Contact our practice near Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto to learn more about permanent contact lenses and intraocular lenses (IOLs).
Heritage Eye Associates
445 West Poplar Street
Stockton, California
Ph. (866) 922-0405
Fax. (209) 465-2562
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Implantable lenses are an effective treatment for a variety of conditions and diseases, including cataracts, presbyopia, and nearsightedness. These lenses come in several varieties for distinct applications, and it is important to choose the right ones for your needs with the aid of one of our expert eye doctors. At Heritage Eye Associates, we offer our eye care patients from Stockton, Sacramento, and Modesto the latest intraocular lenses (IOLs) and permanent contact lenses, including ReZoom™, crystalens®, and the Verisyse® Phakic IOL. The use of these state-of-the-art lenses represents a part of our strong commitment to employing advanced vision care technology in order to help our patients see better.
Intraocular lenses, also known as lens implants or IOLs, are intended to replace the natural lens of the eye. They are most frequently used to treat conditions such as cataracts and presbyopia, which are linked to the lens itself. These lenses come in conventional, single-focal-depth styles for monovision as well as in more advanced, multifocal forms that make clear vision possible at more than one distance.
Multifocal lenses represent an extraordinary technological advance over monofocal lenses. Many patients who choose a multifocal lens such as ReZoom™ or ReSTOR® are able to see better without the aid of glasses or contacts than they ever thought possible.
The ReZoom™ IOL is a multifocal intraocular lens. Like other IOLs, it is designed to improve vision by replacing the natural lens of the eye. The ReZoom™ lens is composed of a series of concentric rings, each of which helps you focus on objects at different distances and in different light conditions. This design helps you see more clearly in different situations without relying on glasses or contacts. In fact, many patients who receive ReZoom™ intraocular lenses report that they either never or only rarely use glasses.
The procedure for implanting intraocular lenses differs somewhat from that for implanting permanent contact lenses. After a topical anesthetic is applied, the surgeon uses ultrasonic waves to break up the natural lens while preserving the capsule that holds it. The lens pieces are then extracted through an incision in the eye. The ReZoom™ lens is inserted through the same incision into the capsule that held the original lens. In most cases, no stitches are required to close the incision, as it heals on its own. It sometimes takes several weeks for the full benefit of the procedure to become obvious, but most patients who visit us from communities in and around Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto for ReZoom™ implants are able to return to normal activities and enjoy improved vision within a week or less.
The ReSTOR® multifocal intraocular lens offers a unique design that rises in tiered concentric rings from a thinner outer layer to a thicker center. This design has been used effectively for many years in telescopes and other optical devices. ReSTOR® intraocular lenses gather and transmit light evenly over a variety of focal depths, resulting in better vision in different conditions. Many patients who receive ReSTOR® lenses report that they never or almost never need glasses, and those who do use glasses are able to see clearly with a lighter prescription.
The TECNIS® intraocular lens is the only lens designed with the aid of wavefront imaging technology like that used in custom LASIK. Sophisticated corneal analysis during the research and development process has yielded a lens that makes unsurpassed visual acuity possible in difficult light conditions. The TECNIS® lens is aspheric, meaning it is more elongated and slightly flatter than a conventional IOL, and is the only intraocular lens design currently approved by the FDA.
Available at our Stockton and Modesto-area practice, the crystalens® implant is the only IOL that flexes just like the natural lens of the eye. Rather than using stages or zones for different kinds of vision like the ReZoom™ lens or being limited to a single focal depth like traditional IOLs, the crystalens® transitions smoothly between focal distances under the power of the same muscles that controlled the original lens.
In terms of visual acuity, receiving crystalens® implants is like having your old, worn lenses replaced with those you had at 25 years old. In fact, in a large-scale study conducted by the FDA more than 98 percent of patients who received crystalens® intraocular lenses could read a newspaper without glasses. 100 percent could read email and other content on a computer screen. Overall, more than 98 percent achieved 20/40 vision or better, and most of those achieved 20/30 vision or better. Receiving lens implants of this caliber can truly be life changing.
Permanent contact lenses, also known as implantable contact lenses (ICLs) or phakic IOLs, are implanted in the eye in front of the natural lens. They are typically used to correct moderate to severe nearsightedness in patients who are not good candidates for LASIK or another form of laser vision correction. They function much like conventional contact lenses, correcting vision by compensating for refractive errors.
Available to all our patients from Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and elsewhere in the area, the Verisyse® phakic intraocular lenses are permanent contact lenses designed to improve the distance vision of severely nearsighted patients who cannot undergo LASIK. Each lens is implanted between the cornea and the iris, where it can augment the natural focusing power of the eye to enhance your vision. After receiving permanent contact lenses, your eyes will be able to adjust more effectively between close and distance vision. The vast majority of patients who receive Verisyse® implants can see at 20/40 or better, and many achieve 20/20 vision.
The surgery for implanting permanent contact lenses is a simple, safe outpatient procedure that lasts about 30 minutes or less. Each eye is treated individually. First, eyedrops are administered to numb the eye and contract the pupil. An instrument is used to hold the eyelid open. Implanting an ICL requires only a single small incision in the cornea, through which the Verisyse® phakic IOL is inserted and gently secured to the iris. The incision is closed with microscopic stitches and a protective shield is placed over the eye while it heals. Most patients notice improved vision the day of surgery, but it takes about a week for the full benefit of the procedure to become apparent. Healing is complete within a month or two.
Intraocular lenses and implantable contact lenses offer new hope to people suffering from a variety of vision problems. Contact Heritage Eye Associates in the Stockton, Sacramento, and Modesto area to explore IOLs and permanent contact lenses, including crystalens®, ReZoom™, and Verisyse® phakic intraocular lenses.