Toric Lenses at the Eye Specialists of Louisiana
Do you have cataracts and astigmatism? Consider toric intraocular lenses and knock out two birds with one stone.
Cataracts occur when the usually clear lens of the eye becomes clouded. This condition usually develops with age and can impair visibility and interfere with daily activities. Cataract surgery is a generally safe outpatient procedure that dramatically improves affected eyesight; however, it alone will not treat astigmatism.
Astigmatism is a condition caused by an imperfection in the cornea of the eye. The cornea, when perfectly round, allows for the eye to bring objects into clear focus.
In patients with astigmatism, the cornea is misshapen, which causes focus issues and results in blurred vision. It affects around 29 percent of the U.S. population. Even light astigmatism of at least 1.0 diopter (D) is enough to require the use of corrective eyeglasses or specialized contact lenses to compensate for the resulting eyesight problems.
To make matters worse, astigmatism, if left untreated, can continue to cause progressive vision loss and headaches induced by eye strain. Couple astigmatism with cataracts, and you’ve got a recipe for poor eyesight.
Intraocular lenses and how they work
An intraocular lens (IOL) is a type of implantable artificial replacement for the lens of your eye. It is mainly made out of acrylic or silicone and can be coated with unique materials to help protect the eye from harmful UV rays. This type of lens is implanted into the eye to replace the lens removed during cataract surgery.
Toric IOLs and how they can improve your life
Removing the clouded lens during surgery improves vision. It also helps to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. Unfortunately, it does not correct astigmatism, meaning you will still need to use glasses or contact lenses to compensate for all of your activities. With an implantable toric intraocular lens (IOL), glasses and contact lenses become a thing of the past.
Toric IOLs are shaped so that the powers in the different meridians of the lens compensate for the asymmetry characteristic of astigmatism. Before surgery, measurements of your eyes will be taken so that the most beneficial toric IOLs are chosen to correct your astigmatism successfully. Toric IOLs are specially designed so that the surgeon implanting them can rotate the lens to correct astigmatism.
One of the great things about toric IOLs is that they don’t increase the risk of common cataract surgery complications. Research has shown that toric IOLs produce excellent results after cataract surgery and are more effective at correcting astigmatism than limbal relaxing incisions.
Studies have also found that 94 percent of those with astigmatism treated with toric IOLs had 0.50 D or less astigmatism after surgery, which enabled them to enjoy their daily lives without glasses or specialized contact lenses. Patients report incredible satisfaction after receiving toric lens implants, with one study showing over 90 percent of patients no longer requiring glasses to assist with driving at night.
To learn more about toric lenses and how they can help correct your astigmatism, call Eye Specialists of Louisiana at 255-768-7777.