Cataracts are part of the natural aging process that affects the clear natural lens inside the eye. Proteins weaken and clump together, forming a cloudy appearance and vision changes. Most Americans will develop cataracts in their later years, and this eye problem can take many years to cause significant vision loss. In extreme cases, cataracts can cause blindness.
People with cataracts experience muted colors, hazy vision, challenges seeing at night, double images and frequent prescription changes over time. Cataract surgery is one of the most successful procedures in the United States, with a 98% success rate. At Boston Eye Physicians and Surgeons, our cataract surgeons expertly remove cataracts with the latest technology, which includes Light Adjustable Lens implants to give you clearer and crisper vision.
Benefits of Light Adjustable Lens Implants
Cataract surgery replaces the clouded eye lens with an intraocular lens implant, and patients have many lens types to choose from at our Boston office. Eye measurements are taken beforehand to calculate the ideal lens power and implant type that will deliver the best visual outcome after surgery. Unfortunately, even the most meticulous measurements with an experienced surgeon can fail to hit the targeted vision range, causing many patients to need mild prescription glasses after recovery. The Light Adjustable Lens implant is the only IOL that can be tweaked after cataract surgery. All other lens implants can only be calibrated before the procedure.
Light Adjustable Lens implants allow our eye surgeons to customize vision after cataract surgery to ensure the best results for the patient’s lifestyle. These lens implants offer superior results compared to non-adjustable IOLs. Research involving 600 patients with the Light Adjustable Lens found they were twice as likely to reach 20/20 distance vision six months after surgery (without glasses) than those who chose a traditional monofocal implant.
How the Light Adjustable Lens Works
The special photosensitive material used to create Light Adjustable Lenses alters the lens power and shape of the implant when exposed to UV light for best-corrected vision. Light treatments after cataract surgery adjust the lens using a unique light delivery device. Patients with a Light Adjustable Lens must wear UV protective glasses after cataract surgery and have at least two light-adjusting treatment sessions at our Boston office.
UV protective glasses are necessary because exposure to UV light inside and outside can trigger changes in the lens implant. These glasses protect the eyes right after the procedure and are worn at all waking hours until the patient finishes their light-adjusting treatments, which may take around two months.
Light-adjusting treatments take about 90 seconds and are spaced apart to achieve the desired visual outcome. Then one last light treatment permanently locks in the lens power and shape to prevent further changes.
If you struggle with cataracts, contact Boston Eye Physicians and Surgeons today by calling (617) 232-9600 or filling out our online contact form. Learn more about Light Adjustable Lens and your IOL options from our board-certified ophthalmologists and experienced eye surgeons.
