Aug. 8, 2005 | For patients older than 40 suffering vision problems or for those facing cataract surgery, a newly designed implantable lens frees many of them from the need for reading glasses.

Nicola Kim, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine, said these lenses allow for clear vision of objects both near and far. Standard monofocal intraocular lenses offer focus at one distance, usually requiring patients to get reading glasses or bifocals for near vision.

The same goes for patients over 40 who are considering LASIK surgery to correct their distance vision. Their ability to focus on near objects begins to degrade after age 40 and they will find themselves needing reading glasses after the surgery.  This improved lens implant is a great alternative that can solve both problems, Kim said.

“What is promising about this new lens design is that it offers independence from glasses for more patients, with and without cataracts,” said Kim, who specializes in treating cataracts in the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute at UAMS. “In a large multi-center clinical trial, 80 percent of those cataract patients receiving the new lens did not require glasses.”

In other cases, Kim said, those needing glasses only needed them for specific activities, primarily for long hours on the computer.

“At the same time, for patients over 40 who desire independence from glasses or contacts, this may be a better option than LASIK surgery since the lenses can re-establish both near and distance vision,” Kim said.

Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in adults in the United States. A cataract – a clouding of the eye’s normally transparent lens – blocks or changes the passage of light that is necessary for vision. Symptoms of cataracts include blurred vision, halos around lights, difficulty reading in low light, bright colors becoming dull or a frequent change in glasses prescription.

Cataracts seem to be related to the normal aging process; however, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, hereditary influences, some medications, physical injury, and certain eye diseases also have been known to play a role in their development. A cataract is not an infection or an outgrowth of eye tissue and it is not a contagious condition.

Eye drops and medications cannot dissolve or slow down the progression of a cataract; surgical removal of the cataract is the only treatment.

Surgery is a short, outpatient procedure that does not require general anesthesia. Kim said the procedure is generally painless and the recovery time for patients choosing the multi-focal is the same as the standard lens, which allows patients to resume normal activities the next day.  

Changes in Medicare coverage are helping more patients benefit from the lenses, Kim said. Previously, Medicare would not cover any costs of the cataract surgery if the patient chose multi-focal lenses, ruling the procedure cosmetic. However, as of May 3, a Medicare ruling has allowed the usual reimbursement for cataract surgery even if a multi-focal implant is used. 

The patient is only financially responsible for the extra cost of the lens itself and the additional measurements required, while the bulk of the procedure is covered.

Links on This Page

Nicola Kim, M.D., bio: http://www.uams.edu/jei/patients/physicians.asp#kim

Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute: http://www.uams.edu/jei/

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