McDonald Eye Associates Eye ConditionsAdvanced Lenses - Advanced Replacement Lenses
We understand that every patient has unique needs. That’s why we offer a range of solutions for our cataract patients, including the advanced Crystalens™, ReZoom™ and ReSTOR ® lenses .
Your Changing Eyes
As we perform daily activities such as reading, watching television or working at the computer, our eyes are constantly focusing on objects at varying distances – up close, far away and everything in-between. The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation.
Unfortunately, this ability diminishes as we grow older, causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses. This gradual loss of reading vision is called presbyopia, and, like cataracts, most adults will experience it at some point.
Greater Freedom From Glasses
Thanks to recent advances in replacement lens technology, we are now capable of correcting presbyopia and cataracts at the same time. Because we realize that each of our patients has unique needs, we offer a range of advanced lens options so that we can help you achieve the best possible vision for your lifestyle, with the least dependence on glasses.
Each lens option has its particular strengths, and different lenses are more appropriate for different people. We work hard to understand your needs and educate you so that you can make an informed choice.
ReSTOR®
The ReSTOR® lens uses similar technology to that used for years in microscopes and telescopes to improve image quality. The lens’s apodized surface is designed to smoothly blend the focus from near to far. ReSTOR is best for patients who do little night driving, spend a great deal of time reading and do not mind wearing glasses for arm’s length activities such as using a computer. For further information, click here.
ReZoom™
ReZoom™ has three distinct focal zones, one each for near, arm’s length and distance vision. Distance and near vision will be available almost immediately after implantation. ReZoom is best for patients who do little night driving, spend a great deal of time reading and do not mind wearing glasses for very fine print. For further information, click here.
Crystalens™
Crystalens™ works by moving with the muscles in your eye, in much the same way as your natural lens. The lens’s unique design results in excellent vision at all distances, though there will likely be a period where your eye must learn to work with the new lens. Crystalens is best for active patients who do not mind wearing glasses for very fine print and require good visio for night driving. For further information, click here.
While these lenses are most commonly implanted during cataract surgery, they are also used to correct presbyopia in patients who do not yet have cataracts. These patients will never require cataract surgery, because an artificial lens will never develop a cataract.
Contact McDonald Eye Associates at 521-2555 today for more information about which of these breakthrough lenses best suits your lifestyle.
Paying for Advanced IOLs
Medicare
In May of 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a ruling allowing Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery to choose, at an added fee, a presbyopia-correcting IOL that provides distance, intermediate and near vision with reduced spectacle dependence. The ReSTOR® and ReZoom® IOLs qualify under this ruling.
Under the new policy, Medicare will continue existing reimbursement amounts for cataract surgery, and patients may elect to pay additional charges for advanced technology lenses such as the ReSTOR® and ReZoom®.
Private Insurance
Insurance policies vary, but most private insurance companies cover cataract surgeries involving a conventional IOL. Some insurance companies are following the lead of Medicare and offering patients the choice to pay for the additional costs associated with ReSTOR® an ReZoom®.