Part 3 of 3

February 15, 2010

Sponsored By

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Esteemed Panel of Authors

David Geffen, O.D., F.A.A.O., is currently director of optometric and refractive services at the Gordon & Weiss Vision Institute
in San Diego, California. He has lectured and written extensively on contact lenses, surgery procedures and intraocular
lenses. He is the current treasurer for the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology. He is currently serving as the Chair
for the Optowest Advisory Panel for the California Optometric Association. Dr. Geffen has conducted dozens of contact lens
related studies for many manufacturers and has served as an industry consultant for several companies over the years.

Jim Owen, O.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.O., is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and received his MBA from San Diego State
University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is currently the Immediate Past President of the Optometric
Council for Refractive Technology. He has a private practice in Encinitas, California. He participates is clinical research for laser
vision correction, dry eye and contact lenses.
Chris Quinn, O.D., F.A.A.O., is President Omni Eye Service, Iselin, New Jersey. He is the principal author of the American Optometric Associations Clinical Guideline on Care of the Patient with Conjunctivitis. He is currently a contributing editor to the Review of
Optometry. He is a recognized authority and sought after to lecture nationally and internationally on the treatment of eye disease and
co-management.
Bernard C. Tekiele, III, O.D., is Director of Refractive Surgery at the Michigan Eye Institute. Dr. Tekiele specializes in refractive surgery
and comprehensive medical eye care. Dr. Tekiele earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, IL. Following a hospital-based internship at the Cleveland Veterans
Affairs Medical Center in Cleveland, OH, Dr. Tekiele completed a residency in Family Practice Optometry at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham/The Medical Center. Dr. Tekiele furthermore underwent specialized post-residency training in the areas of therapeutic
laser therapy for the anterior segment and excimer laser vision correction at Northeastern University in Oklahoma City, OK.

A Historical Perspective on Cataracts

SO OFTEN IN SCIENCE, IT TAKES
time before clinical discovery becomes

accepted practice. Just as it took decades for Galileo to get acceptance that
light objects fall as fast as heavy objects,
many of the advances in cataract surgery
have been met with strong resistance.
Nevertheless, improved patient care has
prevailed, and the procedure continues
to advance.
The word cataract comes from the
Greek cataracta, meaning waterfall. It
was believed that fluids filled the lens,

Some type of cataract surgery has

been explored for thousands of years,
from the 5th Century until todays latest
technology.

making it cloudy. Surgical procedures on

the lens of the eye were first described
around the 5th Century in a technique
called couching. This procedure consisted of taking a sharp instrument and
pushing the opaque lens out of the line
of sight and into the vitreous. This technique increased the amount of light getting to the retina, but pre-dated the use
of any type of ophthalmic lens to correct
the resulting refractive error. This technique continued through the Middle
Ages in Africa, Europe, the Middle
East and Asia. Two of the all-time great
composers, Johann Sebastian Bach and
Georg Frederic Handel, were rendered
blind by the couching procedure at the
hands of the same surgeon. In the
mid-18th Century, John Taylor, toured
Europe performing couching operations before vast public audiences, but
then left town before complications
arose.
In 1748, Jacques Daniel is credited
with developing the first extracapuslar cataract procedure. Interestingly,
Daniels technique is very similar to
the extracapular technique that lasted
until the development of phacoemulsification. Unfortunately, it took over 100
years before this innovation became

available.
During World War II, Gordon Cleaver, a Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant
had been shot down. The impact blinded his right eye and left his left eye badly
damaged from the cockpit windshield.
It was Harold Ridley, M.D., who
observed the plastic material from the
cockpit windshield in Cleavers left eye,
but had not caused any further damage.
Dr. Ridley had long thought about in-

Growing Demographics
of IOL Candidates
There are over 1.8 million cataract surgeries performed each year at an estimated cost
of over $3.4 billion dollars according to the
National Eye Institute (NEI). As Baby Boomers
continue to advance to the cataract age, the
demand for cataract surgery will increase as
will the expectations for a higher quality of vision after the surgery. This market for cataract
patients continues to grow today and in the
foreseeable future.
The number of Americans over 60-years-old
grows at approximately 3.4 percent per year
and will be almost 15 percent of the total population by 2020. It is estimated that 15 percent
of those 60-64 year-olds have lens changes
necessitating cataract surgery. That figure

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serting an intraocular lens (IOL) in the

eye prior to examining Mr. Cleaver. So,
Mr. Cleaver became his Phase 1 trial.
Dr. Ridley went on to develop implantable lenses for cataract surgerybut
not without a fight. Another ophthalmic
legend of the day, Sir Stewart DukeElder, would refute Dr. Ridleys work as
beyond reproach and would not even
examine Dr. Ridleys patients. In fact, it
wasnt until the 1970s when the intraocular lens became acceptable and not
referred to as a foreign body.
Another milestone in the history of
cataracts occurred during a visit to the
dentist. Dr. Charles Kelman came to
the conclusion that the same ultrasound
method that was being used to clean his
teeth could be used to break up a cataractous lens without disturbing the rest of the
eye. This new method changed cataract
surgery from a hospital stay to an outpatient procedure, from a very large incision
to a small incision, and from a procedure
that merely cleared a clouded lens to a
refractive procedure. Like his colleagues
before him, Dr. Kelmans technique was
not widely accepted. Opponents tried
to rescind his operating privileges and
deeming the procedure experimental and
not reimbursable. Today it is the standard
for cataract procedures.
While some type of cataract surgery
has been around for more than 3,000
years, advances in cataract surgery continue to improve and will continue to do
so in the future. Our challenge will be
to identify those breakthroughs that provide improved patient care versus those
that do not.
grows to 75 percent of those over 80-yearsold.
By 2020, the number of Americans affected
by cataracts is expected to grow to 30.1 million. The incidence does not appear to differ
from males to females with Hispanics showing a slight increased in incidence from other
races.
The number of elective IOLs has grown to
over ten percent of the total number of lenses
implanted in 2009, up from approximately two
percent in 2004. This percentage is expected
to grow as the Baby Boomers are in need of
cataract surgery. Key factors in the growth
of elective lenses include the ability of these
lenses to be implanted in the eye safely, the
ability of these lenses to give patients freedom
from glasses and the satisfaction these lenses
give patients, which allows for positive wordof-mouth referrals.

