Everything to Know about the Light Adjustable Lens
August 29, 2024
Do you have cataracts? If you think it could be time for cataract surgery, choosing an intraocular lens is one of the most critical steps before undergoing it.
Intraocular lenses, or IOLs, are artificial lenses that take over the job the once transparent natural lens can no longer perform. The Light Adjustable Lens is one premium IOL revolutionizing the world of IOLs.
These one-of-a-kind lenses are the only IOLs that can be adjusted, allowing for truly custom vision after implantation. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the Light Adjustable Lens, and if it could be the IOL that's right for you!
How Do I Know If I Need Cataract Surgery?
The first step in determining if you need cataract surgery is to make an appointment with your eye doctor at Select Eye Care. Our team has diagnosed and treated cataracts successfully in many patients and has a variety of solutions to help treat cataracts.
Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process and occur when the eye's natural lens starts to become cloudy and hard. This can affect your eyesight, making things blurry or darker or making it more difficult to see at night.
However, cataract surgery is a common and successful procedure to treat cataracts and improve vision. During cataract surgery, the eye's natural lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL).
The IOL will help you see clearly and ensure you no longer deal with visual disturbances and symptoms caused by cataracts. After cataract surgery, you can see without halos, glares, starbursts, and other visual aberrations.
How Do I Know What Kind of IOL I Need?
Your cataract surgeon at Select Eye Care will talk to you about your IOL options and what will work best with your lifestyle. Some IOLs only correct for nearsightedness or farsightedness, which means you would still need to wear visual aids after cataract surgery.
However, some IOLs can correct all refractive errors, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. One of the newest technological advances in IOLs is the Light Adjustable Lens, which allows for more precise vision correction than was previously available.
What is the Light Adjustable Lens?
The Light Adjustable Lens uses UV light to adjust it to meet your visual needs. Traditional IOLs are chosen before cataract surgery and implanted in the eye but cannot be corrected afterward.
The Light Adjustable Lens is implanted and then adjusted to your individual needs through a series of light treatments. This new technology is the latest in vision correction options available.
How Does the Light Adjustable Lens Work?
During the procedure, your Select Eye Care cataract surgeon will implant the Light Adjustable Lens in your eye to replace your natural lens. Unlike a traditional IOL, the Light Adjustable Lens is made of unique photosensitive material that can be adjusted to meet your specific needs.
Over the next few weeks, you will return to see your cataract surgeon at Select Eye Care for a series of noninvasive light treatments. These treatments expose your new lens to ultraviolet light to personalize it to meet your specific correction needs.
Each treatment takes only a few minutes. Patients report better vision outcomes with the Light Adjustable Lens than with traditional IOLs.
Are you a candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens?
Find out by requesting an appointment!
What's the Difference Between this and Traditional Cataract Surgery?
During traditional cataract surgery, your cataract surgeon will work with you to determine the best IOL for your vision needs and select that lens before your procedure. Once that lens is chosen and implanted in your eye, you cannot adjust the intraocular lens.
Depending on the IOL chosen, patients may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses afterward. The only other solution is to remove and replace the IOL.
But the Light Adjustable Lens works differently. Because the lens can be adjusted after implantation using UV light that changes its shape, the results can be more precise than traditional cataract surgery. Patients have reported a better visual outcome than with conventional IOLs.
How is the Light Adjustable Lens Modified?
After your procedure, your surgeon will explain the next steps and what to expect. You'll return to see your eye doctor at Select Eye Care one to two weeks after cataract surgery.
They will check your vision before beginning light adjustments with the Light Delivery Device (LDD). The Light Delivery Device delivers ultraviolet light to the lens for around 90 seconds to further adjust it and help bring you closer to your desired visual goals.
If your desired visual goals have yet to be met, you can undergo another light treatment a few days later. Most patients usually need about three treatments before achieving their desired eyesight.
Once accomplished, the result is permanently locked in the lens with two final light treatments. The advantage is that patients who get the Light Adjustable Lens are more likely to achieve 20/20 vision or better than patients who have had traditional cataract surgery.
Are Protective UV Glasses Required during the Adjustment Period?
During the lens adjustment period, protecting your new Light Adjustable Lens from indoor or outdoor UV light sources is vital so you don't accidentally cause uncontrolled changes to the new lens. To protect the Light Adjustable Lens, made of UV light-sensitive material, your eye doctor will have you wear clear UV protective glasses during your waking hours.
You must wear them immediately after your lens is implanted until your last light treatment is completed. Removing the clear glasses while sleeping, showering, washing your face, or applying eye drops is okay. However, you must keep them on if exposed to direct sunlight.
Exposure to UV light during this period could harm the Light Adjustable Lens, so keep the glasses on for the prescribed period. It may feel inconvenient temporarily, but once your Light Adjustable Lens is locked in, you will have the benefit of clear, cataract-free vision.
Are you ready for better vision? Find out if you could be a good candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens by requesting an appointment today at Select Eye Care in Elkridge and Towson, MD!