IOL Eye

IOL (Intraocular Lens) And Cataract Surgery

Only one implantable lens - the Verisyse - so far has won FDA approval for correcting moderate to severe nearsightedness. The FDA cited a clinical study of 662 patients implanted with the Verisyse. Researchers found that 92 percent had 20/40 or better vision (considered standard vision necessary to obtain a driver's license), and 44 percent had 20/20 or better, after three years.

A more recently developed implantable contact lens, the Staar Visian ICL, has been introduced in Europe and is awaiting final FDA approval for use in the United States. In contrast to the Verisyse, which sits in front of the iris, the Visian sits behind it, a positional difference that has led some surgeons to favor one over the other.

The nice thing about this lens (the Verisyse) is its long track record of safety and the eye tolerates it perfectly.

IOL for treating cataracts

An implantable plastic lens similar to the phakic IOL is used to treat cloudiness of the eye's natural crystalline lens. The cloudy natural lens is broken up and removed, then an artificial lens is put in its place. By contrast, a phakic IOL procedure does not require removing the eye's natural lens. Cataract removal is the most common form of surgery in the United States.

1. An ultrasonic probe is inserted into the lens capsule. The lens is divided into pieces, which are removed by gentle suction.

2. An artificial lens is folded and placed inside the eye to replace the lens that has been removed.

3. After the artificial lens is inserted into the lens capsule, it unfolds into its final position.

Abbreviations: Cornea: The transparent, outer window and primary focusing element of the eye. The outer layer of the cornea is known as epithelium. Its main job is to protect the eye. The epithelium is made up of transparent cells that have the ability to regenerate quickly.

Iris: The colored part of the eye that controls how much light enters the pupil.

Pupil: The dark opening in the center of the colored iris that controls how much light enters the eye.