Get the Vision You Deserve with the Light Adjustable Lens
July 17, 2024
Do you have cataracts that make it challenging to see clearly? Are you tired of blurry, foggy, or impaired vision because of them?
It could be time to consider having cataract surgery. However, before you can have cataract surgery, you need to determine what kind of intraocular lens (IOL) you'll have. One IOL worth considering is the Light Adjustable Lens, especially if you want the potential for better vision than you've ever had, including before you had cataracts. Keep reading to discover how to get the vision you deserve with the Light Adjustable Lens!
What is a Cataract?
Cataracts occur when the eye's natural lens becomes cloudy and hard. It is a natural part of aging and the leading cause of vision impairment.
Cataracts can affect your eyesight, making things blurry or darker. The good news is that you can do something about cataracts and regain your ability to see clearly.
The only way to treat cataracts is by having cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful procedures performed today.
During the procedure, your cataract surgeon at Whitten Laser Eye will remove your natural lens with an intraocular lens (IOL), allowing you to see clearly again.
What Are My IOL Choices?
Tremendous advancements have been made in the types of IOLs available to cataract patients. Your experienced cataract surgeon at Whitten Laser Eye can discuss your options with you.
Some patients choose a lens for nearsightedness or farsightedness, while others may opt for one that can fix both. Our practice is pleased to offer the state-of-the-art Light Adjustable Lens, one of the most advanced options for correcting vision for cataract patients.
What is the Light Adjustable Lens?
Unlike traditional IOLs, which are implanted into the eye at a fixed power and chosen before surgery, the Light Adjustable Lens is the only lens customized to meet a patient's visual needs after cataract surgery.
This new technology represents the latest in vision correction. Whitten Laser Eye is proud to be one of the only practices in the region to offer this option to our patients.
Schedule Your Cataract Evaluation
How Does the Light Adjustable Lens Work?
During cataract surgery, your Whitten Laser Eye surgeon will implant the Light Adjustable Lens after removing your natural lens. The Light Adjustable Lens is made of a unique photosensitive material.
Once you've healed from cataract surgery, your cataract surgeon will have you return to our office to begin light treatments. The light treatments are performed using a proprietary Light Delivery Device (LDD).
The light treatments are non-invasive and adjust your lens to meet your eye's needs. You can preview potential visual outcomes during each light treatment to ensure you meet your desired visual goals.
Exposure to ultraviolet light takes only a few minutes, but it allows your cataract surgeon to personalize your lens to meet your specific eyesight correction needs and match your lifestyle. With the Light Adjustable Lens, you'll have better vision because your vision is customized to you and your needs.
What's the Difference?
With a traditional IOL, your lens is chosen before cataract surgery and set to a fixed power. However, adjusting that intraocular lens is impossible once the IOL has been implanted during your surgery.
Your cataract surgeon will do everything to achieve your desired vision outcome, but once the procedure is over, results are permanent due to the IOLs fixed power. However, with the Light Adjustable Lens, customization ensures each patient can achieve the vision they want without the limitations of choosing a fixed power IOL.
Once the Light Adjustable Lens is implanted, it can then be exposed to a precise pattern of light that changes the shape of the lens after it is implanted to precisely correct your vision.
Do You Have Cataracts?
What is the Adjustment Process Like?
About two weeks after cataract surgery and healing is finished, you can start beginning light treatments. Each light treatment takes about 90 seconds, and the lens is adjusted to the desired target.
You can return for another adjustment after three to four days. Most patients only need two to three light treatments before achieving their desired visual outcomes.
Once you achieve your desired eyesight, two final treatments will lock in your vision. A crucial part of the success of the Light Adjustable Lens is that patients must wear UV-protective glasses.
Unlike a traditional IOL, studies show that most people who choose the Light Adjustable Lens achieve 20/20 vision or better and do not need glasses six months post-surgery.
Why Do I Have To Wear Protective Glasses During the Adjustment Period?
Because your new Light Adjustable Lens is made of UV light-sensitive material, until your lens is locked in, you must be careful not to be exposed to indoor or outdoor sources of UV light, which could cause uncontrolled changes to the new lens. You must wear your UV-protection glasses during your waking hours after cataract surgery until a few days after the last light treatment.
You can only remove the UV-protection glasses when sleeping, showering, washing the face, or applying eye drops, as long as you are not exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to UV light during this period could harm your IOL and vision. However, this minor inconvenience is worth it because, for the first time, you'll be able to see the world exactly the way you want to.
Are you ready to experience better vision? Take the next step by requesting your cataract evaluation to discuss the Light Adjustable Lens at Whitten Laser Eye in Charlotte Hall, Chevy Chase, and Virginia in Richmond today!