When you’re facing cataract surgery, choosing the right intraocular lens can feel overwhelming. Unlike traditional lens implants that provide fixed focusing power, the new Light Adjustable Lens offers something unprecedented: the ability to fine-tune your vision after surgery.
Here are five essential things you should know about this innovative technology before making your cataract surgery decision.
1. The Light Adjustable Lens is the First and Only Lens That Can Be Customized After Surgery
Traditional intraocular lenses rely on pre-surgery measurements and calculations to predict your post-surgery vision needs. The Light Adjustable Lens changes this entirely.
Now, Dr. Frantz and his team at Frantz EyeCare can actually adjust your lens power after your eyes have healed from cataract surgery. This technology utilizes a special photo-sensitive material that responds to ultraviolet light, enabling your cataract surgeon to make precise adjustments based on your real-time visual outcomes, rather than relying on pre-surgery estimates.
This means you can experience your new vision, evaluate how well it meets your needs, and then work with Dr. Frantz to optimize it further as you recover from the procedure.
2. The Adjustment Process is Quick and Comfortable
Your light treatments are performed right in the office at Frantz EyeCare and are completely painless. During each treatment, a specialized Light Delivery Device is positioned in front of your eye to deliver precisely targeted UV light to specific areas of your lens.
This reshapes the lens material, adjusting its curvature and refractive power to improve your vision. You’ll typically receive three to four light treatments, each lasting between 40 and 150 seconds, depending on the adjustment needed.
These treatments are spread over one to two weeks, giving you time between sessions to evaluate your vision and communicate with Dr. Frantz about any further refinements needed.
3. Clinical Results Show Significantly Better Outcomes
In an FDA study involving 600 subjects, patients who received the Light Adjustable Lens were twice as likely to achieve 20/20 vision without glasses compared to those who received standard monofocal IOLs. Even more impressive, six months following surgery, Light Adjustable Lens patients showed an average improvement of one additional line on the vision chart for distance vision without glasses.
For patients with astigmatism, 75% achieved a decrease in their astigmatism six months after surgery. These results represent a significant advancement in cataract surgery outcomes.
Dr. Frantz has seen firsthand how this technology helps patients achieve the clear, crisp vision they’ve been hoping for, often exceeding their expectations.
4. You Must Be Committed to Wearing UV-Protective Glasses
A crucial consideration that sets the Light Adjustable Lens apart from other IOL options is that you must wear special UV-protective glasses continuously from the time of your surgery until your final “lock-in” treatment is completed. Exposure to natural UV light from the sun or artificial UV sources during the adjustment period could cause unintended changes to your lens.
The Refractive Surgery Council emphasizes the importance of wearing your protective glasses at all times during recovery, ensuring that only the controlled light treatments in Dr. Frantz’s office affect your lens.
5. It’s Ideal for Patients Who Want Personalized Vision Results
The Light Adjustable Lens is an excellent choice for patients who prioritize achieving fully personalized vision after cataract surgery and want to minimize their dependence on glasses. During your consultation at Frantz EyeCare, Dr. Frantz will evaluate your specific eye health, lifestyle needs, and visual goals to determine if the Light Adjustable Lens is right for you.
This comprehensive assessment ensures that your IOL choice aligns perfectly with your expectations and daily activities.
Choosing the Light Adjustable Lens means choosing a technology that puts you in control of your visual outcome. With Dr. Frantz’s expertise and the flexibility of the Light Adjustable Lens, you’re not limited to hoping for the best; you can work together to achieve the vision you want.
Schedule your appointment at Frantz EyeCare in Fort Myers, FL, today to determine if the Light Adjustable Lens is right for you!
