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Traditionally, cataract patients had their vision improved with a monofocal IOL. Although the quality of their distant vision was excellent, most patients needed reading glasses to see near objects. The good news is that you’ve encountered cataracts at a time when intraocular lens technology has taken a giant leap forward. No longer is the objective simply to restore your distance vision with a monofocal IOL. Today, the goal is to enhance your vision with an IOL that may provide you with a full range of vision, thus minimizing your dependence on glasses, including reading glasses or bifocals.
How Cataracts Develop
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside your eye. This lens, located behind the iris (or colored part of the eye) works just like the lens of a camera- focusing light images on the retina, which send the images to your brain. Watch Video
The human lens, made mostly of protein and water, can become clouded – so clouded it keeps light and images from reaching the retina. Eye injury, certain diseases, or even some medications can cause the clouding. But, in over 90% of cases, clouding is caused by the aging process. A cataract is not a “film” over the eye, and neither diet nor lasers will make it go away. The best way to treat a cataract is to remove the old, clouded lens and provide a replacement.
A cataract can be the reason sharp images become blurred, bright colors become dull, or seeing at night is more difficult. It may also be why the reading glasses or bifocals that used to help you read, or do other simple tasks, no longer seem to help. Unfortunately, cataracts can’t be prevented, but removing the cataract and replacing it with an artificial lens can restore your vision and in many ways, significantly improve your quality of life. The time to have your cataracts removed is when the quality of your vision begins to put limits on your activities and enjoyment of life.
What is Presbyopia?
When your eyes were young, your natural lens was both transparent and flexible. Because of this, your vision was most likely stable until you reached your forties. Around that time, you may have noticed that you had to hold a menu or a book farther and farther away to read it. Many people end up wearing a pair of reading glasses or bifocals to compensate for this aging of the eye. This condition is called “presbyopia” and eventually affects everyone, including those who are nearsighted, farsighted, have cataracts, or had perfect vision most of their life.
The AcrySof ReSTOR IOL
With more than 21 million lenses implanted, the AcrySof lens is the most commonly used IOL in the world, since they became available in 1994. Its popularity is largely due to their ability to provide excellent visual results and a high level of patient satisfaction.
In the clinical study, 80% of patients receiving the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL reported that they never wear glasses for any activities. They can read a book, work on the computer, and drive a car- day or night- and play golf or tennis with an increased freedom from glasses. In fact, patients were so pleased with their vision, nearly 94% of patients said they would have the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL implanted again, if given the choice.
Cataract Surgery Cataract surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, and usually requires just a few hours of your time from start to finish. Your eye will be treated with anesthetic prior to the procedure so you’ll feel little, if any, discomfort. First, a tiny incision will be made in the eye allowing your surgeon to use a small instrument (about the size of a pen tip) to break up or wash away the cloudy cataract. Once the cataract is removed, the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL will be inserted through the same tiny incision and set into its permanent position. | 
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What to Expect After the Procedure
After the procedure, you’ll rest for a short while before you go home. Your doctor will typically examine your eye within 24 hours. You’ll need to use prescription eye drops to guard against infection and help your eye heal. For a few days, you may need to wear a protective shield, especially at night to prevent you from rubbing your eye. Everyone heals somewhat differently, but most patients see well enough to return to most of their routine activities the day after surgery. Once both eyes have been treated, you will fully appreciate the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL and realize that your cataract was one thing you could definitely live without.
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