SMART LENS | INTRAOCULAR (IOL) LENS TREATMENT
What is Intraocular Lens Treatment?
An intraocular lens implant is used for the treatment of cataract and refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia (loss of near vision with age), and astigmatism.
This treatment is applied by replacing the eye’s natural lens with a clear IOL produced with special technology. The natural lens inside the eye is removed and replaced with a lens with different focusing powers. It takes over the image focusing function in the eye, just like the natural lens.
If the patient has a cataract or she/he is far or nearsighted, she/he may be a candidate for this treatment to improve her/his vision.
How Does Intraocular Lens Surgery Take Place?
An IOL is approximately 1/3 size of a dime and it is in folded position. A small incision (3mm) is made in the edge of cornea. The natural lens affecting the patient’s vision is removed and then, the artificial IOL lens inserted through the small incision so that it rests in the same clear capsule where the natural lens once did. The IOL is circular in the center and it has arms called “haptics” on either side which hold it in place.
The intraocular lens treatment is mostly utilized during cataract surgery. The patient is treated in a single session and depending on one’s specific eye issue and desired outcome, the doctor will pick the most suitable Refractive lens for the patient.
Who is a Candidate for Intraocular Lens?
If you are a candidate for cataract removal, then you are also a candidate for intraocular lenses. As for the other types of refractive errors, known as presbyopia, resulting from a decreased flexibility of the natural lens the eye doctor decides which IOL is the best for the patient. However, before undergoing the procedure, your eye doctor should conduct a detailed examination. He will then be able to determine if you are eligible for intraocular lenses. Depending on the patient’s pupil size, age, occupation, social activities, daily life and reading habits, the appropriate IOL is chosen by the doctor.
Types of IOLs
Since 1980s IOLs give patients a wide range of choice depending on their needs. We can divide the lenses used in cataract surgeries in three groups.
Monofocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) | Smart Lenses
The most common implant stays focused at one fixed distance. It can be set to focus on close, medium or distance vision based on the patient’s preference. If the patient focuses at a distance, she/he might be able to see things far away but needs glasses to read or see close up.
Bifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) | Smart Lenses
The patient might be able to see things close and far away, but for the things located between 40cm and 2meters the patient has a blurry sight.
Trifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) | Smart Lenses
Trifocal IOL has three focal points. It helps you see better in the distance, intermediate (computer distance), and near (reading distance). Unlike bifocals where one has to look down to see up close, trifocal IOLs allow you to see both distance and near while looking in any direction. They are also coated with a special material to help protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
After the Procedure of Intraocular Lens (Smart Lens)
The patient is discharged the same day after the operation. The vision reaches its normal level within 1-2 days. The patient should use the medicated eye drops recommended by the doctor. Routine check-ups after the operation are 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months later, but the frequency and duration of checks may vary by the doctor.
Follow-Up Care of Intraocular Lens
- Complete healing occurs within 8-12 weeks.
- Wash your hands before putting eye drops in your eye.
- Use the prescribed medications to help minimize the risk of infection and inflammation.
- Keep your eye protected with sunglasses as much as possible and sleep with your eye-shield at night.
- Do not rub or press your eye.
- Try not to bend from the waist to pick up objects on the floor, as this can cause undue pressure to your eyes.
- Avoid hard workouts or heavy lifting. The doctor will tell you when you can do those things again.
PHAKIC LENS TREATMENT
What is Phakic Lens Treatment?
Phakic intraocular lenses revolutionize refractive surgery and continue to serve as an excellent option for vision correction in patients who are not ideal candidates for laser vision correction. The method can be applied in all refractions. The difference from laser surgeries are that the application is reversible and can be applied to patients with high myopia ranging from 0,5 to -20 diopters and hyperopia ranging from 5 to 10. Myopic and hyperopic astigmatism can be corrected as well.
Phakic (meaning “having a lens) refers to the fact that the lens is implanted into the eye without removing the eye’s natural lens.
Are Phakic Lenses for you?
