Crystalens®
At Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center we know that living life to the fullest means being able to see your world clearly. As we age, our ability to maintain focus begins to decrease and our normal lens becomes cloudy and opaque.
Here at Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center, we offer premium lens implant options for cataract surgery or before cataract development with a procedure known as Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE). One of the most exciting advances in premium lens implant options is the Crystalens® by Eyeonics. If you are having trouble seeing the golf ball after a long drive or simply having trouble reading, perhaps you should discuss your options with your ophthalmologist to determine if a premium lens could help you see your world in full clarity. Certain qualified patients over the age of 50 who are myopic or hyperopic can receive Crystalens® as part of a clear lens exchange procedure also called refractive lens exchange.
Crystalens™ provides the opportunity for individuals to live their lives without being dependent on glasses or contact lenses. If you are interested in finding out if you are a candidate please feel free to start the process by completing our self-evaluation test. If you are interested in contacting our offices directly we have offices in convenient locations such as San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, El Cerrito, Roseville, Gilroy, and Corte Madera. Our staff is standing by and ready to discuss your Crystalens candidacy.
What is Crystalens®?
The Crystalens® accommodating intraocular lens is an intraocular lens used after cataract surgery or as a lens alternative in presbyopic lens exchange. Please consult a qualified ophthalmologist like Dr. Ellis to determine if lens replacement would be right for you. The revolutionary concept of the lens was engineered with a hinge design to allow the optic, or part of the lens that you see through, to move back and forth as your focus on an image changes. This lens alternative is designed to make your eye accommodate as you did in your younger years. The surgical process is very similar to cataract surgery, which is a very common ophthalmic procedure. During this process, the Crystalens® accommodative intraocular lens is permanently implanted and functions in a similar fashion as the natural eye. Once the surgery has been completed your eyes can focus on far or near objects in a comfortable way with no discomfort. If you are experiencing presbyopia or cataracts please feel free to consult us about the possibility of utilizing the new Crystalens® accommodative intraocular lens.
Unlike old-style fixed-focus lenses, which did not move, CRYSTALENS has the ability to move, thus focusing as your eyes natural lens does.
How does the Crystalens® IOL work?
After the age of 40 people will often start to experience serious trouble reading as the eye’s natural lens starts to harden. Prior to the age of 40, it is not uncommon that many people often experience excellent vision and are typically confused as to what is happening with their eyesight as they pass the age of 40. Because their vision may have been perfect they have never consulted an ophthalmologist as to what is naturally occurring. This inability to see at close distances or difficulty for the muscles in the eye to auto-focus can be very discouraging. This is known as loss of accommodation, or presbyopia. The Crystalens® lens was researched and developed specifically to help correct the aging vision condition and was engineered with a hinge design that allows the optic to move as your focus on an image changes.
The Crystalens® procedure is performed in our surgery center. After a small incision is made at the edge of the cornea, the natural lens is removed by phacoemulsification and the Crystalens® is implanted. Crystalens® can usually be implanted in less than 15 minutes. The recovery period is usually short. Most patients are able to pursue normal activities almost immediately after surgery. Discuss what to expect with your doctor before, during, and after the procedure as well as postoperative eye drops and office visits that will be required.
If you are like most patients who have the CRYSTALENS®, you can expect to enjoy the “luxury of sight” near, far, and everywhere in between and see everything more clearly. Your focus will be sharper than it has been in years, and you can expect to see improvements over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to heal?
Each patient is unique and the healing process will be different in each case. Most patients return to their normal work or lifestyle in two to three days. The focusing ability of the lens will not be fully realized for 6 to 8 weeks after the procedure. The eye must re-learn how to focus on objects at various distances in order to see clearly. It is important to discuss your expectations for this lens with your surgeon so that you can better understand the actual healing process.
Can my vision be corrected to 20/20, for both reading & distance?
The Crystalens has been designed to focus your eyes at all distances after cataract surgery. While virtually everyone will experience a significant improvement in their uncorrected vision after surgery, some people will not see 20/20 at all distances. It is interesting to note that many people who have not had surgery are not able to see 20/20 at both near and far even with glasses or contact lenses. This is due to a variety of ocular and physiological problems as well as lifestyle preferences, yet most of these people function quite normally although their vision is reduced. The two-year clinical trial that supported the FDA approval of the crystalens indicated that 92% of the people enrolled in the study (implanted bilaterally) could see 20/25 or better at distance, 96% could see 20/20 at arm’s length and 73% could see 20/25 at near without glasses or contact lenses. What is more exciting is that 98% of these people could pass their drivers test, 100% could see their computer and dashboard, read the prices in the supermarket or put on their makeup, and 98% could read the telephone book or newspaper, all without glasses or contact lenses. It is important to keep in mind that visual acuity is subjective and depends upon each individual’s own ocular and physiological conditions as well as lifestyle preferences. Some patients implanted with the Crystalens still require glasses for certain activities. (Courtesy of www.crystalens.com)
What makes the crystalens different from other intraocular lenses?
The Crystalens has the unique ability to focus on objects at varying distances using the eye’s natural focusing system. This means that the Crystalens can provide a continuous range of vision, without corrective lenses, from near to far and everything in between. Standard (single vision) lens implants do not have the ability to provide a full range of vision. Most people who have single vision lens implants MUST wear glasses for middle and near vision. It was shown in the two-year clinical trial that supported the FDA approval of the Crystalens that significantly more patients implanted with a Crystalens (88%) could see better at all distances than patients implanted with a standard lens (36%). (Courtesy of www.crystalens.com)
FDA Clinical Trial Information
98.4% of patients implanted with crystalens in both eyes could pass a driver’s test without glasses
100% could see at intermediate distances (24″ to 30″) without glasses; the distance for most of life’s activities
98.4% could see well enough to read the newspaper and the phone book without glasses.
Some patients did require glasses for some tasks after implantation of the crystalens
Significantly more patients implanted with a Crystalens (88.4%) could see better at all distances then patients implanted with a standard IOL (35.9%)
If you are seeking Crystalens surgery in San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, El Cerrito, Roseville, Gilroy and Corte Madera, California, the doctors at Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center would like to help you through this process. Please feel free to contact us directly at 1.800.733.7427. Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center is dedicated to excellence in eye care. Call us today!
