Intraocular implants

During cataract surgery, an implant-artificial lens is implanted into the eye. The result of the surgery is largely related not only to the selected surgery technique and the course of the surgery itself, but also depends on the type of the implanted lens. Currently, in the world, as well as in our clinic, implants are selected individually for the patient: depending on the patient’s lifestyle, eye structure, visual impairment before surgery, and depending on his visual needs.

When choosing a lens, you should carefully consider what you expect after the surgery and whether an intraocular lens implant will allow you to do so. Currently, a huge number of implants are produced, which differ in shape, the type of material they are made of, the quality of light refraction, the possibility of correcting coexisting vision defects and additional factors affecting the safety, stability, quality of life and late consequences of lens implantation.

Choosing the best implant should be guided by: disease advancement, coexisting refractive (vision) defect, eye structure, concomitant eye diseases, general eye condition. Your doctor will help you with these issues after a thorough eye examination. The lifestyle, type of profession, hobbies, habits, needs and expectations are also important when choosing. The decision as to what to choose is therefore the decision of the patient. The doctor’s task is to present the possibilities of medicine by supporting the selection with knowledge and experience. In our clinic, there is also the possibility of an individual conversation and consultation with an advisor who will explain the issues related to implants.

NFZ surgery against payment:

• The option of choosing an implant is available to patients who undergo paid treatments. It is not possible to pay for a more technologically advanced implant by joining the operation under the National Health Fund.
• When undergoing surgery under the National Health Fund, the decrease in visual acuity must be significant, i.e. advanced cataracts , and therefore less safe.
• It is not possible to choose the date . The queuing system under the agreement with the National Health Fund requires that patients be operated in the order they were entered in the queue for the procedure.

more information (cataract surgery) >>

Standard or Premium lenses?

Single vision lenses allow you to see clearly from one distance. Most often, patients choose good distance vision. For the remaining distances, they will require the use of glasses. With astigmatism coexisting, however, they will need correction both for distance, near and intermediate distances. This involves the inconvenience of using several different pairs of glasses for different activities. Remember that glasses should be replaced every 2-3 years, which is associated with costs.

PREMIUM lenses , i.e. above-standard lenses, are technologically advanced implants that allow the simultaneous treatment of additional eye defects, such as astigmatism and presbyopia. They also reduce spherical aberrations, as well as their construction, high-quality material from which filters are built and additionally possessed, as well as technologically advanced, disposable implantation systems provide additional benefits.

Additional features of lens implants

Aspherical lenses have been designed to improve the quality of the viewed image.

With age, the human lens changes its structure, which causes different light refraction in its central and peripheral parts. This phenomenon is called spherical aberration. For the patient, this means weaker visual contrast. Aspherical lenses, thanks to the aspherical optics, significantly reduce spherical aberration. This allows the patient to increase the sense of contrast and thus improve the quality of the vision function, resulting in improved visual acuity and image quality , especially in poor lighting conditions. Aspherical lenses are recommended especially for people who drive vehicles in the evening and at night, work in poor lighting conditions and need a particularly good quality of vision.

UV filters block harmful ultraviolet radiation that damages the retina of the eye.

The blue light filter provides a chromophore-yellow dye integrated with the lens material that has blue light filtering properties in the wavelength range of 400-475 nm. Blue light is considered to be one of the factors causing AMD – age-related macular degeneration. The yellow chromophore mimics the color and filtering properties of the natural human lens without affecting color perception or visual quality.

Implant material – hydrophilic or hydrophobic? Intraocular implants are made of various types of material. Most often, hydrophilic lenses are implanted. The advantage of a hydrophobic material is that it adheres better to the lens bag. These lenses provide, according to clinical trials, long-term centration and stability, preventing the possibility of rotation of the implant. They give great refractive results and reduce the opacity of the posterior lens capsule. AcrySof® lenses continue to have one of the lowest Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy rates of any lens material on the market today, and less proliferation of lens epithelial cells, which is an advantage with any lens designed to provide full vision.

Toric lenses – Astigmatism coexists in many cataract eyes. It is with this group in mind that toric lenses have been developed .

Sometimes the surface of the cornea is curved in such a way that vision becomes distorted or blurred. This common irregularity is called corneal astigmatism. Until now, astigmatism could only be corrected by incisions in the cornea (limbal relaxation incisions, radial keratotomy) or by using an excimer laser (LASIK, LASEK, PRK). Currently used toric lens implants allow for simultaneous cataract removal and correction of astigmatism during simultaneous eye surgery. The result is an improvement in distance vision and independence from the use of glasses or distance contact lenses.

A person who has both cataract and corneal astigmatism will not regain high-quality long-distance vision after surgery to remove only the cataract, unless the astigmatism is also corrected. The toric lens enables simultaneous correction of cataracts and astigmatism – all at the same time, in one treatment.

Multifocal Lenses – Life Without Glasses! Until now, patients after cataract surgery could not do without reading glasses or bifocal glasses. Multifocal lenses are a unique technological innovation that can provide excellent vision across the entire visual spectrum – both near, long and intermediate distances – and therefore greater independence from glasses!

The lens is a real opportunity for people suffering from cataracts, but also for those who suffer from presbyopia (age-related loss of the ability to see clearly objects close to the eye).

Multifocal toric lenses – a lens that combines the properties of a multifocal lens – the possibility of sharp vision at various distances, as well as a toric lens, correcting astigmatism.

Lenses with an elongated (smooth) focal length allow for sharp vision at a distance and intermediate distances (up to about 40 cm from the eye). This provides a full range of vision with functional near vision acuity to reduce the need for glasses. This allows you to perform all activities “at your fingertips” and beyond. The lens provides a very good contrast of vision, easy neuroadaptation after implantation, good operation of the lens in bright light and in low light conditions. Reduces the risk of halo and glare effects, similar to monofocal lenses. It can be used in some eye diseases that preclude the implantation of multifocal lenses. For long-term work at close range, glasses of approximately +0.75 to + 1.0D may be needed.

When choosing an implant , the Assessment Sheet will help you with the distance at which you use your eyes most often.

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Implant Adjustment

For the individual, most precise, “tailor-made” implant fit, each patient must undergo a biometric test. Based on the examination, the computer program calculates the strength of the necessary implant. In our clinic, biometric measurements are performed using two devices:

• the latest optical coherent laser biometer IOL MASTER 700 by ZEISS (optical, non-contact, very precise biometry)
• or an acoustic biometer using ultrasonic waves (USG) by SONOMED or ELLEX (immersion, contact biometry).

Measure the lens in advance: before a cataract develops, preventing the laser beams from reaching the inside of the eye, and until the patient can see a spot of light on which to focus during the examination.

Remember!
An error in measuring the eye of only 1 mm results in a 3D eye defect (you will need to use distance glasses with a power of 3 diopters after the surgery, and 6 diopters for reading)!

In the more advanced PREMIUM toric, variable focal and multifocal lenses, the selection of an implant requires the extension of tests and measurements with the latest, technologically advanced, unique diagnostic devices:

• Tomography of the anterior segment of the eye (Oculyser),
• Eye aberrometry with corneal topography (iTrace),
• Device for assessing astigmatism – VERION Image Navigation System.

To make the decision easier, we have developed an Implant Selection Questionnaire , which you will be asked to fill in by an assistant before taking measurements.