West Coast Eye Institute is pleased to offer the RXSight Light Adjustable Lens, the world’s first and only lens that can be fine-tuned following cataract surgery.
What are Light Adjustable Lenses?
Light adjustable lenses, or LALs, are a form of intraocular lens that can be adjusted using a particular wavelength of light following cataract surgery. The lenses are created from a particular kind of material that is modifiable in this manner, enabling medical experts to make exact modifications to the lens’s focus and maximize the patient’s vision.
LALs are an innovative alternative to conventional IOLs, which cannot be changed after implantation and may not give ideal vision for all individuals.
How do Light Adjustable Lenses work?
Exactly like a conventional IOL, the cataract expert will remove the clouded natural lens during cataract surgery and implant the light adjustable lens in its place. The patient will need to wear protective glasses for the first 4-5 weeks after surgery, at all times while awake. Since the lenses are very sensitive to direct sunshine, wearing sunglasses will prevent them from prematurely changing shape.
A visual acuity test will be given to the patient to identify their ideal prescription after a healing time of two to three weeks. A succession of UV light treatments are used to mould the LALs to the precise prescription based on each individual patient.
In most cases, it takes 2-3 treatments spaced three days apart to get the ideal form for the precise prescription. Before the lens power is “locked in” by a last light treatment that treats the whole optic, patients will be able to see the finished product and give their approval.
Which Light Adjustable Lenses Do We Employ?
At West Coast Eye Institute we utilize the RXSight Light Adjustable Lens which replaces the cloudy natural lens of the eye during cataract surgery. It is made of a special type of material that can be changed after surgery with a certain wavelength of light to fine-tune the lens’s focus and improve the patient’s vision.
With this special feature, medical experts can make precise changes to the lens to improve the patient’s vision in a way that may not be possible with traditional IOLs.
What are the Benefits of Light Adjustable Lenses?
Customization: Unlike typical IOLs, the LAL may be modified after surgery to improve the patient’s vision.
Better Visual Acuity: Studies have demonstrated that the LAL offers better visual acuity when compared to conventional IOLs.
Glasses: Reduction or elimination of the need for glasses or contact lenses following surgery. Some individuals who get the LAL may be able to do so.
Less Complications: Complications such as overcorrection or undercorrection, which may happen with regular IOLs, may be less likely to occur with the LAL.
Convenience: Rather than needing extra surgery, the LAL enables changes to be done in the patient’s own home using a simple portable device.
What to Expect During Your Treatment
Each patient will have an implantation experience that is entirely their own, but on average, the following is what patients may anticipate throughout the procedure at our clinic:
The Surgery: The LAL is implanted during cataract surgery, which involves removing the eye’s clouded natural lens and substituting an artificial lens.
Activation: Following surgery, a unique tool known as the Activation Unit is required to turn on the LAL. Usually done at our medical professional’s office a few days after the initial procedure.
Adjustments: A certain wavelength of light may be used to adjust the LAL’s focus. This is accomplished using the same Activation Unit over the course of a few trips to our office.
Follow-up: The patient will need more appointments with the doctor to evaluate their eyesight and modify their LAL as required.
Overall, compared to typical IOLs, the LAL therapy takes a little longer and requires a few more clinic appointments, but it gives the option to personalize the lens to improve the patient’s vision.
Who is a Candidate for Light Adjustable Lenses?
Not everyone contemplating cataract surgery is a suitable candidate for LALs. These exclusions are the following:
- Patients who use medications that make them more sensitive to UV radiation.
- Patients who use a medicine that is thought to damage the retina.
- Patients who are not able to go four to six weeks without wearing UV-protective glasses.
- Patients who are unable to adhere to a UV light therapy schedule.
- Patients with a history of herpes, ocular infections, or nystagmus, which are irregular eye movements.
That being said, during your initial meeting with our experts we will be able to determine if you’re the right candidate for this type of treatment.
Book Your Light Adjustable Lenses Treatment in Bakersfield
If you want to know more about our light-adjustable lenses, please call our specialists or fill out a contact form with your information. We’d be happy to set up a time for you to see one of our experts and discuss your needs!
