Professional Hall of Fame Golfer Gary Player has had an advanced lens implant called the ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens implanted in his eyes to correct his vision. For millions of healthy, active adults like Player, the limitations of poor vision from cataracts and presbyopia have a negative effect on their lifestyle and their performance.   Player, like thousands of other older adults, is now enjoying good vision near, far and everything in between without depending on glasses all the time.

Local Cataract and LASIK surgeon Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS is one of the certified surgeons now using the ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens to treat healthy, active adults who want to be able to read, cook, use a computer, play sports or drive without having to depend on glasses all the time. “By the time we turn 50, almost all of us will have lost our ability to read without glasses as a result of a condition called presbyopia,” said Dr. Frantz.  “And in our 60s, many of us will get cataracts, a clouding of the natural lens inside our eye, which worsens our vision in all circumstances. The ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens is designed to help people see well at all distances. It has been shown that 92% of people with the technology used in the ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLenses ‘never’ or ‘only occasionally’ need glasses after the procedure.* For most people, the results are excellent.”

Gary Player is one of only five people to win all of Golf’s Grand Slam tournaments (United States Open, The Masters, British Open and PGA).  He has also been voted one of Golf Digest’s Ten Greatest Golfers of All Time. He described the years before his ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens as “the worst seven years of my life in terms of vision. I was strong, fit and healthy but I couldn’t see well. It got to the point where my caddy had to tell me where my golf ball landed.  I couldn’t even read to my young grandchildren.”

Mr. Player, who is now 71 years old, had the ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens procedure one week prior to the 2006 Masters Tournament. “On Thursday, I was one of only two golfers to birdie the first hole.  I shot 79 for the round to beat a lot of guys who were 40 years younger.”

Dr. Frantz described the ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens breakthrough as “a new option for people with cataracts and presbyopia. In the past, about 14 million people each year had successful lens implant surgery**, but with a lens that only delivered sharp vision at a single point – usually at a distance. The breakthrough we have achieved with multifocal lenses like the ReZoom™ lens is that we can help people have sharp vision near, far and intermediate. Practically speaking, for most people, we can eliminate their dependence on glasses.”

“The ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens has not only improved my golf game, it has improved my life,” said Mr. Player. “I have 17 grandchildren and today I can read to them whenever they want because I don’t need glasses all the time. Whether it’s reading to my grandchildren, reading my email or reading a putt, I see like I’m 25 again.”

The ReZoom™ Multifocal CustomLens is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and is manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (www.amo-inc.com) of Santa Ana, California.
 
Editor’s Note: Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS, is a local board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in cataract, cornea and LASIK surgery. He is medical director of Florida Eye Health with offices in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral and Naples. For more information, call 418-0999 or 1-800-581-0999.