CLEAR LENS EXCHANGE
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Clear Lens Exchange with the Alcon ReSTOR Multifocal IOL –
Today’s Vision Correction Surgery for Presbyopes


“Presbyopes” are people nearing age 40 and above who are becoming increasingly dependent on magnification aid to read or for near vision. Presbyopia is the natural aging process by which the lens of the human eye becomes more rigid, less flexible and less able to “accommodate” or change its shape to focus sharply at near.

Children and young adults have extraordinary “accommodation” ability due to their eyes’ young, flexible lens; children and young adults are able to alternate from distance to near vision readily, without a magnification aid.

“Presbyopes” require a magnification aid, or “bifocal” to focus well at near. This need increases with advancing age.

Many people have become increasingly interested in vision-correction surgery to allow decreased dependence on glasses or contact lenses. To date, vision correction surgery has largely taken the form of RK followed by LASIK and then other “corneal refractive” procedures. The disadvantages of these procedures are that they alter the corneal architecture, they are limited by corneal thickness and they do not correct for presbyopia (they correct vision at one distance only for each eye, ie, they provide “monofocal” vision correction).

Multifocal vision correction for presbyopes is now a reality with the Alcon ReSTOR apodized diffractive multifocal IOL (intraocular lens) via “Clear Lens Exchange”. This procedure takes advantage of proven, state-of-the-art cataract surgical technique and effectively exchanges the physiologic lens with the multifocal IOL. The multifocal IOL grants patients a very high statistical chance of complete independence from glasses or contact lenses. It is designed to give excellent distance, intermediate and near (ie multifocal) vision in each eye. Therefore Clear Lens Exchange with the ReSTOR multifocal IOL is considered to be superior to LASIK for vision correction in the presbyopic age group.

Not every procedure is for everyone and all surgical procedures impart risk. If you are interested in ReSTOR Clear Lens Exchange or if you have been diagnosed with cataract and desire to consider this IOL as a multifocal option, contact our office for a free screening and/or a consultative exam.