Lens Platforms
WHEN SIR CHARLES RIDLEY

implanted the first IOL in 1949, he

could have never imagined the industry that his bold invention would
spawn. Since that time, IOLs have undergone a dramatic evolution in both
design and functionality. Today, IOLs
are made from a variety of materials,
and represent a variety of designs,
all to increase biocompatibility, reduce complications such as PCO and
dysphotopsias, and to ease insertion
through increasingly small incisions.
Here is a brief summary of lens design characteristics and a summary
of the most popular lens platforms
in use in the United States today.
Materials- IOLs are typically
defined by the material that the
optic of the lens is made from.
Early IOLs were made from
PMMA. PMMA lenses offered
excellent optical clarity and were
extremely biocompatible. Biocompatibility is essential to prevent inflammation and reduce
deposits on the lens surface. Today, IOLs are made from three basic
materials: Polymethyl methacrylate
(PMMA), silicone, and acrylic. Acrylic lenses are further subdivided into
hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. Silicone and acrylic lenses dominate the U.S. market today because
the material is flexible, which allows
the lens to be folded, and therefore,
inserted through a smaller incision.
Silicone lenses have been associated
with a higher incidence of posterior
capsular opacification (PCO).
Design- IOLs are either one-piece
or three-piece designs. Plate haptic
lenses are a form of one piece design.
In the one piece design, the optic is
integral with the haptics, while in
three piece designs, the haptics are a
different material and are attached to
the optic. Three-piece design lenses
can be more rigid than one-piece designs, which can be an advantage in
centration of the lens. Three-piece
design lenses can also be placed in
the ciliary sulcus, a useful feature
in patients with loss of capsular sup-

port. Three-piece designs are generally less compact, however, and often
require a larger incision size to place
the lens properly.
Edge design- There has been a
lot of interest in the design of the
IOL optic edge. Variations in the
edge design of the lens can reduce
the incidence of posterior capsular
fibrosis (PCO). A square edge on the
posterior surface of the lens, which
is in direct apposition to the posterior capsule, can act a barrier to the
migration of residual lens epithelial

The basic Alcon lens platform is based

on the AcrySof IQ lens design, which
is a one piece acrylic lens.

cells responsible for PCO. In addition, careful design of the lens edge
can reduce the incidence of IOL related dysphotopsias by reducing unwanted reflections from the lens.
Haptic design- Most haptics today
are open loop design in a variety of
styles. Haptics in three-piece lenses
are made from a variety of materials
including PMMA and polypropolene
or polyamide.
Lens angulation, the planar relationship between the optic and haptics of an IOL, will determine the
angulation of the lens as it positions
itself in the capsular bag. A small degree of posterior vault of the optic
will prevent pupillary capture and
help ensure contact with the posterior capsule. However, if the lens is
inserted backward, it can result in a
mild undesirable change in refractive outcome.

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Delivery System- Each lens

platform has a delivery system
designed to implant the lens.
Variously know as shooters
or injectors, these devices have
become the most common way
that IOLs are delivered into the eye
following removal of a cataract.
In the early age of phacoemulsification, the advantage of smaller incision size was mitigated by the need to
enlarge the incision to accommodate
the implantation of PMMA lenses.
The incision generally needed to be
enlarged to about 6.0 mm to accommodate the diameter of the optic of
the IOL. With the advent of acrylic
and silicone material lenses, the flexibility of these materials allowed the
lens to be folded prior to insertion
in the eye. This allowed the surgeon
to implant the lens through the small
phaco incision without having to enlarge the incision to accommodate the
lens. The smaller incision also allowed
the incision to be self sealing, thus
eliminating the need for closure of the
wound with sutures.
Early on, the IOL would be folded
with forceps and delivered into the
eye. This resulted in an uncontrolled
unfolding of the lens, creating the
potential for problems. Lens delivery
devices were developed to easily insert the lens into the eye in the folded
configuration, control the placement
of the haptics in the capsular bag, and
allow the lens to unfold in a controlled
fashion.
Optic enhancers- All IOLs today
contain Ultraviolet (UV) absorbers to
prevent excessive retinal exposure to
UV light. In addition, various manufacturers have added chromphores
to the lens to increase absorption of
potentially harmful visible light in the
violet and blue spectrum to simulate
the characteristics of the natural lens.
Fabrication- Current IOLs are either lathe cut or compression molded.
Lens platforms- The IOL market in the United States has evolved
to include three major players and a
host of other manufacturers. Each
4

of the major manufacturers has built

a line of products to support their
lenses and this has become known as
their platform. Lens platforms are
often used in conjunction with the
manufacturers phaco machine and
viscoelastic material.
Alcon has the largest market share
of IOLs in the United States. The
basic Alcon lens platform is based
on the AcrySof IQ lens design. The
one piece design lens is made from
a hydrophobic acrylic material, is biconvex in shape, and is aspheric with
negative spherical aberration to neutralize the natural positive spherical
aberration of the cornea. The lens is
compression molded and contains a
blue light absorbing chromophore
which absorbs light in the 400-475

Abbott Medical Optics (formerly

American Medical Optics) (AMO) has
developed a lens platform around the
Tecnics lens, the first aspheric IOL approved in the United States. The Tecnis lens is made from a hydrophobic
acrylic material and is available in both
one piece and three piece designs. The
lens is also available in silicone material. The lens is an aspheric biconvex lens
with negative spherical aberration designed to neutralize the positive spherical aberration of the cornea. The lens
is lathe cut with open loop C shaped
haptics made from PMMA. The edge
is square at the posterior surface of the
lens and is vaulted five degrees posteriorly. The lens has UV absorbers incorporated but no chromophores that
absorb light in the visible spectrum.

Alcon has the largest market share of IOLs in the United

States. The basic Alcon lens platform is based on the AcrySof
IQ lens design.
nm wavelength range (FDA Submission Data: AcrySof IQ lens, Alcon
Surgical). The lens has a square edge
design and an open loop L shaped
haptic with no vault. In addition to
the monofocal aspheric IOL, the
AcrySof lens is available in a toric design as well.
The AcrySof IQ Toric lens is identical
to the AcrySof IQ monofocal IOL with
the addition of 3 different toric powers
with correction of approximately 1.0,
1.5 and 2.0 diopters of astigmatism at
the spectacle plane. The haptic design
of the AcrySof IQ lens provides excellent stability and centration of the lens.
Rotation of the lens is less than 4%, a
particularly important feature of the
toric lens (FDA Submission Data: Acrysof IQ Toric Lens, Alcon Surgical).
The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR IOL adds
multifocality to the other design features of the lens platform. The AcrySof
IQ ReSTOR lens has an apodized optical system on the front surface of the
lens and provides an add power of +3.0
D or +4.0 D at the spectacle plane. The
delivery system of the AcrySof IOL allows placement of the lens through an
incision size as small as 2.2 mm.

