New kinds of artificial lenses are offering many seniors an option for improving their vision as part of cataract surgery.
Cataracts, an age-related progressive clouding of vision, are a fact of life. Left untreated, cataracts lead to blindness. Thus, cataract surgery, which restores vision, is one of the most common surgical procedures for older Americans.
Treatment for cataracts requires the removal of the eye's natural lens, a structure within the eye located behind the iris. Following removal of the cataract-damaged lens during cataract surgery, an artificial lens is implanted. This procedure is paid for by Medicare.
The conventional artificial lenses usually give patients good distance vision, restoring their ability to drive and perform many daily activities. However, patients usually need to wear reading glasses to see clearly at near distances.
Recently, new high-technology artificial lenses have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, allowing patients to see both near and far. In clinical trials for one of the lenses, about 80 percent of patients said they no longer need to use reading glasses.
The option for patients interested in reducing or eliminating their dependence on glasses is that they can choose to pay several hundred dollars out-of-pocket for high-technology lenses. Medicare will pay the cost for traditional cataract surgery, but will not cover the high-technology lenses and the costs of their associated examinations.
Are these lenses for you?
"It depends on how much you value reduced dependence or freedom from glasses," said Dr. I. Howard Fine, an ophthalmic surgeon and chairman of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Foundation. "Patients must have realistic expectations. While these lenses represent a giant step forward in vision restoration, they do not offer perfection. Patients should work closely with their ophthalmologist to decide if it is right for them."
For more information, visit www.eyesurgeryeducation.org. - NU |
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