Lens Implants Focus on Vision
Professor David J. Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service 1-15-03
Face it. Despite all the hoopla about
the joys of growing older, there is one major down-side. Declining vision. If only our
arms continued to grow longer and longer, we could still read newspapers, magazines,
and restaurant menus. Sure, the aging process does have its compensatory features.
Like when women start to lose their looks, men start to lose their vision. Yes, sometimes
things just sort of balance out. But not always. Especially when the vision problem
has complexities. Like farsightedness combined with astigmatism. Where does it all end?
Maybe it ends right here. Vision researchers have discovered a way to use technology,
in this case a plastic lens implant, to correct what used to be uncorrectable. Read on,
and like the researchers say ... you'll see.
A plastic intraocular lens can be implanted safely and effectively in the area in front
of the eye's natural lens to reduce or eliminate high nearsightedness with astigmatism
and high farsightedness with astigmatism. So says the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Intraocular lenses are usually used to replace the eye's natural lens that has been removed
because of a cataract. However, the new plastic intraocular lens corrects vision error and
astigmatism in an eye that still has its natural lens. This allows the eye to focus naturally.
The difference is that the new lens, called an Artisan lens, is implanted in front of the
natural lens.
In this study, two groups of patients received lens implants (Artisan lenses) for correction
of either nearsightedness and farsightedness. Those who wore eyeglasses gained one or more
eye-chart lines of visual acuity. Also, there was a significant reduction of astigmatism
in all cases, and no serious complications were observed. For details on the study, consult
the January 2003 issue of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy
of Ophthalmology.
According to H. Burkhard Dick, M.D., lead author of the study, the advantage of using the
Artisan lens, is that "it is now possible to correct refractive error with astigmatism in
one procedure." The current practice for correcting high levels of refractive error is to
combine lens implantation with another corrective procedure, such as LASIK. Use of the
Artisan lens eliminates the need for combining procedures.
According to AAO's Ernest Kornmehl, M.D., "Once long-term data are available, it (the lens
implant) will likely become one of several important methods for correcting higher levels of
nearsightedness and farsightedness." The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's
largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. For more information about eye health
care, visit the Academy's partner Internet web site (EYE M.D.) at www.medem.com/eyemd
To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org
Photo credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health.
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
E-mail:newsdesk@demko.com
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