The Tecnis lens is also produced as a

multifocal lens with an aspheric front
surface and a diffractive posterior surface for pupil size independent near
vision (Tecnis multifocal). The delivery
system for the Tecnis lens requires an
incision size of approximately 2.6mm
(FDA Submission Data: Tecnis Lens,
AMO). The Tecnis platform does not
include a toric lens design.
Bausch & Lomb (B&L) produces
the Sofport lens platform. The Sofport
is a three-piece silicone lens. The lens
is a biconvex aspheric design and has
no spherical aberration. The lens has a
square edge with open loop C shaped
haptics made from PMMA. The lens
has a five degree posterior vault and
also has incorporated their Violet
Shield Technology to absorb visible
light in the violet spectrum which may
potentially damage retinal cells (FDA
Submission Data: Sofport lens, Bausch
& Lomb). Bausch & Lomb has also developed the Akreos lens platform. The
Akreos is a one-piece hydrophilic acrylic material with an aspheric design.
Like the Sofport, the lens is designed
to have no spherical aberration. The
lens is lathe cut and comes in varying

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total diameters depending on lens power for improved centration. The lens has a posterior square edge and has a novel
four haptic design for increased centration and stability. The
delivery system for B&L lenses requires an incision size of
approximately 2.6mm (FDA Submission Data: Akreos Lens,
Bausch & Lomb).

Our patients today have a wide range of options in IOL

design each with its own set of advantages and potential disadvantages. Technology in the development of these lenses
will continue to march forward with the ultimate goal to completely correct the patients refractive error, restore accommodation, and to minimize the risk of unwanted side effects.

The Essentials of IOL Optics

and decreased spherical aberration occurs. This causes light scatter and results in sub-optimized vision. With the
implantation of a spherical IOL, we will
clear the vision of the patient due to the
opacification of the lens, but we are not
correcting for spherical aberration to
neutralize the corneal spherical aberration. Functional vision was not optimized with spherical lenses, and we still
found patients not feeling that their vision was crisp. In 2004, aspheric IOLs
were introduced. We now have three
approved lenses: Bausch & Lombs
Softport, AMOs Tecnis and Alcons
AcrySof IQ IOL. These three lenses
correct for slightly differing amounts of
spherical aberration. By measuring corneal spherical aberration preoperatively,
the surgeon can select the appropriate
IOL for the individual. The Bausch &
Lomb lens adds no spherical aberration,
the Alcon adds 0.20 microns of spherical
aberration and the Tecnis adds 0.27 microns of negative spherical aberration.
Aspheric IOLs
Aspheric IOLs need to be centered
In the late 1990s, we began to look well to have the optimal effect. And, the
at more than just simple refractive er- higher the negative spherical aberration
ror. We obtained the technology to mea- added, the more important centration
sure higher order aberrations. This led becomes. If the lenses which induce
us to discover that the average human negative spherical aberration should
eye changes in aberrations over time.
decenter, they will induce
The vision deteriorates
more aberrations, especially
over time as we age. The
coma. Surgeon skill is beeyes of a young person
coming more important in
have little if any sphericataract surgery as it is recal aberration, and 19
ally a refractive procedure
years of age seems to be
today. Research has shown
optimal. That is the time
that aspheric IOLs increase
of best contrast sensicontrast sensitivity, and
tivity as well as optical
this will help your patients
quality. The cornea has
improve their functional
positive spherical aberravision. Studies done at drivtion, which is neutralized
ing simulators have shown
by the negative spherical
correcting
higher
aberration of the lens. AcrySof IQ Toric IOL is one of
order
aberrations
With age, the lens hard- two approved astigmatism corcan increase the reens and changes shape recting IOLs on the market.
action time of driv-

ONE OF THE BIGGEST REVOLU-

tions in eyecare was the acceptance of

IOLs in the 1970s. Prior to that, elderly
people were at the mercy of thick, visually disturbing glasses or high-powered
contact lenses. Without their correction,
these people had limited function. The
introduction of IOLs gave these people
freedom and the ability to function
without the crutch of their corrections.
However, it was soon realized that these
lenses had their own limitations, too.
Early cataract surgery often produced
large amounts of residual astigmatism as
well as spherical errors and did not correct near vision. Therefore, the patient
was still very dependent on glasses or
contact lenses. As surgical procedures
improved and wound size grew smaller,
the predictability of the endpoint refractive error was greatly enhanced. By the
late 1990s, most patients were getting
results that provided excellent distant
vision or the ability to have monovision.

ers. I believe that if a patient decides

to use a single vision IOL, it should be
an aspheric lens. You need to discuss
with your surgeon which lenses they
use and why.
Toric IOLs
Aspheric IOLs, while providing excellent optics, still do not address two
of the major concerns in correcting our
patients vision: astigmatism and presbyopia. Today, toric IOLs are now available to address patients astigmatism.
First, we need to analyze the patients
prescription and determine the amount
of residual astigmatism we expect to
find. Preoperative keratometry readings are important to take. Once the
crystalline lens is replaced, the lenticular astigmatism present at pre-op will
be gone. If there appears to be greater
than three quarters of a diopter of corneal astigmatism, it is time to start the
discussion with the patient about possible solutions. In our office, I have found
the discussion of deluxe lens options
to be quite straightforward. Patients
understand astigmatism will decrease
their acuity. Patients also understand
that they are not able to read without
the help of some near correction. While
the multifocal option involves lengthy
discussions and education, I have found
our astigmatic patients embrace the idea
of toric IOLs. This is similar to our soft
lens patients with moderate amounts of
cylinder; they readily accept toric soft
lenses. The patient readily understands
that the more sophisticated design has
an additional cost associated with it.
There are currently two toric lenses
available to our patients, the STAAR Toric (STAAR Surgical) and the AcrySof
IQ Toric (Alcon) IOL. The STAAR
Toric comes in two models, correcting
1.50D or 2.25D of astigmatism. The
early model of the STARR lens, the TF,
was plagued by rotation stability prob-

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lems. The latest model, the

TL, seems to have improved
the stability of the lens. The
STAAR material is silicone
and is a one-piece design. The
AcrySof IQ Toric currently
comes in three models, correcting approximately 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0
diopters of astigmatism at the spectacle
plane. The high quality optics obtained
by the AcrySof Toric can be attributed to
the aspheric optics as well as the unique
design to create rotational stability. The
Alcon acrylic material has a tacky surface quality that promotes short-term
stability and generates fibronectin and
other natural tissue adhesives that stabilizes the implant to the capsule bag over
the long term. The design of the haptics
also helps to stabilize the lens. The haptics are open-loop modified L-haptics
with three reference dots on each side
that mark the axis of the cylinder on its
posterior surface. Chang reported the
mean rotation for the AcrySof IQ Toric
IOL was less than four degrees from initial alignment 12 months postoperatively.1 The silicone surface of the STAAR
lens is much more slippery, and therefore tends to rotate more. Lens placement is critical for the optics to perform
properly. For every three degrees of
rotation, you lose approximately 10% of
the astigmatic effect. We have found in
our practice correcting the astigmatism
at the nodal point of the eye yields better results than toric LASIK.
Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs
The golden ring for our cataract patients is the correction of presbyopia.
Our goal is to provide the vision of the
eye with full accommodation and no
potential for glare and halosalthough
we are not there yet! However, we have
three very good options approved in the
U.S. at this time with two or three new
designs nearing approval.
Lets start by discussing the accommodative lens. Bausch & Lombs lens
is the Crystalens. This lens has gone
through several design changes from the
early models to the 5.0 and the currently
used HD design. The newest change is
the introduction of the AO which uses
aspheric optics to enhance overall vision.
The lens has excellent distance optics, as
it is a single vision lens that has hinged
6

