For those wishing to have a clear vision after cataract surgery, advancements in technology now make that possible! The premium lens can give a full range of vision in comparison to the traditional lenses used in cataract surgery that only provide vision correction for distance.
The use of premium lenses has also been approved by Medicare! There is an out of pocket expense for the premium lenses themselves, but medicare and other insurance carriers will cover the cataract surgery!
ReSTOR Premium IOL
Before the development of the intraocular lens (IOL), cataract sufferers had to wear thick, distorting cataract glasses or contact lenses in order to see and function after cataract surgery.
The intraocular lens revolutionized cataract surgery by restoring clear, natural, undistorted vision. But since the standard IOL is “monofocal” and customarily corrects only for distance, reading glasses would still be necessary for close work.
To minimize their dependence on reading glasses, patients often would choose monovision, where one eye is corrected for distance and the other for reading.
Now patients can have both eyes see far and near together by opting for a multifocal lens (ReSTOR by Alcon Surgical) or an accommodating IOL (the Crystalens by Bausch & Lomb – accommodation means focusing up close in optical language).
These IOL’s, called “premium” lenses by Medicare and most health insurance plans, are not fully covered by insurance but give an almost full spectrum of vision, from far to near. We would be happy to discuss these options with you.
TORIC Premium Lens
Astigmatism (see astigmatism section) is a common refractive error caused by the cornea, the front of the eye, being oval-shaped rather than round. Astigmatism can be easily corrected by eyeglasses or by special toric contact lenses.
For patients undergoing cataract surgery who want to be as spectacle-free as possible, astigmatism had to be corrected by the addition of a small corneal incision which changed the shape from oval to round.
A more precise method to correct astigmatism during cataract surgery is now available in a toric IOL made by Alcon Surgical. The toric IOL has more power in one direction than another, and by orienting the IOL along a predetermined and pre-marked axis in the eye, such as 45 degrees, 90 degrees, etc., most if not all astigmatism can be eliminated.
The net result is a better-uncorrected vision and more freedom from eyeglasses. This IOL is also considered “premium” and is not fully covered by health insurance.
