A cataract is one of the most common eye conditions in the world, where a dense, cloudy area forms in the lens of your eye(s), thus affecting your vision, and sometimes, can even lead to blindness.
Usually, this condition affects people as they age and grow older, causing a faded, blurry vision. However, it can be caused by trauma and injuries as well. Patients may also have trouble seeing at night or trouble seeing in bright light.
The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is the only lens which is specifically adjusted for you after your cataract surgery. It is the first of its kind, allowing your doctor to design your lens and customize it for you. What is different about the LAL is that it is customizable to your eye.
The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is FDA-approved, so you don’t have to worry about how safe or effective it is for you. In fact, in a study which was conducted by the FDA involving a total of 600 subjects, those subjects with LAL implanted in their eyes were twice as likely to achieve 20/20 vision without requiring glasses, as opposed to those subjects which received a normal monofocal IOL.
Surgery is the only way of treating cataracts today, and there are different types of lenses available for cataract surgery. During the surgery, the damaged natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with a new artificial lens known as an intraocular lens, commonly referred to as IOL. In other words, the replacement lens or IOL is implanted into your eye.
Choosing the right type of IOL for you is an important part of your treatment procedure, and at Advanced Vision Care, we ensure that we go through a thorough process of analysis of your individual conditions to be able to choose the right type of IOL and the correct power for you.
However, like in any other eye clinic, all pre-surgery calculations are only estimates and the outcome can’t be guaranteed. It is not a 100% accurate prediction that can confidently promise you that your vision will be glasses free. Besides, every patient will have a different experience of healing and recovery, and there is no guarantee that the predicted result will be the actual result after the surgery.
This is where the Light Adjustable Lens or LAL comes in. Let’s find out more about this lens and what it offers for patients who are undergoing cataract surgery.
So, what makes the Light Adjustable Lens so unique? How is it possible that the lens is customized just for you and your needs after your cataract surgery?
It is made of a special material that is photo-sensitive and can change shape with UV light. This changes the power of the lens. As a result, your chances of achieving your desired vision after your surgery increases greatly without having the need to wear glasses and contact lenses.
To receive the light treatment, you will be placed in front of the office-based Light Delivery Device (LDD). The LDD non-invasively delivers the UV light to your Light Adjustable Lens to adjust your vision to the desired target. The system gives your doctor the flexibility to make adjustments and refinements to meet your specific criteria. Following the light treatment, you will be rechecked in approximately 1 week to assess your vision.
Between 2 and 4 total light treatments, each lasting approximately 90 seconds and separated by approximately 1 week, are required. The total number of light treatments is based on achievement of the desired vision outcome that you and your doctor selected. When you experience the results of your adjustments, you will better understand the value of adjusting and customizing your vision after your surgery.
Once you have achieved your optimal vision, the lens power is permanently locked in with a final light treatment to prevent any further changes.
It is not difficult to see the many benefits that the Light Adjustable Lens offers. We outline these benefits below:
The procedure for implanting the Light Adjustable Lens during your cataract surgery is the same as the procedure for the usual non-adjustable intraocular lens. First, your doctor will safely remove the cataract from your eyes, after that, the Light Adjustable Lens will carefully be implanted.
After your eyes fully recover from the surgery, you will have to return to your doctor to have your vision tested during a routine eye exam. Based on the results of this eye exam, your doctor will create a customized prescription for your Light Adjustable Lens, taking into consideration your unique conditions and lifestyle requirements.
After your procedure is completed, you will be given UV protective glasses that you will have to wear. You can remove your glasses while sleeping, washing your face, showering, or applying your prescribed eye drops. These glasses will protect your LAL from making uncontrolled changes influenced by both indoor and outdoor exposure to UV light.
At Advanced Vision Care, we always take the post-recovery eye exam very seriously. We believe that it is an important part of the entire procedure, not less important than the surgery itself. Our goal is to provide you with the best vision possible after your cataract surgery, and the Light Adjustable Lens allows us to do that. Contact us today to find out more about LAL and how it can help you.