Six-month data reported from U.S. clinical trials on the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D
(Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) showed patients experienced an improvement in intermediate vision.

haptics that allow the lens to move forward. The amount of movement will
determine the level of accommodation
the patient achieves. Since it is a single
vision lens and now comes in an aspheric
button on the center of the optic, patients
will achieve distance vision similar to the
other single vision aspheric lenses on the
market. The lens is clear and does not
have a UV blocker.
There are two theories to achieve an
accommodative affect. The first is the
lens will move forward with contraction
of the cilliary body, and thereby putting
pressure on the vitreous to push on the
posterior surface of the lens. The secondary theory is arching the lens where
the pressure seems to flex the lens to
achieve a change in power and aberrations to allow for near acuity. The amount
of accommodation seems to vary and has
been reported from 1.0 to 2.50 diopters
in some cases. In our practice, we typically aim for the dominant eye to be between 0-0.25 D and the non-dominant
eye to be between 0.5-0.75 D. We
achieve good intermediate and often adequate near with this recipe. We also find
the Crystalens to be an excellent choice
for previous refractive surgery patients.
Especially for our RK patients, it helps
with the diurnal fluctuation many have.
Multifocal IOLs
Multifocal IOLs simultaneously produce near and far images on the retina

which cause some stray light. The Tecnis

multifocal from AMO uses a full-aperture diffractive design to achieve the two
focal points. With a 5mm aperture, the
Tecnis IOL splits light energy to 41% to
near and 41% to distance. The anterior
surface is aspheric while the posterior
has the diffractive surface. The diffractive surface creates 4 diopters of power
which is about 3.6 diopters of effective
add. Since the posterior surface is diffractive across the full surface, it is pupil
independent. The FDA clinical trials
showed distance vision with 100% at
20/40 and 86% at 20/25 or better. Near
results were over 99% at 20/40 or better with 77% at 20/25 or better. More
than 93% of patients were comfortable
at near, intermediate and distance. The
lens blocks UV radiation from 430nm
and below.
The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR IOL has
two models. The first is the SN6AD1,
the newest model, with a +3.0 D add
and + 2.5 D at the spectacle plane. The
second is the SN6AD3 which has a +4.0
D add and +3.2 D at the spectacle plane.
The lens has a central 3.6mm apodized
diffractive surface with distance optical
zones. The lens is built on the AcrySof
apheric platform to enhance overall vision. The problem with the earlier version (+4.0 D) was the intermediate distance. The newer version (+3.0 D) has
gained much better patient acceptance.
The new version has very good near vi-

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sion and provides better intermediate vision than its predecessor. The lens also has a yellow chromophore to filter both UV
and short end blue light to protect the macula. Our patients
have adapted to this new lens very well. Six-month data reported from U.S. clinical trials on the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0
D showed patients experienced an improvement in intermediate vision.

Optics of IOLs are advancing rapidly. There are several

exciting new designs in clinical trials. We are in a unique time
for eyecare where we will be able to create new and more
effective optical systems for the eye. Through cataract and
refractive surgery, our patients will be able to see at the highest level possible.
1.Chang, DF. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 Nov;34(11):1842-7.

CLs vs. Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs: Tap

into the Expanding Presbyopic Market
TO PUT IT SIMPLY, PRESBYOPIA

is the new frontier for eyecare. Just

consider, 10,000 Baby Boomers will
turn 50 each day until 2014. This
group is more demanding, they are
better educated on new technologies, and they can afford them. The
Boomers are more in tune with their
looks, and they dont want to look
their age. They are willing to spend
money on Botox, designer clothes
and refractive procedures.
Demands for near vision have
never been higher. These new
Boomers are spending more of their
time utilizing high tech devices such
as Blackberrys, Iphones, and
the latest in computer technologies.
In fact, it is estimated that 43% of
the 79 million adults over 50 currently use the Internet 11-30 hours
per week.
Manufacturers have provided
great advances in all aspects of
presbyopic correction. As a result,
we have many new advanced progressive spectacles, multifocal contact lenses, presbyopic laser techniques and IOLs for our presbyopic
patients.
Contact Lenses for Presbyopes
Today, less than 10% of people
ages 50-64 wear contact lenses, compared to 33% of people ages 35-49
who wear contact lenses. This represents a wonderful opportunity for
our practices to educate our patients
about this exciting technology. The
success rates for these lenses have
risen rapidly, and the patients who
wear multifocal lenses are very loyal
and refer their friends. Comparing years 2007 to 2008, multifocals were the only lens modality to

Presbyopia correction presents a growing market for your practice, as 10,000 Baby
Boomers will be turning 50 each day until 2014 and will seek precise near vision
correction.

Today, less than 10% of people ages 50-64 wear contact

lenses, compared to 33% of
people ages 35-49 who wear
contact lenses.
show growth. Multifocal fits have
been rising rapidly while monovision has declined. It is important
to point out that the 40-55-year-old
female controls recommendations
for health care for their children,
spouses as well as their parents. Fitting this group in multifocal lenses
helps keep these patients returning
to your office more frequently. Keep
in mind that the average contact lens
patient returns every 1.5 years, while
spectacle patients return at a rate of
every 3.5 years.
Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs
When talking to our patients about
multifocal or accommodative IOLs,

we often hear about previous failure

with contact lenses. The patient may
have tried a multifocal lens years ago
or tried monovision with little success. The mention of a presbyopiacorrecting lens sends bad memories
to their heads. Even if the patient
had never tried contacts, they always
know someone who was unhappy.
This presents an extra challenge to
us in our discussion of presbyopiacorrecting IOLs. We need to make
the patient understand that contact
lenses are not the best indicator of
success with presbyopia-correcting
IOLs. The reverse is not true. Patients who have had good success
with a multifocal contact lens understand the limitations and benefits
these IOLs represent. I have found
that our patients have done extremely well adjusting to presbyopia-correcting IOLs with previous multifocal contact lens wear.
We do not recommend trial fitting patients with multifocal contact
lenses to test for acceptance of a
presbyopia-correcting IOL.

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Preoperative Patient Discussion

IN CONSIDERING THE

visual needs of our patients, no

one is as qualified and experienced in understanding and communicating these needs to patients
than their optometrist. Therefore, the
preoperative patient visit is an excellent opportunity for you to share information not only on cataracts, but
also on the many exciting elective IOL
options that are available to your patients.
With this in mind, when a patient

develops a cataract, education should

begin long before the patient gets to
the ophthalmic surgeon. This education should include the potential need
for surgical intervention and how
that will impact their visual needs.
Although there is an increasing recognition among surgeons of the importance of the refractive outcome of
cataract surgery, too often, there is an
emphasis on achieving good anatomical results free of post-surgical complications.

