Lifestyle Lenses
One Chance to Choose the Kind of Vision You Want After Cataract Surgery
Implantable lifestyle lenses offer you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve vision customized to your unique lifestyle after cataract surgery. Dr. Hollingshead and Dr. Barrett specialize in evaluating your vision and helping you choose the best lens for your needs.
We offer all the most up-to-date technologies and lenses to help achieve a patient’s vision goals. This is an exciting time to pursue decreased need for glasses through cataract surgery. The advanced technology lifestyle IOLs available today are better and more accurate than ever before.
Read below and watch the videos to learn about your options, then request a cataract consultation at Hollingshead Barrett Eye Center.
What Are Lifestyle Lenses?
During cataract surgery, the surgeon removes the clouded cataract and implants a tiny, clear intraocular lens (IOL) to replace it. There are variety of IOL types, each designed to provide a different visual outcome. Standard monofocal IOLs focus light at one point—either far away or up close. The standard lens is not designed to eliminate the need for glasses, but rather to make the vision with glasses far more clear than it was prior to cataract surgery. For those looking for a wider range of clear vision with less dependence on glasses, and correction for certain refractive errors (astigmatism and presbyopia), lifestyle lenses may be the best option.
Replacement Lens Options During Cataract Surgery
Astigmatism-Correcting Lifestyle Lenses Do you wear glasses to correct astigmatism? Now you may have another option.
Sometimes, the surface of the cornea is curved more like the surface of a football, with both flat and steep curves. This uneven curvature (astigmatism) distorts vision because light rays are not focused to a single spot on the retina. This can have a significant effect on one’s quality of vision. An implantable astigmatism-correcting toric lens makes it possible to treat the cataract and corneal astigmatism at the same time. The toric IOL is implanted during cataract surgery to provide quality distance vision independent of glasses and contact lenses.
Toric lenses can tremendously improve the quality of vision for those who have astigmatism, far more than is possible with a standard IOL. Ask your eye doctor for more information about your astigmatism-correcting toric lens options.
Presbyopia-Correcting Lifestyle Lenses Are you looking to enjoy a full range of vision, while reducing or eliminating the need for glasses?
As we age, the eye's lens naturally begins to harden and become less flexible, preventing the lens from changing shape to focus on close-up images. This is called presbyopia. Multifocal lenses implanted during cataract surgery restore your ability to focus on near objects. The result is clearer vision at all distances without the aid of glasses and contacts.
Multifocal lenses and extended depth of focus lenses have been shown to offer an even greater level of magnification for near objects than other lenses. The multifocal IOL contains added magnification in different parts of the lens, which focuses light at different distances. This is what allows the eye to focus clearly without glasses at all distances.
Light Adjustable Lenses
The First and Only Lens Adjusted After Cataract Surgery
Most IOLs are designed for a specific vision outcome before cataract surgery and cannot be changed once they have been implanted. The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) from RxSight is the only IOL that allows you and your doctor to customize your vision after cataract surgery. LAL gives you the ability to update your sight after cataract surgery to find your desired outcome.
Like other IOLs, the LAL is implanted during your cataract surgery. Once your eye has healed after cataract surgery, you return to your eye doctor to have your vision tested. During this visit you will be able to preview and compare possible vision outcomes based on your unique preferences and lifestyle requirements before selecting a prescription for your adjustable lens. Once your desired vision outcome is decided, your doctor performs a proprietary light treatment to the lens that precisely reshapes your implanted lens based on the visual correction that is needed to target your custom prescription.
How does the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) work?
The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is made of a special photosensitive material that changes the shape and power of your implanted lens in response to ultraviolet (UV) light. Light treatments are delivered in your doctor’s office. The light treatment procedure can be adjusted and performed multiple times to ensure the lens is correctly customized for your vison needs. Once you have found your desired visual outcome, you will receive your final light treatment. Your vision will be customized, and no further changes will be needed. The lens will be set and UV light will no longer affect the shape of the lens.
Is the Light Adjustable Lens right for me?
The Light Adjustable Lens has been approved by the FDA for use in cataract surgery recipients with or without astigmatism. If you have astigmatism and want the most out of cataract surgery, the Light Adjustable Lens may be the right lens for you!
Does Medicare pay for lifestyle lenses?
Medicare permits cataract patients to select either a standard monofocal lens or a lifestyle lens.
This Medicare regulation allows patients to pay privately for the portion of the charges for the implantation of a lifestyle lens and related technical services that exceeds the benefit for a standard replacement lens.
With fast pre-approval (usually within 30 minutes), CareCredit makes vision correction even more affordable. Take advantage of 24 months 0% financing through CareCredit.
Many of our patients use CareCredit financing for elective treatments, such as LASIK, PRK, and lifestyle lenses, but they are often used for medical procedures and out of pocket insurance expenses as well. Whatever your financing need may be, CareCredit helps make your best vision more affordable.
Our vision correction counselors will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our fees or financing. Call (208) 336-8700 to learn more.
