Regain a full range of vision, near to far

Cataracts: clouding of the lens of the eye

The lens of the human eye is normally completely clear and transparent. In order to focus on objects at different distances, it is also flexible. Tiny muscles in the eye make it rounder to focus on things nearby, or flatten out in order to sharpen distant images.

When the lens becomes cloudy or opaque, it’s called a cataract. Cataracts are very common with age—in fact, almost everyone over 50 has some degree of cataract. The major cause is exposure to UV light, turns it cloudy and yellow (in much the same way as clear plastic or vinyl yellows and cracks if left in the sun.) Cataracts are also associated with smoking, drinking, and diabetes, among other causes.

When you have a cataract, vision becomes blurrier. Rooms seem darker, and colors shift towards yellow. And because the lens hardens with age as well, you find yourself reaching for reading glasses to do close up work. (This is a separate condition of the lens called “presbyopia”.)

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Basic cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is the most frequently-performed operation among Americans 60+. In its most basic form, the cloudy old lens is removed, and a new, clear replacement is inserted. Most patients are astounded to see how bright and colorful their world really is after their procedure!

Remember that the natural lens was also able to bulge or flatten to focus on objects both near and far? Standard replacement lenses don’t do this. They are not connected to those tiny muscles in the eye, so they are always one thickness. This works for most distances, but not close up. That’s why most cataract patients still rely on reading glasses after a standard cataract procedure.

Dr. Siepser’s Crystalens® procedure restores focusing ability as well as clarity

Dr. Siepser is one of a handful of eye doctors nationally who offers a solution that allows the eye to focus near and far again after cataract surgery. The Crystalens® implant is the only “accommodating” implant that provides vision resembling that of a younger human lens. Like your own lens, it is connected to the tiny muscles of the eye, so it bulges and flattens to focus at different distances.

While no solution is right for every patient, more than 90 percent of patients with the Crystalens need no reading glasses after an adjustment period of a few weeks after the procedure.

If you need a cataract procedure, talk to Dr. Siepser about the Crystalens option first. Make your appointment for a free consultation now.

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