Modern IOLs have revolutionized

cataract surgery by eliminating the
need for aphakic spectacles or contact
lenses. Patients today have a bewildering choice of refractive options when
contemplating cataract surgery, and
every optometrist should help guide
their patients in understanding those
options and making recommendations
based on your experience and the
needs of your patients. Remember
that the preoperative patient discussion is an opportunity not only to edu-

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cate your patients, but also an exciting

opportunity for your practice.
Educate Patients on
Treatment Options
When patients are faced with a diagnosis of cataract, there can be significant fear and apprehension. Patient
education can alleviate this anxiety.
Not all patients will require surgical
intervention, but all patients deserve to
be fully educated about the condition
and their treatment options. For many
patients, an updated spectacle prescription and reassurance are all that is
needed, since their visual demands do
not exceed their visual performance. In
determining if the patient is a surgical
candidate, it all comes down to a very
simple question. If the patient would
like to see better and feels impaired by
their current level of visual function,
then cataract extraction is the best option. We no longer wait for the cataract
to ripen or mature, since the risk of
complications from surgery are small.
We intervene when the patient is sufficiently symptomatic, and the small risk
is less than the potential benefit.
Education Methods and Topics
If the patient is indeed a surgical candidate, each patient should be fully informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives to surgical cataract extraction. You
can use an anatomical model or figure,
which often provides the patient with
the basic understanding of a cataract
and how it is to be removed. Video and
animations for this discussion can also
prove very useful in helping the patient
understand what will happen should
they elect to undergo surgery.
Most effective discussions begin with
an explanation of exactly what is a cataract, since many misconceptions continue. In each case, we carefully explain
that a cataract is simply causing less than
perfect vision, but that it is not damaging
the eye or affecting the fellow eye. Cataract surgery is an elective procedure
and there are few medical indications to
remove the cataract. Reassure patients
that deferring surgery will not increase
the risk of surgical complications or
make the procedure more difficult unless the cataract is very advanced. You
should carefully explain to the patient
the methods used to remove a cataract.
Keep in mind that you will need extra

time to explain that primary cataract

surgery today is performed with ultrasound and not with a laser. Discuss the
extraordinarily high rate of success,
but also discuss the small but important risk of complications.
Discuss IOL Options
Just as important as the discussion of potential complications is a discussion of the
patients options for their post
surgical refractive outcome.
You should be aware of the visual needs of the individual patient,
and to never prejudge a patient before presenting their options. Patients
should have a good understanding of the
role the IOL plays in their post-surgical
outcome.
The standard option is a mono- The preop visit should include in depth
focal IOL, we use an aspheric lens discussion on the potential need for surgical
intervention and how it will impact their visual
as our primary lens in all patients.
We then begin a careful discus- needs.
sion of alternative lens options.
Perhaps the easiest discussion is when glare and decreased contrast sensitivity,
patients are good candidates for a toric but over a period of three-six months,
IOL. In this case, the recommendation they adapt very well and are extremely
is easy since the results are predictable satisfied.
and the side effect profile of toric IOLs
Multifocal lenses provide an excellent
is very favorable. We then discuss the op- balance between outstanding distance
tions for correction of presbyopia. This vision and useful near vision. We also
is a more detailed explanation, since ex- carefully explain to patients that bilaterplaining accommodation and multifocal al implantation of the lens will ease the
lenses is not completely intuitive to most transition and hasten any adaptation that
patients. We need to make sure patients occurs. We do not use a presbyopia corunderstand the benefits and limitations recting lens in patients with unilateral
of presbyopia-correcting lenses. We cataract.
want to make sure the patient has exAfter the discussion of the various lens
cellent ocular health and does not have options with the patient and making an
glaucoma, ARMD or retinal disease that IOL recommendation, we then discuss
would diminish the potential for an ex- the additional cost associated with these
cellent outcome. We also assess the new technologically advanced lenses.
patients personality to determine if they We are careful to point out not only the
are highly critical visually or seem more extra cost of the lens, but also the intolerant of change and imperfection. creased time and complexity associated
Such judgments are difficult in a short with both the pre-operative assessment
time, but knowing the patient over the and post-operative care. The discussion
course of several years gives the O.D. an of these options with the patient can
excellent opportunity to get a feel for the take considerably more time for patients
chances of success and the patients tol- who are interested in having a presbyerance for an extended period of adapta- opia correcting lens implanted, since
tion. If the patient is an acceptable can- there are often more questions and condidate physically, ocular health wise and sideration to the patients individual situwith an accepting personality, then we ation and visual needs. Considering the
discuss the specific lens options includ- extra time involved counseling patients,
ing multifocal IOLs and/or accommo- the extra cost of the lens, and the extra
dating IOLs. Based on our experience, time and commitment during the postmost patients will do quite well with a operative period, the extra charge for
multifocal IOL. They will have some these lenses are well earned.
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Diagnostic Equipment for Your

Elective IOL Practice
THE PRIMARY EYE CARE PHYSICIAN IS VERY

familiar with cataract evaluation. Oftentimes, the optometrist, acting as the gatekeeper provider, will be first to
diagnose cataract and recommend treatment when appropriate. It is perfectly germane to the role of optometric
medical eye care to diagnose cataract, recommend surgical
consultation when necessary and discuss intraocular lens
options, which have become myriad with advanced lifestyle implant technology.
Early Education is Key
The patient interview is one of the most important aspects of the cataract consultation and subsequent IOL
selection. We provide all prospective cataract surgery patients with a packet of information explaining cataract surgery and introducing advanced lifestyle IOL options at the
time of cataract diagnosis.
When the patient returns
Key Points
to the office for biometry,
they then have a strong
1. Educate patients early.
substrate knowledge base
2. Perform a thorough patient
allowing them to feel
interview and consider using a
confident with their IOL
preoperative questionnaire.
choice.
3. Pay close attention to slit lamp
I avoid use of terms
and dilated fundus findings.
such as always and neva. Tear film considerations.
er, which could foster
b. The cornea must be clear.
unrealistic expectations
c. Vitreous opacities.
for our patients. We want
d. Macular pathology.
to share patients experi4. Make a specific IOL
ences to help prospecrecommendation.
tive cataract patients gain
a full understanding of
what to expect. Moreover, early education is critical to the
growth of elective IOL volume in the eye care providers
practice.
Todays Cataract Patient
Cataract is a disease of senescence. As such, optometrists
expect to find lenticular changes as their patients approach
retirement age and beyond. Certainly, one would expect
activity of daily living (ADL) attenuation secondary to clinically significant cataract in a patient aged 75 years. What
one may not necessarily expect is ADL to affect lenticular
changes in say, a 55-year-old. However, this is precisely the
population the Baby Boomers where our attention
should now be affixed.
Over the next two decades, the pool of potential cataract surgery candidates will swell by tens of millions. This
wave of patients will be comprised of seniors leading very
active lives who are concerned about getting older and
10

