The Crystalens Advantage

Cataract Surgery: The Basics

Crystalens can move back and forth with the eyes’ natural mechanism to focus for near and distance.

Cataract Surgery & Lens Selection:

Treatment for cataracts requires the surgical removal of the natural crystalline lens. The cataract lens is then replaced with an implantable intraocular lens. The lens implant performs the same function of the natural lens—helping the eye correctly focus light on the retina. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed eye surgery, and experienced ophthalmologists like Dr. Ilan Cohen of the Fifth Avenue Eye Center perform these on a routine basis.

In the past, most intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery have been fixed monofocal lenses calibrated only for distance vision only. Glasses would be needed after surgery for near vision. Today there are numerous choices available to cataracts patients, and one of the increasingly popular choices is Crystalens.

Benefits of Crystalens:

Crystalens is a unique type of intraocular lens that offers patients with cataracts the ability to see clearly at a wide range of distances. Crystalens is designed to bend and flex along with the muscles of the eye to allow the eye to focus naturally for near, intermediate and distance vision. This process is called accommodation, and Crystalens is the only FDA-approved accommodating intraocular lens. Following a Crystalens procedure, many patients will no longer need glasses or contact lenses even when reading or working on the computer.

Multifocal intraocular lenses also offer the ability to see clearly through the full range of vision, but Crystalens operates in a different way. Multifocal lenses project multiple images to the back of the eye and the brain must learn to adjust to the difference (neuroadapt). With Crystalens, a single image is projected to the back of the eye and no neuroadaptation is needed. Following cataract surgery with Crystalens, most patients also achieve better visual acuity in addition to visual clarity. The latest version of this lens, called Crystalens HD, utilizes high definition Technology to offer dramatic improvement in quality of vision.

Crystalens for Presbyopia:

Treating cataracts is not the only application for Crystalens. Crystalens is also used in vision correction surgery to treat presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition that also occurs with age and is characterized by the progressive loss of the ability to focus the eye on near objects. This is an extremely common condition affecting those over 40 and accounts for the need for reading glasses as we age. Those who wish to abandon reading glasses and maintain consistently clear vision regardless of distance can opt for refractive lens exchange surgery at the Fifth Avenue Eye Center.

Refractive lens exchange surgery is virtually the same procedure used to correct a cataract lens except that no diagnosis of cataracts has been made. Both procedures involve the removal of the natural crystalline lens and replacement with a lens implant like Crystalens. The Crystalens implant allows presbyopes to focus their eyes significantly better than with their natural lens. Some patients may even regain the visual acuity they knew in their 20s.

How It’s Done:

The Crystalens procedure is done as an outpatient procedure and typically takes less than 30 minutes. Anesthetic eye drops numb the eye so that there is no pain, and general anesthesia is not needed. Recovery is relatively quick after the Crystalens procedure, and Dr. Ilan Cohen will discuss post-operative instructions with you. Typically, strenuous activity should be avoided for a few days and prophylactic antibiotic eye drops should be used to prevent infection.

Potential Complications of Crystalens:

Infection is the main complication of Crystalens and any eye surgery, but the use of antibiotic eye drops typically mitigates this risk. Other potential but rare risks include the need for corrective surgery to adjust placement of the lens, loss of endothelial cells, loss of vision and retina detachment. Visual disturbances like glares and haloes may also occur with Crystalens, but these effects are common with most implantable lenses. Visual disturbances attributed to Crystalens, however, are typically less than those attributed to monofocal implantable lenses.

Who’s a Good Candidate?

Dr Ilan Cohen of the Fifth Avenue Eye Center performs hundreds of Crystalens procedures each year. To assess your cataracts and determine whether you are a candidate for Crystalens you must first schedule a comprehensive screening exam. Most patients who are good candidates for standard intraocular lenses are also good candidates for Crystalens. The best candidates are those who are have not had previous cataract surgery and have otherwise healthy eyes.