ACRYSOF ReSTOR IOL
The ReSTOR®LENS: Complete Vision
without Bifocals for Baby Boomers
Recently, the FDA approved the long-anticipated AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens manufactured by Alcon Surgical, one of the leading optics manufacturers in the United States for 50 years. Dr. Whitsett was at the forefront of ReSTOR acceptance, serving as one of 15 doctors nationally to perform its FDA patient trials.
Refractive Lensectomy using the ReSTOR addresses the underlying problem of Baby Boomers over 50 with presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) by replacing the existing crystalline lens with the multifocal ReSTOR. It provides a broader vision range for cataract patients than the standard monofocal lens.
Unlike other accommodative lenses, 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.
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 lenses (IOLs).
In an independent study, four of five ReSTOR 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.