Happy Deepavali: Beyond Sparklers, do your peepers sparkle?
In my previous column I explained the concept of cataracts and how not to wait till they mature or till you are “Blind enough”.
Our eyecare industry continues to innovate and bring out new lens implant technologies to keep up with vision demands and changing vision goals of the new generation of patients looking froward to live longer than their ancestor and that too with vision freedom.
Lets understand some new terminologies of proprietary surgical techniques I have invented to raise the bar on current eye surgical concepts, techniques and technologies.
LenzOplastique™ is a next generation, no pain, no stitch, no injection, no drugs, vision-optimized cataract surgery in a calm, soothing, personalized ambience where everything from instrumentation to lens implant technology is uniquely chosen and tailored to your individual eyes and vision goals.
LaZrPlastique®: Next Generation Lasik surgery with no cuts, no blades and no flaps that can safely and effectively correct any associated vision glasses prescription before or after cataract surgery.
Corneoplastique®: Cornea based noninvasive Laser techniques to correct patients with complications of cataract and Lasik surgery.
The US FDA approved Lens Technologies for your eyes may be the best investment you can make during this festival season of “spend and plenty”. Especially, if you are over 58 years of age and have been diagnosed with Cataracts.
This is also a great time to live for those over 40 years of age and dependent on those pesky reading glasses. The currency of spoil and grandeur has changed from “Material” to “Experience” and never before so high, as your own custom-designed Vision to enjoy the rest of your life with.
Summary of answers to most commonly asked questions by cataract patients:
- Do I have to wait till my cataracts ripen/Mature? No, not anymore! In fact if you wear glasses for any reason, nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, as long as your eyes are healthy, you don’t need to wait to start seeing clearly without glasses (LenzOplastique™).
- Why was I given so many confusing choices for lens implants for my Cataract surgery? Your cataract having been a lens, needs to be replaced with an artificial lens and there are over 34 different lens technologies available in the US and nearly 81 worldwide. Do your research and don’t fall for only 2 or 3 choices on a menu card. Ask questions and explain your vision goals to your eye doctor.
- Why am I wearing glasses after cataract surgery? In some cases, you may have some glasses number despite surgery and this can be successfully corrected using modern Laser Vision surgery techniques like LaZrPlastique®
- What if I have corneal problem like Keratoconus or previous Radial Keratotomy surgery? Can I still have cataract surgery? Yes, you certainly can and even in such cases result in most cases with vision without glasses with proper planning and technology choices.
- Can complications of cataract surgery be corrected? As long as your retina is fine and potential to see is maintained, most complications of cataract surgery can be successfully corrected to excellent vision not only for anatomical damages but also for vision using staged Laser Corneoplastique® techniques
This Diwali, the riches to compare and flash is neither diamonds, nor gold. The present currency is the Lens Implant for your cataract surgery. The cost of this implant is a direct correlate to how much your loved ones really love you.
So you go to your eye doctor’s office and are diagnosed with cataracts. Before you can mourn about this obvious testimonial to having aged, you are given a menu of lens implants to choose from – a full range of Affordable to Magical!
You leave your eye doctor’s office scratching your head and turn to your trusted source of medical information; Google!
Industry already knew that would be your only recourse and built widespread advertisement campaigns online so you are smothered with choices explained in terms they hope challenges your aging brain enough to help you succumb to the shiniest and most expensive technology which somehow you justify as a mark of wealth that could still invoke the gods in all their glory; this Deepavali (Diwali).
Ok, lets get serious.
This is THE most confusing thing many patients today face once they are diagnosed with cataracts. What lens implant to choose and how to understand their impact on their vision
I have previously written about how you as a patient should take charge of your particular eye health and vision goals and then let the surgeon assist in selecting the best implant for you.
All of us understand that during cataract surgery, the cataract is removed, and an artificial lens implant is inserted in our eye. Until recently, there were no choices and life was simple; boring and Monofocal!
With technology innovations, we now have Lens implants that come with various functions including Multifocal (Progressive), Trifocal, Extended depth of focus (EDOF), X wave technology etc. to help you see distance and near, Toric (to correct astigmatism), photocell and even re-chargeable (like I have described in the previous columns). A thorough exam of your eye including its optics and health can help decide which lens implant will most likely result in vision without glasses at distance and near.
I encourage you to believe that your surgeon is more knowledgeable than Google and you must sit down with them and ask questions about pros and cons and possible expectations. How the lens implant chosen for you works and how will that translate to vision for your individualized goals. What are the possible side effects and what solutions are available if so. Also, have you been offered all lens implants choices available or only those available with that surgeon/office?
Do clearly outline your vision goal (distance vision, near vision or both and do you have to have perfect night vision, etc)
Most usually, a combination of your vision goals along with your surgeon’s selection of the lens implant in your best interest can lead to a satisfactory outcome. Anything less than this and you may become a statistic.
Emotions usually run high because of the cost of these implants beyond insurance and hence expectations must be clear before surgery.
Poor lens implant choices can lead to haloes and star bursts that can challenge the splendor of many a Deepavali lights.
By the same token, proper selection of the lens implant and surgical technique is one of the most gratifying surgical outcomes in modern medicine today with a vision outcome that lasts a lifetime with well-earned bragging rights enough to divert the attention from Solitaires and Rolexes to the proud shimmer of your eyes.
This Deepavali, I can envision groups of richly dressed people looking into each other’s eyes comparing their sparkles and testing their vision at all distances even before drinks are served.
Go ahead and light the sparklers, but get the Sparkle back in your eyes.