Keys for Successful

Postoperative
Management Elective
IOL Practice
MANAGEMENT OF CATARACT OUTCOMES IS AN

important aspect of routine optometric care. There is

great satisfaction in witnessing first hand the miraculous changes that occur when a patients vision has
been restored and his or her color perception enhanced.
Adding to this already positive experience, patients will
also enjoy the many benefits of advanced, lifestyle intraocular lenses, which render many without the need for
spectacles postoperatively.
Optometry plays an integral role in patient selection,
IOL recommendation and postoperative management
of refractive cataract patients. It is important for optometrists to immerse themselves in elective IOL knowledge and be able to astutely manage patient expectations and outcomes.
Cataract care management has become an increasingly
exciting aspect of practice. The diagnosis of cataract is
no longer a diagnosis of doom and gloom for the patient. Rather, it is an opportunity of hope. Patients have
options that were just a dream years ago. Indeed, their
older peers and family members were not able to have
the privilege of making IOL choices. The consultation
has become patient-centric, and the eye care provider
has the task of guiding the patient through myriad IOL
choices that best suit the patients visual goals.
Once that patient has selected an appropriate lifestyle
IOL and undergone successful surgery, it is now the
responsibility of the co-managing physician to provide
a soft landing for the patient. I will discuss each aspect of postoperative care and highlight specific areas
of concentration to assure optimal outcomes. It is also
important for us to keep our clinical senses on high alert
for occult processes that may confound a perfect surgical outcome.

Day One Visit

The day one visit is a critical one. There is some controversy questioning the need of this day one visit, and
whether it can be performed on the same day of surgery

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looking older. Because glasses and bifocals have a social

stigma associated with the aged, lifestyle intraocular lens
acceptance will soar among this population. The prudent
eye care practitioner should begin planting seeds of knowledge in their patients now to reap a harvest of elective IOL
candidates in the future.
Diagnosis of cataract is clinical, and a patients symptoms may not correlate with our clinical findings. Con-

sider the 55-year-old active individual with symptoms of

glare around headlights while driving at night. Your clinical
senses should be immediately heightened to think possible
lenticular changes, and your clinical examination may reveal early, +1, say, nuclear sclerotic cataract. This is hardly
a diamond in the eye, especially when you consider this
patient may refract to 20/20.
A conundrum. Do you:

or a week after surgery. Especially with advanced lifestyle IOL patients, this visit serves as a nidus to galvanize the patients confidence that the choice of implant
was the correct one.
Although the basic examination during the day one visit is performed the same way irrespective of IOL choice,
these specific observations must be made between multifocal and toric IOLs.

Visual Acuity:
Standard and Toric IOLs
Measure uncorrected distance visual acuity in the operated eye. Measure pinhole visual acuity for unexpected uncorrected results.
Multifocal IOLs
I recommend testing at distance, intermediate and
near visual acuity at this visit. If you demonstrate improved near visual acuity at this early stage, it builds
excitement and anticipation for the second eye surgery.
Capitalize on the results patients are sharing with you.
Cornea
The cornea should be clear. Pay special attention to
the presence of microcystic edema, as this is almost always an indicator of increased intraocular pressure. If
IOP is high, manage with drops and/or oral agents in the
usual manner, and discharge the patient when stable. If
patients present with significant stromal edema and Decemets folds, increase the frequency of postop steroid
drops as frequently as every one-two hours while awake
depending upon severity to facilitate visual recovery.

Anterior Chamber
The anterior chamber should be relatively quiet. It is
not unusual to observe rare cells. Significant cells and
flare in the absence of corneal edema should be managed by increased topical steroid frequency. If the anterior chamber reaction is severe as if looking into a snowstorm and is associated with central corneal edema, a
relatively quiet eye (no significant injection), consider
toxic anterior segment syndrome (T.A.S.S.). The surgeon should be notified and a retinal consultation may
be indicated.

IOL
Standard
The optic should be centered and clear.
Continued on Page 12

A. Refer to an ophthalmologist for a cataract evaluation?

Or
B. Prescribe your refraction with antireflective coating
and reevaluate in six-12 months?
Both actions are appropriate. In the former, the patient
is referred to a sub-specialist for evaluation and treatment
of a disease process affecting quality of life. The surgeon
may or may not recommend surgery at the time of examination, but the impetus for flow of information regarding
intraocular lens options has begun. In the latter, the patient
will be educated regarding options for cataract surgery and
appropriately primed for future discussion regarding implant surgery. What is common to the two scenarios, irrespective of when surgery is actually scheduled, is early
dissemination of information. Early education is critical to
the eventual success, or failure, of a practice to assimilate
into elective IOLs and increase conversion.
Advanced Diagnostic Practices
Equipment important for use in determining severity of
cataract and gauging an appropriate referral window for
routine general medical eye examinations include:
Snellen visual acuity chart
Slit lamp, topography
Binocular indirect ophthalmoscope
(BIO).
More advanced diagnostic
equipment include:
Optical coherence tomography
(OCT)
Colvard pupilometer
IOL Master or LENSTAR
Slit Lamp Evaluation Pearls
The importance of careful examination of the patient is
self-evident. Several key areas of concentration will elucidate an appropriate candidate for advanced IOLs versus
one who should be excluded from candidacy.
Working anteriorly to posteriorly, the following areas require careful discernment:
Adnexa: Even trace amounts of lid disease, namely
blepharitis, can have a profound and deleterious effect on
subjective outcomes. Since lid disease can stifle appropriate tear production, lid disease should be managed aggressively prior to cataract surgery. I recommend use of all
tools in our arsenal to manage blepharitis, such as warm
soaks, sterile lid cleansing pads, antibiotics and steroids.

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 Tear film: The multilayer, biologic tear film

is the principle refractive surface of the eye. If
this surface is challenged from adnexal disease
causing insufficiency in any of its components
oily, aqueous or mucin a patient will perceive
their vision as fluctuating, waxy, blurry, or
they will experience glare and halos. The astute clinician
manages tear film insufficiencies aggressively with all elements in his armamentarium to create a uniform refractive
surface to enhance subjective visual acuity postoperatively.
Use of supportive products, such as preservative-free tears,
long-lasting non-preserved artificial tears, ophthalmic gels,
prescription agents such as Restasis (Allergan) and punctal
plugs can be used in varying combinations to ameliorate
dry eye symptoms.
Cornea: Early in my career, I worked with an ophthalmologist who was fellowship trained in cornea. He taught
me an important rule about corneal tissue: The cornea
should be clear. If we keep this rule on the tip of a neuron while examining patients, we may avoid pitfalls such as
recommending advanced IOLs to the wrong patients and
elucidate etiology of
amorphous postoperaSteps Toward a
tive complaints.