Patients who have thin corneas, misshapen corneas, or severe myopia that is not corrected easily with glasses or contact lenses can all benefit from the option of phakic IOL surgery.
Patients’ glasses prescription must be stable. It should not have changed much in the past year.
Good candidates for this procedure are healthy adults between the ages of 21 and 40, who have 20/200 vision without corrective wear, and who are not good candidates for laser-guided refractive surgery.
The surgeons decide which PIOL to choose for the appropriate patient’s circumstance.
How is Phakic Lens Treatment Applied?
Before deciding to have phakic intraocular lens implantation surgery, patient will need an initial examination to make sure her/his eye is healthy and suitable for surgery. The doctor will take a complete history about patient’s medical and eye health and perform an examination of both eyes, which will include measurements of pupils, anterior chamber depth (the distance between cornea and iris), and endothelial cell counts (the number of cells on the back of your cornea).
The surgery takes around 30 minutes. During phakic lens implantation surgery, a small incision is made in the front of the eye. The phakic lens is inserted through the incision and placed just in front of or just behind the iris.
You will receive eye drops or ointment for your eye, along with an eyepatch to protect the area while you heal.
Are Smart Lenses Permanent?
Yes, smart lenses are permanent. The patient’s eye number is fixed with intraocular lenses. Once these lenses are placed in the eye, the patient can use these lenses for the rest of her/his life. In other words, there is no deformation in these lenses depending on the age of the patient. For this reason, it is critical to carry out detailed examinations of the patient before treatment and to determine the eye number correctly.
Usage of Multifocal Intraocular Lenses in Cataract Surgery
In previous years, monofocal or bifocal intraocular artificial lenses were used in cataract surgery. The use of trifocal intraocular lenses is becoming more common day by day. The reason for this is to provide clear vision at all focal distances with a single lens. Smart intraocular lenses offer a permanent solution for cataract treatment.
Trifocal lens application in cataract surgery is performed with the Phaco Method. The operation begins with anesthetizing the eye with anesthetic drops.
General anesthesia is not applied except in special cases. First of all, the natural lens of the eye, which has lost its transparency, is removed. It is then attached to the smart intraocular lens socket. The same procedure is applied to the other eye a few days later.
Usage of Multifocal Intraocular Lenses in Cataract Surgery
In previous years, monofocal or bifocal intraocular artificial lenses were used in cataract surgery. The use of trifocal intraocular lenses is becoming more common day by day. The reason for this is to provide clear vision at all focal distances with a single lens. Smart intraocular lenses offer a permanent solution for cataract treatment.
Trifocal lens application in cataract surgery is performed with the Phaco Method. The operation begins with anesthetizing the eye with anesthetic drops.
General anesthesia is not applied except in special cases. First of all, the natural lens of the eye, which has lost its transparency, is removed. It is then attached to the smart intraocular lens socket. The same procedure is applied to the other eye a few days later.
What are the Advantages of Smart Lenses?
It is an operation that helps people with eyesight problems such as myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia, as well as those with cataract problems, to see again in a healthy way. It is decided whether or not to place smart lenses in the patient’s eye as a result of the evaluations made by ophthalmologists through various eye examinations. In addition, within the scope of this evaluation, factors such as the person’s age and general health status are also taken into account, apart from the eye problem experienced by the person. Treatment begins after the patient’s acceptance.
The advantages of smart lenses are as follows:
- Patients do not feel any pain, ache or pain during the operation.
- It is an operation that can be completed in 10 minutes on average.
- Intraocular lenses inserted and as a result of the operation can be used for a lifetime.
- There is no deterioration in the eye numbers of the patients after the surgery.
- Thanks to smart lenses, multiple focal distances can be seen without wearing glasses.
- With the use of smart lenses in the treatment of eye diseases such as cataracts, the formation of cataracts does not occur in patients again.
- It can be applied to patients with advanced eye numbers that cannot be corrected by laser treatment in some eye refraction problems.
- As a result of the operation, a significant increase in visual quality is observed.
- After the intraocular lens operation, the patient does not need to be hospitalized.
