When the eye’s natural lens gets clouded as a result of cataracts, it greatly impairs your eyesight and makes it difficult to complete daily chores. If you have cataracts, the only option is to have cataract surgery.
Cloudy natural lenses are surgically removed during cataract surgery and replaced with an intraocular lens implant (IOL). The basic lens implant often used today will provide good eyesight, but it’s rarely perfect. Therefore, your eye doctor will likely recommend glasses to help with your vision when you return to them following surgery.
Is there a better alternative? There is one—it’s called a light adjustable lens. But is it worth it? Let’s take a closer look.
Understanding Cataracts
Cataracts form when your eye’s natural, transparent lens becomes cloudy and rigid—impairing your vision by making it blurry and darker. Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss and are a normal part of aging.
Cataracts can only be treated by removing the clouded natural lens and replacing it with a new artificial intraocular lens, or IOL. Surgery to remove cataracts is one of the most popular surgical procedures today and has a very high success rate.
What’s a Light Adjustable Lens?
The light adjustable lens (LAL) is the sole customizable intraocular lens that allows patients’ eyesight to be adjusted after the lens is implanted. Many patients who have had cataract surgery benefit substantially from LALs, allowing them to drastically cut down on or completely forego their use of corrective eyewear.
Before selecting a prescription for your adjustable lens, you will assess and contrast potential vision outcomes with your doctor depending on your particular preferences and lifestyle needs. To achieve the desired level of vision correction for your unique prescription, your doctor will then use specialized light therapy to gently but permanently alter the shape of your implanted lens.
How Do Light Adjustable Lenses Work?
The lens is made out of a photosensitive material. After a patient’s eye fully recovers from cataract surgery, the LAL is subjected to a unique light pattern that alters the lens’ shape. It takes around two minutes to receive the treatment. By changing the IOL’s shape, the power of the lens can be modified to correct myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.
The LAL is suitable for the majority of cataract surgery patients. If you want to avoid the need for glasses following cataract surgery and get the clearest possible vision, you are a good candidate for these lenses.
How to Protect the Lenses After Implantation
After having surgery to implant light adjustable lenses, you must wear protective glasses at all times to shield your eyes from UV rays, especially sunlight. Two pairs of glasses will be provided to you: one set of clear glasses for use indoors and one pair of tinted glasses for outdoor use during the daytime.
Due to the fact that these lenses are intended to respond to UV light during the customization process, accidental exposure may result in unexpected vision modifications that make it impossible to adjust the lens using light treatments.
After completing your final light treatment, the doctor will permanently lock the lens power, removing the need for corrective lenses.
Is It Worth It?
Absolutely. Compared to patients who received a regular monofocal IOL, those who received the Light Adjustable Lens and had it adjusted were twice as likely to attain 20/20 vision without glasses after six months. When you see the effects of your adjustments, you’ll realize how important it is to tweak and customize your vision following surgery.
Get A LAL Implanted By A Reno Ophthalmologist
Eye Care Professionals in Reno, Nevada serves the entire region and provides cataract surgery patients with cutting-edge light adjustable lenses. We make every effort to deliver the most comprehensive and effective eye care for our patients.
