strain will be less as vision will be sharper. Overall it would be a great option for many people.

To know if you suffer from astigmatism you would undergo a test called color corneal topography. This painless test gives a color-coded map which shows astigmatism and other corneal abnormalities. Glasses or contact lens power are not enough to determine the presence of astigmatism.

Until now, a person with astigmatism had to make a choice between toric or multifocal/accommodative lenses. With the latter, astigmatism was corrected with limbal relaxing incisions or LASIK, requiring a two-step approach.

With Trulign lenses they can have one-step treatment. Of course, the surgical skill level required is higher for this lens.

The openings made in the eye are more precise and almost artistic. The lens has to be rotated, and orientation marks on the lens have to be aligned with the steep axis of astigmatism. Further care has to be taken to prevent the rotation of the lens after surgery, as that decreases the efficacy exponentially.

Not all cataract surgeons are able to include this lens in their practice. The extra effort pays off in the smile of patients.

To summarize, the only FDAapproved lens which can correct astigmatism and allow a person to see at all distances is the Crystalens Toric lens called Trulign.

Khanna’s new show, “Medical Magic,” can be seen on www.FirstRun.TV. His office is in Thousand Oaks. His book, “The Miracle of Pi in Eye,” is available on Amazon.


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