THE
ReSTOR LENS GIVES INDIVIDUALS OVER 40 COMPLETE VISION WITHOUT
READING GLASSES
Recently, the FDA approved the long-anticipated ReSTOR
lens manufactured by Alcon Surgical, one of the leading
optics manufacturers in the United States for 50 years.
Dr. Whitsett is particularly favorable to this intraocular
lens (IOL) since he was the only surgeon in Houston (and
one of only 15 nationally) to participate in the FDA trials
of ReSTOR. As such, Dr. Whitsett implanted the lens in 23 patients
and monitored their results.
As
with Crystalens, Refractive Lensectomy addresses the underlying
problem with presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) by
replacing the existing crystalline lens with the multifocal
ReSTOR. Unlike accommodative lens, the ReSTOR does not depend
on contraction of the ciliary muscle to move the lens to
create a range of vision. It is made of AcrySof, a material
that has been implanted 21 million times since the early
1990s as part of another IOL.
Instead, the ReSTOR has a central 3.6-mm diffractive region
that facilitates both near and distance vision. It gradually
blends into the outer (refractive) portion of the optic
through a controlled 12-step height reduction called "apodization".
In normal lighting conditions, the apodized diffractive
portion of the ReSTOR lens sends optimal light to both near
and distance focal points, providing a full range of quality
vision. In dimly lit conditions the refractive portion sends
greater light energy to the distant focal point for enhanced
distance vision.
Amazingly, these "step heights" are smaller than
a human hair or a red blood cell. For example, the thickness
of a human hair is equal to 60 microns, and a red blood
cell is equal to seven microns.
The FDA trial results showed 80 percent of ReSTOR patients
"never" needed glasses following surgery. The
ReSTOR provided excellent near and distance vision - and
very good intermediate vision - compared with conventional
monofocal intraocular lens (IOLs). NOTE: Previously, cataract
patients received monofocal - or single focus -lens that
required some type of glasses.
In an independent study in which ReSTOR was compared to
the Array TM IOL and monofocal IOL in terms of reading performance
(whether they could read paragraphs of decreasing size).
Four of five ReSTOR patients were able to read small type
at 20/16. Only one in 7 Array patients was able to read
small type at 20/16. And none of the multifocal patients
were able to read small type at 20/16.
Most importantly, 94 percent of patients who received the
ReSTOR lens were so satisfied with their new vision they
would have the procedure again.
