Reasons to Consider the Light Adjustable Lens
August 24, 2022
Cataracts can make it very difficult to go about your daily life, and they only get worse as you age. The only permanent solution to cataracts is having surgery to remove the clouded natural lens in your eye and replace it with a new intraocular lens (IOL). Your surgeon will take measurements of your eye before surgery and use those to choose the IOL’s “power” (think of it like making a glasses prescription). However, even though the technology surgeons use is very advanced, small differences in your eye anatomy can affect how well you are able to see without glasses after surgery.
Luckily, there is now a new IOL available: the light adjustable lens (LAL). The LAL is the only lens that can be adjusted after surgery without the need for a second procedure. This gives an unparalleled opportunity to adjust your vision after surgery. Here’s what to know about the LAL, and reasons why it is definitely worth considering.
1. It is adjustable
The prescription in your LAL can be adjusted by a doctor over the course of a few office visits post-surgery. You will be given the chance to “test drive” your vision, then you will have your vision checked as if you were getting a new glasses prescription. That prescription will be put into a special machine that will UV light to adjust the prescription in your LAL. This is a completely painless process and requires no downtime afterward. Once your best vision is reached, the LAL is permanently “locked”, meaning that it will no longer change.
2 .It can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
LALs can correct conditions that affect millions of people’s vision, such as astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. Many traditional IOLs cannot correct for astigmatism and even those that can base the correction off of pre-surgery scans like all other traditional IOLs, which can leave you still needing glasses after surgery.
3. It gives a better-quality of vision
Because the human eye is a complex organ, no surgeon in the world can guarantee to a patient that they will have perfect vision after surgery. However, a 2018 study by the FDA showed that patients with LALs are twice as likely to enjoy 20/20 vision or better (without glasses) than those who opted for traditional IOLs.
4. It is customizable
Not every person who gets cataract surgery wants clear vision for the same reasons. Some people’s priority is seeing well near, for activities like reading or computer work. Some people’s priority is seeing well far, for activities like driving or recreation. Other people want to get rid of glasses entirely and see well at all distances. Because you get to try out your vision with the LAL after surgery, you can get a feel for how you want to use your new vision and have your LAL adjusted accordingly.
Schedule an Appointment
At Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology, we offer cutting-edge technology to give patients better vision after cataract surgery. Our team of experienced ophthalmologists are always available to help you achieve your best vision. To schedule an appointment, contact us by calling our office or filling out our online form.