Successful
Elective IOL Practice:

Topography or
Pentacam
corneal
1. Communicate your belief in elective
analysis can also prove
IOLs.
invaluable to decipher
2. Assume all cataract patients are
and correlate conflictpotential elective IOL candidates until
ing information during
proven otherwise.
preoperative
evalua3. Describe elective IOLs to patients as
tion. Special consideran investment that never depreciates.
4. Set reasonable expectations.
ation must be given to
5. Educate patients early.
corneal
astigmatism.
6. Involve family members in cataract
The presence or abconsultations.
sence of corneal cylinder can influence
proper IOL recommendation. Attention must also be given to the pattern
of astigmatism. Asymmetric, non-orthogonal, irregular or
apical astigmatism may confound candidacy for advanced
IOL technology altogether.
Lens: The type of cataract diagnosed: nuclear sclerotic,
cortical, posterior subcapsular, anterior subcapsular, etc.,
should not preclude one patient versus another for consideration of advanced IOL technology. Careful attention
should be noted, however, to other subtle findings such as
pseudoexfoliation, phacodonesis and whether the cataracts
genesis is traumatic.
Vitreous: Vitreous opacities and posterior vitreous detachment may influence a patients subjective evaluation
of outcome and should be taken into consideration when
recommending certain lifestyle implants. Many patients,
12

Multifocal
Obvious concentric rings can be seen on the multifocal IOL and is the signature of a multifocal IOL.
The central zones enhance near visual acuity and
more peripheral zones assist with intermediate and
distance visual acuity.
Toric
For patients receiving a toric IOL, I recommend dilating the operated eye on day one to ensure proper
axis alignment. Three dots will be found at the periphery of the optic 180 degrees apart from one another. The alignment of the peripheral dots on the
optic should match the planned corrected axis of
astigmatism. A good indication of whether the axis
if properly aligned is uncorrected visual acuity. If the
visual acuity is found to be within acceptable range
(>20/30) at this visit, that is strong empirical evidence
that alignment was achieved.
After careful evaluation of the day one surgical patient, the patient will be discharged with instructions
to use postoperative medications as directed, sleep
with an eye shield over the operated eye and limit
physical activity. My typical postoperative medical
regimen is:

Antibiotic:
Vigamox (Alcon) t.i.d. x one week
Steroid:
Omnipred (Alcon) (or equivalent) t.i.d. x one week
then b.i.d. x four weeks*
Non-steroidal:
Nevanac (Alcon) t.i.d. x one week then b.i.d. x four
weeks*
* I typically extend use of the steroid and non-steroidal drops to six weeks postop for elective IOL patients.
in fact, erroneously believe cataract surgery will eliminate
floaters. It is important to inform patients that floaters
will not disappear after cataract surgery. Moreover, patients with symptomatic floaters may not be appropriate
candidates for multifocal IOL technology.
Macula: We perform preoperative OCT on all prospective elective IOL candidates to rule out presence
of occult epiretinal membranes and macular thickening. Subtle macular pathology even fine pigment mottling can negatively affect elective IOL outcomes, especially multifocal IOLs. Careful observation and thorough
preoperative testing can prevent most cases of recommending an elective IOL to the wrong surgical candidate
and thus save countless minutes which can seem like
hours in the examination lane. A potential acuity meter

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Week One Visit

By now, the patient should be
more accustomed to the improved
visual acuity and anticipate surgery
on the fellow eye if it has not yet
had surgery. At this visit, offer reassurance, be sure the patient understands how to continue medications and offer explanation for any
questions they have about their
experience.
I discontinue antibiotic drops at
this visit and continue both steroidal and non-steroidal drops b.i.d.
Visual acuity should be crisp and
measured in the same fashion as
day one. Also, slit lamp evaluation
is performed in the same manner
as day one. Any corneal edema or
folds noted at day one should be
cleared at this visit and the anterior chamber should be deep and
quiet.
If corneal edema and folds persist
and/or an anterior chamber reaction persists, I recommend performing gonioscopy to search for a
retained lens material in the angle.
Retained lens material in the eye
can induce chronic inflammation
and may be cause for patients to
return to the O.R. for irrigation.
If the angle is clear, I recommend
dilating the eye to search for retained lens material. Most instances of retained lens fragments
are benign, and the remnants will
slowly resorb over time. With any
(PAM) may also be used preoperatively if visual outcome is questionable.
Recommend a Specific IOL
Once a careful preoperative examination has been performed, I recommend making a specific IOL recommendation, whether a standard,
toric or multifocal IOL. The clinician
should be comfortable enough with
his findings and know the patient well
enough to be confident to refer to an
ophthalmologist for a formal cataract
consultation.
The M.D. will perform several other

Once a patients vision is restored, careful postoperative management is critical.

retained lens material finding, consult the surgeon.

clear and manage tear film issues

aggressively.

Subtle corneal changes can greatly influence a patients experience

with their surgical eye. Become
a keen observer of subtleties and
remember the cornea should be

Month One Visit

At one month, the fellow eye may
or may not have been operated on
Continued on Page 14

tests necessary to deliver a desirable

outcome. The surgeon will generally
perform a second dilated fundus examination, perform an OCT and topography. Colvard pupilometry may
be obtained to determine mesopic
pupil size, and IOL Master testing
will be performed to determine proper
IOL power. Some optometric practices perform IOL Master testing,
which is perfectly acceptable utilizing
a well-trained technician who delivers
consistent data. For patients who are
candidates for a toric IOL, a computer
generated Toric Calculator is used to
determine the precise planned axis of

rotation of the implant for optimal acuity (www.acrysoftoriccalculator.com).

Together, the optometrist and ophthalmologist must educate prospective surgical candidates regarding
intraocular lens technology available
today. Because cataract surgery is
deemed refractive surgery, emmetropia is an expected outcome for a
large proportion of our healthy surgical patients. Utilizing todays most
sophisticated implant technology and
exacting clinical acumen, patients
benefit from near-perfect outcomes
and have options their parents did
not have.

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yet. I recommend performing a

dilated fundus examination at this
visit after careful visual acuity assessment and slit lamp evaluation.
It is at this point during the postoperative experience that cystoid
macular edema (CME) may manifest. Be alerted to this entity with
any drop in best-corrected visual
acuity. A cystic appearance to the
macula will be evident, and your
diagnosis can be solidified with
OCT.
Once the patient is bilaterally
implanted, adaptation should occur in a stepwise pattern. For patients who elected to proceed with
standard or toric IOLs, the one
month visit is the time when a final spectacle prescription is given
and medications discontinued. Toric patients generally require only
reading glasses postoperatively.
For multifocal IOL patients, neuroadaptation will continue and the
patient should be enjoying glassesfree vision at all distances. Medications are continued an additional
two weeks.

