Dear Patient,
We all know how important eyesight is to daily life. It allows us to perform our activities and enjoy the world around us. As we get older, unfortunately, our vision gradually worsens due to presbyopia or cataracts – the two main causes of age-related vision deterioration. This is a normal process affecting most of the people from a certain age. Fortunately, there is an effective way to treat age-related eye conditions and considerably improve vision quality. Trifocal intraocular lenses represent a safe solution if you wish to correct presbyopia and/or cataracts and live a life without glasses. So you can get back to more fully enjoying all the daily activities that you are used to – reading, watching TV, cooking, driving a car, playing sports, and performing everyday routine tasks.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? UNDERSTAND YOUR CONDITION.
Vision has a major impact on the quality of everyday life. And good vision is essential for many activities. With increasing age, however, vision disorders such as pres- byopia or cataracts can occur, making it difficult to see clearly at different distances.
What is presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a common age-related condition that affects nearly everyone over the age of 40. With presbyopia, the eye’s natural lens becomes less flexible, making it difficult to focus on objects at near distance. As a result, close objects appear blurry. Treatment options for presbyopia include glasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery, and intraocular lenses. Although glasses remain the most well-known option, they neither stop nor treat presbyopia completely.
COMMON PRESBYOPIA SYMPTOMS
Blurry vision when reading small text or figures up close
Objects must be held farther away to see them clearly
Increasing need for brighter lighting
Frequent headaches, eye strain and eye fatigue
What is a cataract?
A cataract is a gradual clouding of the natural lens of the eye, affecting most people sooner or later. In fact, many people over the age of 50 have some form of cataract. It forms when the eye’s natural lens becomes increasingly cloudy due to a change in the protein structure. Less light is able to pass through the lens and the result is cloudy
vision. A cataract is much like a foggy window that you cannot see through clearly.
How will cataract impact my life?
A cataract will increasingly impair your eyesight. Untreated, it can even lead to blindness. As the cataract advances, the quality of your vision will gradually diminish – which may affect your quality of life because you may no longer be able to fully partake in the activities and pleasures that make life enjoyable.
Treating presbyopia and cataracts with a modern and reliable procedure
For presbyopia and cataracts, there is a viable treatment to restore eyesight for both conditions and reduce dependence on visual aids. The treatment consists of replacing your eye’s natural lens with a clear artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). Cataract surgery is considered to be one of the safest surgical procedures performed today.
Intraocular lenses are tiny implants made of a soft, transparent, synthetic, and biocompatible material. The IOL cannot be seen or felt in the eye. Intraocular lenses may have one or more focal points, simulating the visual properties of the natural lens so that you can enjoy better vision after surgery.
If you suffer from both presbyopia and cataracts, a special trifocal IOL can treat both conditions in one single procedure. If you need to correct presbyopia only, the advanced trifocal lens will also prevent cataracts from developing in the future.
Presbyopia and cataract IOL treatment is a common and reliable procedure that is performed usually on a convenient
out-patient basis. It takes only about 15 to 30 minutes and consists of the following steps:
PREPARATION
You will receive a local anesthetic, such as eye drops.
INCISION
Your doctor will make a tiny incision on your cornea.
LENS REMOVAL
Your natural lens will be gently removed.
IOL INSERTION
A very small artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens, will be inserted through the same incision.
Intraocular lenses (IOLs) trifocal technology
There are different kinds of intraocular lenses (IOLs) available today. The most commonly used
ones are monofocal intraocular lenses. Monofocal lenses provide clear vision for one distance, usually far, which is important for tasks such as driving. However, patients with monofocal IOLs may continue to need glasses for activities at other distances, for example, reading.
Trifocal lenses, the most advanced category of IOLs, offer the possibility to see clearly at all distances – near, intermediate, and far. As a result, patients have a high chance to enjoy freedom from glasses after surgery.
Vision distances covered by trifocal IOLs.
Understand the healing process with fast adaptation
Presbyopia and cataract treatment is carried out within one day, so you can return home almost immediately after the procedure. You can get back to your daily life and favorite activities – now with better vision.
After your treatment, however, it is important to visit your doctor for routine follow-up examinations – the day after receiving your IOL and then approximately for a month, as needed. In addition, periodic checkups
by your eye doctor are always a good idea to ensure your eyesight is healthy and stable.
High levels of spectacle independence are possible with trifocal IOLs, thanks to excellent visual qualities at all distances. However, as with many medical procedures, trifocal IOLs can have a few side effects.
You may experience a glare in certain low lighting situations or a halo effect around light sources at night.
The good news: These side effects are actually signs that the optical design of the lens is working as intended. As your brain adjusts, the side effects will be perceived less prominently within a few weeks. You can focus on enjoying life to its fullest, most likely without relying on glasses. However, please always consult your doctor in case the side effects become too disturbing or any unexpected phenomena occur.
ENJOY ALL YOUR ACTIVITIES WITH TRIFOCAL IOLS
Take a moment and think about all the activities and tasks you perform each day. Working on the computer, reading, shopping, cooking, driving a car, and playing sports – the list goes on. For all of these activities, good vision is crucial. If you have a vision disorder, many daily tasks become difficult and cannot be performed properly. In some cases, a few pairs of glasses may help to support good vision in different situations, e.g. reading glasses and a pair used for driving.
POSSIBLY WITHOUT VISUAL AIDS
The permanent search for your glasses, forgetting them when you most need them, the annoyance when they get foggy or dirty, or the constant fear they might break– all this nuisance can be put aside. Another thing that would belong to the past: Any trouble you may experience with contact lenses such as dry eye or contact lens intolerance or simply the daily struggle with putting them in. Whether you have presbyopia or a cataract, trifocal intraocular lenses can provide clear vision at all distances, enabling you to enjoy your daily routine without visual aids.
Proven optics for clear vision without glasses
When it comes to best visual results, ZEISS trifocal IOLs are the proven technology with an outstanding optic design offering patients an excellent visual performance. Thousands of health care professionals around the world, including our specialists, have chosen ZEISS intraocular lenses for many years. As a world innovation leader, ZEISS is one of the most trusted and respected brands in the field of optics, including a long tradition of manufacturing high-quality lenses for glasses, cameras, microscopes, binoculars, and, of course, a range of intraocular lenses. Our expertise combined with advanced IOLs from ZEISS can help improve your vision.
ZEISS trifocal IOLs are a good choice for patients who wish to correct their presbyopia and/or cataracts and become independent from glasses. Ask our specialist if ZEISS trifocal IOLs are the right choice for you.
ZEISS AT ELANA IOLs
The benefits are clear
- Get more freedom from glasses and enjoy your life to the fullest.
- Overcome conditions such as presbyopia and cataracts – with one
Take the next step toward spectacle independence
Improve your vision with the treatment option that’s right for you. Contact us today if you have any questions and want to talk more about your options, including trifocal intraocular lenses from ZEISS.
CREDIT: ZEISS
