Regaining the sparkle in one's eyes

MANILA, Philippines -  With increasing age, the internal lens of the eye, behind the pupil, loses its natural transparency and elasticity eventually opacifying in the mid-60s or later. A significant cataract causes cloudy vision.

Phacoemulsification, sometimes mistakenly called laser surgery, is the current preferred technique for removing a cataract. It can be done under local anesthesia using eye drops only to numb the eye because the procedure is quick and does not traumatize the delicate structures of the eye if done properly.

What is not always clear to patients undergoing cataract surgery is that good results are not just dependent on the surgeon’s skill. Many times, good vision after cataract surgery is due to the quality of the lens implant. Since the cataract is the lens of the eye, during surgery, it is replaced by an intraocular lens (IOL).

The usual IOLs are focused only at a single distance, usually at far, which makes the vision in the implanted eye capable of seeing distant objects clearly. These are called monofocal IOLs.

Multifocal IOLs were introduced at Galileo SurgiCenter in 2005. Multifocals have several points of focus and can give the implanted eye clear vision for both far and near objects, including reading. While not as perfect as the clear natural lens we have in our 20s, this technology is as close as we can get currently to a state of independence from glasses.

For patients with significant astigmatism, there are IOLs that can correct astigmatism, too, and, these are called toric IOLs. Toric IOLs can correct astigmatism until about 3.00 (“three hundred”). They are either multifocal or monofocal.

Until recently, the doctors would choose the IOLs that they implanted in patients’ eyes without even explaining this to their patients. At Galileo, the different IOLs’ features are explained and in collaboration with the patient, the best suited lens is determined after a thorough examination and explanation.

Different IOL manufacturers use similar materials for making the IOLs to ensure biocompatibility and long-term performance of the lens within the eye. They are designed to last a lifetime.

While monofocal IOLs are similar in design, companies use different technologies to produce multifocality. Multifocal IOLs have tradeoffs such as limited focus at mid-distance (the zone between far and near), rings or glare from bright lights at night, and difficulty reading in dim light, but the good quality multifocal designs have reduced these limitations to slight inconveniences compared to the convenience of being free from glasses.

Monofocal IOLs that are superiorly designed have ultraviolet and high energy blue light blocking technologies that reduce the potentially harmful effects of these light waves on the retina.

Optically speaking, the well-designed IOLs have features that reduce glare and scatter from light other than those that pass the center of the lens (what camera buffs know as asphericity).

If you are contemplating on cataract surgery, take time to discuss the IOL implant with your eye surgeon or find out more at Galileo.

Galileo SurgiCenter is an ambulatory surgery center dedicated to eye care. It is located at the ground floor of the Belson House building, which is beside the Petron station at the corner of Connecticut Street and EDSA. To contact Galileo, call 721-6412 or 721-7135, text 09178-VISION or e-mail at [email protected].