We are on our final post in this series on cataracts and premium IOL’s. The last IOL we’re going to highlight is the Astigmatism IOL. This IOL isn’t for everyone but a good number of Americans may be eligible for this IOL if they are in need of cataract surgery. Let’s take a look into the reason a patient may need the Astigmatism IOL.
Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea — the clear, round dome covering the eye’s iris and pupil — or in the shape of the eye’s lens. Under normal circumstances, the cornea and lens are smooth and equally curved in every direction. This helps to focus light rays directly to the back of the retina at the back of the eye. When the cornea or lens is not smooth or evenly curved in every direction, the light rays do not sharply focus on the back of the retina. Instead, they are more scattered. This causes blurry or distorted vision for both near and far objects.
You can see the difference between a normal eye and an astigmatic eye below:
This where the Astigmatism IOL comes in.
“The Astigmatism IOL is one of the greatest advances in lens implants,” says Dr. McHale, managing partner and ophthalmologist. Astigmatism is so common that it is present in 25-30% of the population so the creation of this lens has helps hundreds of thousand of Americans to regain their sight. Prior to cataract surgery, patients with astigmatism often have to wear thick glasses or hard contact lenses to treat their astigmatism. With the Astigmatism IOL, there is no need for that. You will have clear vision at a single point and a reduced dependency on glasses or contacts. Your ophthalmologist can set that clear vision point to near or far depending on your interest.
Are you affected by astigmatism and also have a cataract? The Astigmatism IOL may be the solution for you! Give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our ophthalmologists and we will be happy to help you regain the confidence that comes with restored vision!