How Light Adjustable Lenses Are Redefining Cataract Treatment

Cataract treatment has come a long way from simply removing a cloudy lens. Not only has laser technology made surgery safer than ever before, but we can also provide greater vision results. Following cataract surgery, many patients see better than before the cataract formed. They no longer face vision challenges related to refractive errors, like nearsightedness or farsightedness. In fact, patients can stop wearing prescription glasses and contact lenses altogether.

How? The answer is Light Adjustable Lenses, or LALs. These adjustable lenses represent a major leap forward in cataract care. Unlike traditional fixed lenses, LAL technology allows your vision to be precisely fine-tuned after surgery. Cataract treatment is no longer a one-size-fits-all process; it’s a highly customizable procedure that delivers the results you want.

Understanding Cataract Treatment

For many, cataracts are a natural part of aging. They can start forming after the age of 40, although they typically develop slowly. Consequently, most cataracts don’t affect your vision during the early stages. They are, however, a degenerative condition that will compromise your vision without treatment.

What are cataracts?

A cataract is a clouded lens. Over time, the proteins and fibers in the lens break down, causing it to become cloudy.

In a healthy eye, light passes through the lens to focus sharply on the retina. This forms a clear, defined image. A cataract, though, blocks or scatters the light as it enters your eye, creating a blurred, out-of-focus picture instead. As the cataract develops, the world begins to appear yellowed, hazy, and dimmed. It’s like looking through a dirty, smudged window instead of perfectly clear glass.

How does cataract surgery work?

Cataract surgery removes the clouded lens, ending the degeneration of your vision and restoring clear sight. It’s an extremely common and safe procedure. According to the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, over 500,000 Canadians receive cataract treatment each year.

At Clearview Vision Institute, we offer an advanced form of cataract treatment: laser cataract surgery. Using a bladeless laser, we can automate or assist with most of the critical parts of the operation. The laser offers greater precision, leading to safer, more reliable, and better results. It also carries less risk of infection and promotes faster healing.

We also specialize in Light Adjustable Lenses for cataract treatment. These lenses allow for post-surgical customization and, as a result, provide superior vision after cataract surgery.

Introducing the Light Adjustable Lens for Cataract Surgery

Light Adjustable Lenses (LALs) are a revolutionary technology redefining cataract surgery for thousands of Canadians. These are the first and only adjustable intraocular lenses (IOL) available today.

With LALs, your vision can be adjusted and refined after cataract treatment. This allows for greater accuracy, more customization, and better final results. Patients are far more likely to feel satisfied with their vision after cataract surgery because their new vision reality aligns with their vision expectations. You’ll be able to see clearly, without the cloudiness of the cataract or fuzziness from a poorly calibrated IOL.

Light Adjustable Lenses vs. Traditional Fixed Lenses

Traditional intraocular lenses are considered to be fixed lenses. Before cataract treatment, the lens power is selected based on pre-operative measurements. Unfortunately, these calculations aren’t always 100% accurate.

Once an IOL is implanted during surgery, it’s impossible to adjust the strength of the lens. Consequently, some patients still have less-than-perfect vision after cataract treatment. The cataract is gone, but the power of the new lens does not provide the crispest, sharpest image possible. These patients have to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses to achieve 20/20 vision and compensate for the IOL.

A Light Adjustable Lens, on the other hand, is an adjustable lens. Eye surgeons continue to fine-tune your vision after surgery, making micro adjustments to the lens using UV light. These adjustments are non-invasive, painless, and highly effective.

With LALs, your immediate vision following cataract treatment is the starting point, not the final result.

The Science Behind LALs

Traditional fixed IOLs are made from a rigid plastic. LALs, however, are constructed from a special photosensitive material that changes when exposed to ultraviolet light. Your eye surgeon uses UV light to fine-tune the strength of the LAL and optimize your vision.

You need to wait 2–3 weeks after cataract surgery to begin this refinement process. Your eyes need to heal. This also provides an opportunity to test your vision in real-life scenarios.

Once your eyes have healed, it’s time to perfect your vision. You’ll visit Clearview Vision Institute for 1–3 adjustment sessions over the course of a few weeks. At each appointment, your specialist uses a specialized device to apply UV light to the lens within your eye. The light triggers a chemical reaction in the LAL, reshaping it and changing its focusing power.

Reshaping the lens refines your prescription so you can see clearly and sharply. In fact, you can see better than you did before the formation of the cataract. We can adjust the curvature of the LAL to correct common refractive errors, like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.

Between every adjustment appointment, you can continue to evaluate your vision in your daily life. Just make sure to wear UV-blocking glasses at all times. These glasses are essential for preventing unintended exposure to light, which can alter the lens.

Once you’re happy with your vision, we’ll “lock in” the prescriptive strength of the LAL.

5 Advantages of LALs in Cataract Treatment

1. Better vision results. Post-operative adjustments refine the prescriptive strength of the LAL, leading to a better end result. Your vision is optimized for your lifestyle and preferences.
2. Correct multiple refractive errors. By adjusting the lens’s curvature, we can correct refractive errors, such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and even astigmatism.
3. Reduces the need for glasses. Since adjustable lenses are more accurate and address refractive errors, patients are less likely to need glasses or contacts.
4. Reduces glare and halos. Some patients experience intense glare and halos in low-light environments after cataract surgery. With LALs, however, we can fine-tune the lens to minimize these issues.
5. Greater patient satisfaction. Since LALs allow for extensive customization and fine-tuning, you can achieve your desired quality of vision.

Vision After Cataract Surgery

After cataract surgery, you have the opportunity to see better than ever before. Light Adjustable Lenses help patients achieve nearly perfect 20/20 vision while correcting refractive errors such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. You won’t have to rely on prescription glasses or contact lenses to see clearly, even if you needed them prior to cataract surgery. It also means you’re less likely to need future vision corrective procedures.

Contact Clearview Vision Institute for Cataract Treatment

Clearview Vision Institute is a Canadian leader in vision care and corrective procedures. We were among the first in Canada to offer the RxSight Light Adjustable Lens, highlighting our commitment to improving the options available for Canadians. Combined with a track record of success and personalized patient care, we take pride in providing the highest standard of care in the country.

If you suffer from cataracts, our board-certified ophthalmologists are here to restore your vision. Contact us today to book your consultation and personalized assessment to determine your candidacy for Light Adjustable Lenses.

To request more information on light adjustable lens, call Clearview Vision Institute today at 647-493-6371 or contact us here.