By Malka Eisenberg
Issue of May 15, 2009 / 14 Iyar 5769
A new lens implant for cataract surgery that not only corrects for astigmatism but also offers improved clarity of vision is now available at South Nassau Communities Hospital.
The lens came out in March of this year and “we already have inventory in the hospital,” said Richard Nauheim, MD, Director of Ophthalmology at SNCH. “In any lens system the curvature of the lens is not perfect; it is more curved at the edges than at the center. This (correction) eliminates image blur … and results in better quality of vision. We are just starting to use them; it’s a better version of the implant that we have been using for many years.”
According to Dr. Nauheim, the majority of people develop cataracts, and if their vision is reduced enough, then surgery is an option.
Astigmatism, a common, usually innate, condition, causes blurry vision due to an irregularly curved cornea, the clear covering over the eye. A cataract is a gradual clouding of the lens in the eye; by age 80 more than 50 percent of Americans have either a cataract or surgery. Cataracts can be in persons as young as 40 and as old as in their 90s. The procedure takes about 20 minutes, on average, said Dr. Nauheim, and has a success rate of over 95 percent. The surgery is usually an outpatient procedure and involves dilating the eye, numbing the area and possibly giving the patient a sedative. A small incision is made to remove the cataract leaving the capsule to hold the implanted artificial lens.
“We leave a portion of the old lens system, the posterior capsule and it acts like a bag of support to the implant,” explained Dr. Nauheim. “In 15 percent of cases this clouds, scars. It’s a natural process — it can haze over. We use the YAG laser to make a little opening so patients can reestablish clear vision again. The majority don’t need glasses, they are less spectacle dependent, but will need reading glasses.”
“They are coming out with lenses to correct both distance and reading as well as astigmatism,” he added. “ It is not commercially available yet; it is being worked on.”
The cataract surgery is done in an ambulatory hospital setting, and patients can be in and out in three hours. “Patients have been very happy,” said Dr. Nauheim. “There’s not a lot that they need to do.”
He said that patients should use special drops for a few weeks after surgery and shouldn’t lift anything heavier than five pounds for ten days post surgery.
“Implants are available in a host of different powers,” he added. “We can correct the majority of refractive errors, the lenses can be specifically made to correct errors. They are kept in stock at the hospital or can be ordered from the manufacturer.”