Month Three
You should consider sending a
survey to your elective IOL patients at this point. Ask about their
spectacle-free experience, how the
implant has changed their outlook,
whether they would recommend
the same technology to a friend
or family member, etc. These are
good data to continue practice
growth and share with staff members to maintain excitement about
elective IOL technology.

Month Six and Twelve

I recommend that patients should
return six months after their procedure for a full medical eye examination. It is at this visit patients
can discuss their results with the
clinician and express concern over
any issues they may have experienced.
Common issues dealt with at this
visit are generally qualitative issues
such as:
Halos and glare

14

Fluctuating vision
Blurry vision
Missed expectations
Etiology for qualitative issues are
generally quickly discovered after a careful clinical examination.
They are typically related to:
Posterior capsular opacification
(PCO)
Tear film abnormalities
Residual refractive error

tion for treatment of astigmatism in

a multifocal IOL. Unplanned residual refractive error is typically the
result of corneal astigmatism or ammetropia due to planned lens power.
Unplanned residual refractive error
can be managed with laser vision
correction, piggyback IOLs, spectacle or contact lens use.
Elective IOL patients typically
have little tolerance for any postoperative outcome that is less than satisfactory. It is important to deal with

As the cataract patient population swells and patients

seek youthful options for their visual experiences, we
have an opportunity to significantly alter a patients life
in a positive way.
PCO
With improved intraocular lens
designs and materials, PCO is less
common. Especially with multifocal IOLs, faint PCO can produce dramatic symptoms of glare.
I recommend intervening early
with the earliest signs of PCO to
address the patients complaint.
PCO is treated in an office setting
with Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy.

Tear Film Abnormalities

As discussed earlier, the tear film
is the principle refractive surface of
the eye. The astute clinician manages tear film insufficiencies aggressively with all elements in his
armamentarium to create a uniform
refractive surface to enhance subjective visual acuity postoperatively.
You can use supportive products,
such as preservative-free tears, longlasting non-preserved artificial tears,
ophthalmic gels, prescription agents
such as Restasis (Allergan) and punctal plugs, in varying combinations to
ameliorate dry eye symptoms.

Residual Refractive Error

There are two types of residual refractive error: 1) Planned and 2) Unplanned. Planned residual refractive
error generally occurs because of
planned postop laser vision correc-

their complaints professionally and

diplomatically. Irrespective of how
careful the clinician was to not overstate potential visual outcome, the
patient expects near perfection. We
have tools at our disposal to assist
them and eliminate their concerns.
Do not hesitate to bring the surgeon
back into the management of an unhappy patient.
Insertion of elective IOL candidates and patients into your practice
is an especially gratifying experience.
As the cataract patient population
swells and patients seek youthful options for their visual experiences, we
have an opportunity to significantly
alter a patients life in a positive way.
Lifestyle intraocular lenses have
completely altered the perception
of cataract surgery, changed the way
surgeons perform phacoemulsification and have left an indelible mark
on all eye care provider practices.
It is only the beginning. Technology will continue to evolve. Patients
will soon start the conversation
about lifestyle IOLs because they
have heard of them on television,
the Internet, reading a magazine or
speaking with a friend or relative.
The time to prepare your practice
for this exciting journey is now. It
will be an incredible experience for
both the clinician and staff.

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IOL Technology on the Horizon

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF

lens surgery is to restore accommodation to an amplitude similar

to that of a 25-year-old. There are
many intraocular lenses, in various stages of development, which
are designed to provide a level of
accommodation beyond any lens
available today. These lenses use
various optical and structural methods to achieve accommodation.
The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR Multifocal Toric IOL is designed to provide presbyopia correction as well
as astigmatism correction. The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR Multifocal Toric
IOL has a +3.0 D add power with
different diopter of astigmastism
correction.
Synchrony IOL (AMO, Santa
Ana, CA) is a single-piece, silicone,
dual optic and foldable lens. The
lens uses a high power (30-35D)
anterior optic and a negative power posterior lens which are connected by a spring like haptic. A
small amount of anterior displacement of the anterior lens results in
increased near vision. The lens is
in its compressed state when inserted into the capsular bag. When
the ciliary body contracts, relaxing
the zonules, the anterior lens moves
forward, resulting in near vision.
In a pilot evaluation of the lens, it
showed a mean accommodation of
3.22 diopters (0.88 D STD).
The NuLens Accommodating IOL (NuLens, Ltd., Herzliya
Pituah, Israel) uses a unique design
to obtain near vision. The structure
of this lens allows it to change the

anterior curvature of the lens during accommodation. This sulcus fixated lens uses a dynamic diaphragm
to force a silicone gel (index 1.40)
through a small hole in an anterior
diaphragm when the ciliary muscle
contracts.
The pressurized gel
bulges forward through the hole,
creating an increasingly more positive refracting surface. This is a similar mechanism used by waterfowl
when making underwater dives. Accommodation has been measured at
8D on average.
Smart IOL (Medennium, Irvine
CA) is a flexible thermoplastic gel
that can be produced to specific size
shapes and powers. It is a thin rod at
room temperature that expands to
fill the capsular bag when inserted
within the eye. The material is flexible enough to change during the
constriction of the ciliary muscle. The
lens has been inserted into cadaver
eyes and is awaiting further development before being inserted into human eyes.
Light Adjustable Lens (Calhoun
Vision, Pasadena, CA) is a photosensitive adjustable foldable 3-piece IOL.
Macromers are embedded into the
matrix of the lens. Focal UV light is
delivered to the lens, which causes a
polymerization of the macromers and
allows them to migrate to the desired
location (for example, to the center of
the lens for increased plus). A final
irradiation can lock in the final power
of the lens. Therefore, the power of
the lens can be altered after insertion,
allowing for treatment of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.

Arturo Chayet, M.D. et al, reported in Ophthalmology that 92.9%

of patients were within 0.25D after
correction with the light adjusted
lens, and they were able to treat up
to 1.5 diopters of refractive error. It
is anticipated that wavefront corrections and presbyopic treatments may
be able to be performed on this lens.
Time will tell which, if any, of
these lenses will achieve the lofty
goal of truly restoring accommodation. History has shown us not everyone will recognize the best lens as it
emerges. The pursuits of providing
improved patient care will eventually yield the holy grail of eye care,
a lens as remarkable as the human
crystalline lens.

The Optometric Council on Refractive Technology (OCRT) is optometrys home for those
involved in refractive surgery and the advanced
technologies available for analysis and correction of patients vision. Our mission is to advance the art and science of refractive technology for optometrists.
Membership in the OCRT is open to optometrists, vision scientists, optometric residents
and students. If you would like to receive a
membership application or have questions
about membership in OCRT, please contact
OCRT Membership Chairs, Dr. J. Christopher
Freeman at [email protected] or Dr. Andrew Morgenstern at andrewmorgenstern@
gmail.com. For more information on the OCRT,
please visit http://www.ocrt.org/
REVIEW OF OPTOMETRY FEBRUARY 15, 2010

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