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According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly 22 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts, a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. Since the first cataract extraction surgery in
the mid 1700s, cataract surgery has become the most frequently
performed and, with a 98% success rate, the most effective, operation in the United States.
Cataract surgery involves removing the damaged natural lens
and most commonly replacing it with a corrective lens called an
intraocular lens implant, or IOL. Though the first lens implant was done back in 1949, IOLs didn’t become the norm until the 1970s.
Now Americans receive more than a million IOLs annually. Naturally, IOLs have progressed through the decades, and today there is a wealth of choices, including lenses that address astigmatism and
even provide multifocal vision correction.
Now comes the latest advance in IOL technology, the first and only FDA-approved extended depth-of-focus lens, the Tecnis® Symfony. Unlike other multifocal lenses, the Symfony uses diffractive technology to extend the focal point and create a unique “defocus curve,” for continuous, seamless vision correction at all distances, much like a normal healthy lens. “Extended depth-of-focus lenses provide the closest approximation to natural sharp eyesight,” says Board Certified ophthalmologist and eye surgeon Scot Holman from Central Florida’s Lake Eye Associates. “Research demonstrates that 85% of patients can achieve 20/20 distance, intermediate and near vision with the Symfony IOL, meaning most can get rid of glasses entirely or use them only occasionally for detailed, up-close tasks. That’s remarkable.”
Lake Eye Associates is the first practice in Central Florida to offer the lens and to perform this procedure, which fellow eye surgeon Dr. Scott Wehrly describes as “the greatest advance in intraocular lens implants in the past decade.” Available in Extended Range for patients with no or mild astigmatism and Extended Range TORIC for those with moderate to severe astigmatism, the Symfony lens provides unparalleled correction of presbyopia, or deterioration of near vision, a common problem among middle-aged and senior populations. “The Symfony also shows a low incidence of halo and glare, which is a huge advance in IOL quality and performance,” says Lake Eye cataract surgeon Dr. Vinay Gutti.
For patients undergoing cataract surgery, the Tecnis® Symfony offers those whose conditions qualify for the new lens the chance to enjoy exceptionally crisp, clear vision, some for the first time in their lives. Says Dr. Wehrly, “This is an exciting development in IOLs and Lake Eye is proud to be the premier provider of this amazing technology.”
Lake Eye
352-750-2020
LakeEye.com
