If you want to achieve your best vision after cataract surgery, the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is a great choice! During the procedure, the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens, or IOL.
Premium IOLs like the Light Adjustable Lens can offer better vision after cataract surgery and reduce your dependence on visual aids like reading glasses. The Light Adjustable Lens also gives patients the opportunity to customize their vision after cataract surgery to achieve a more personalized outcome.
However, you may be wondering if the LAL is suitable for patients with common refractive errors like astigmatism. Keep reading to learn more about whether you can get the Light Adjustable Lens with astigmatism.
What is the Light Adjustable Lens?
The Light Adjustable Lens is a premium IOL that is inserted to replace the natural lens of your eye during cataract surgery. After healing from the procedure, your cataract surgeon can adjust the lens to match your specific visual preferences.
Adjusting the lens is possible because the Light Adjustable Lens is made from a photoreactive material, meaning it changes shape when exposed to UV light. Your cataract surgeon will use the Light Delivery Device to emit this UV light, noninvasively adjusting the thickness of the lens to correct your precise refractive errors.
Choosing the Light Adjustable is a great way to increase the odds of achieving your preferred visual outcome after cataract surgery. You can also reduce or even eliminate your dependence on glasses and contact lenses.
Can the Light Adjustable Lens Correct Astigmatism?
The Light Adjustable Lens can correct astigmatism, as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness. The LAL can also correct presbyopia, allowing you to see better up close and reducing your dependence on reading glasses.
If you only want your astigmatism corrected when you have cataract surgery, you can select a toric monofocal IOL. This is a lens that allows you to see well at one set distance while correcting some degree of astigmatism.
However, the standard toric monofocal lens does not offer the same benefits as the Light Adjustable Lens. The power of standard monofocal lenses is set before your cataract surgery and cannot be changed after.
The Light Adjustable Lens allows you to adjust your sight and choose your visual outcome after your procedure. This offers patients peace of mind and unique personalization that other lenses don’t have.
What Happens During Cataract Surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens?
Before the procedure, your cataract surgeon will place numbing drops in your eye and may offer you a mild sedative to ensure you are comfortable. Then, they will create a small incision in your eye to access the lens capsule, which holds the natural lens of the eye.
Your cataract surgeon will break up the natural lens that has been clouded by cataracts and remove the pieces, then replace it with your new Light Adjustable Lens. The entire procedure will likely take around 10 to 20 minutes, and then you can have a friend or loved one drive you home to begin recovery.
Your cataract surgeon will provide comprehensive post-operative care instructions and schedule follow-up appointments to assess how you’re healing and let you know when you can resume certain activities.
Test Drive Your New Vision
Not only does the Light Adjustable Lens give you customized vision, but it also allows you to test it out before it has been finalized. The lens is adjusted across multiple sessions after your procedure, allowing you to test drive your lens and adjust it again at the next session to fit your preferences.
Most patients undergo around 2-3 adjustment sessions, but some have more as needed to reach their best vision. Once you’re happy with your eyesight, you have another two sessions to “lock-in” the final power of the lens.
This process ensures that you’re satisfied with your final results and have vision that fits your exact needs. If you want to correct your astigmatism and enjoy a personalized visual outcome after cataract surgery, the Light Adjustable Lens could be an excellent choice for you.
How Do I Know if I’m a Good Candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens?
If you’re a good candidate for cataract surgery and want peace of mind with your IOL choice through post-operative vision customization, you may be a good candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens. It can be a great choice for patients with active lifestyles who want to experience greater visual freedom from glasses and contacts, as the LAL can correct astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
While recovering from cataract surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens, you must wear special UV protective glasses to ensure the lens is not exposed to sunlight. You’ll have to wear them outdoors or indoors at all times, except when sleeping, and you’ll also have to wear them between adjustment sessions.
If you are unable to wear the UV protective glasses for long periods, you may not be a good candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens. Certain eye conditions and taking specific medications can also disqualify you from candidacy for the Light Adjustable Lens.
Ultimately, your cataract surgeon at Traverse City Eye is the only one who can determine whether you are a good candidate for the LAL. They will review your medical history, ask questions about your lifestyle, and measure your refractive errors to ensure the Light Adjustable Lens is right for you.
Are you interested in learning more about achieving personalized vision with the Light Adjustable Lens? Schedule an appointment at Traverse City Eye in Traverse City, MI, today!