If you have ever experienced presbyopia, you know the frustration it can cause. Presbyopia is an age-related refractive error that causes a decline in close-up vision. This means that reading and doing detailed work becomes difficult without the use of reading glasses. Now imagine having presbyopia in addition to cataracts! At Williamson Eye Center, we know how having presbyopia and cataracts can affect our patient’s quality of life. That’s why we are now offering the TECNIS® Symfony IOL – the new solution to presbyopia and cataracts.
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a natural symptom of aging. People in their middle-age will often notice that their near vision is slowly becoming less and less sharp. This is usually the age when people start reaching for their reading glasses more often. If you had perfect near vision and now notice that you need reading glasses to read or do detailed work, you probably have presbyopia.
Presbyopia is the result of the aging process. In younger people, the natural lens in the eye (which is responsible for focusing light) has the ability to accommodate for different distances. As we age, the natural lens becomes less flexible and more rigid, making it difficult to move and accommodate for near vision.
What Are Cataracts?
Cataract development is one of the most prevalent eye conditions in the world. Almost everyone will develop cataracts in old age, and some even earlier than that. Cataracts occur when the natural crystalline lens in the eye becomes cloudy due to protein build-up, resulting in blurry, foggy or distorted vision. Cataracts are nearly impossible to avoid and can occur in addition to presbyopia.
How The TECNIS® SYMFONY IOL Cam Help
The Symfony IOL was developed with these two conditions in mind. IOLs, or intraocular lenses, are used to replace the cataract-affected lens during cataract removal surgery. Many different types of IOLs have been produced to not only correct cataracts but to correct other common refractive errors like astigmatism and nearsightedness. The TECNIS® Symfony IOL is the first IOL designed to correct presbyopia and cataracts.
The use of the Symfony IOL does not change how cataract surgery is performed. During the surgery, your doctor will remove the cataract and replace it with the Symfony IOL. That’s it!
How Well Does it Work?
During clinical trials, there was a comparison between cataract patients implanted with the TECNIS® Symfony IOL and patients who received a standard monofocal IOL. Those who received the Symfony IOL could read two additional, progressively smaller lines on an eye chart when compared to the monofocal IOL patients. The intermediate vision was also greatly improved, with 77% of Symfony IOL patients experiencing 20/25 vision. Only 34% of the standard monofocal IOL patients experienced this improvement.
If you are experiencing cataracts and presbyopia, and you are ready to do something about it, contact Williamson Eye Center. Our experts at Williamson have years of experience performing cataract surgery with great success. Call to book your cataract consultation today, and see of the TECNIS® Symfony IOL is right for you!
How TECNIS® SYMFONY IOL Helped Susan
Our patient Susan has enjoyed an increased quality of life since having TECNIS® Symfony IOL. From kayaking, traveling and family time to just being able to read menus at her favorite restaurants, Susan and her husband Donald are living life to its fullest!
Find out if TECNIS® Symfony IOL is right for you! Contact us today.
