Cataract Links: Cataracts Overview | Cataracts FAQ | Crystalens

Crystalens

CrystalensTM, the first and only accommodating intraocular lens that allows patients to focus automatically and seamlessly at all distances, is now available for cataract patients in Madison . Dr. C. Joseph Anderson, M.D., Board-Certified Ophthalmic Surgeon at Anderson & Shapiro Eye Care, one of only a few ophthalmic and refractive surgeons nationwide authorized to perform this procedure, will be implanting the first Crystalens in South-Central Wisconsin on Mar. 23, 2004. Dr. C. Joseph Anderson, M.D. has been a pioneer in the development of advanced intraocular lenses for the past twenty years, and he continues to be an advocate of good vision as a standard for a higher quality of life.

The media is welcome to observe this unique surgical procedure and talk with the patient and the surgeon following the surgery. Contact us to reserve your place.

“The Crystalens is a revolutionary new breakthrough in vision improvement,” says Dr. Anderson, “It is an intraocular lens replacement for patients with cataracts and farsightedness that accommodates like the eye's natural lens, allowing for seamless focusing near, far, and at all distances in between, giving patients their best possible vision.”

The ability to provide patients with clear vision at all distances is a significant technological breakthrough in the competitive field of intraocular lens technology.

Dr. Michael B. Shapiro, M.D., Board-Certified Ophthalmic Surgeon, co-founder of Anderson & Shapiro Eye Care, says, “The Crystalens restores vision at all distances and in most cases eliminates the need for glasses and contacts for everyday tasks. Giving people the ability to focus at all distances is a technological marvel.”

How the Crystalens Works

The Crystalens received FDA approval on Nov. 14, 2003. “Approval of the Crystalens has been anticipated by ophthalmic and refractive surgeons throughout the U.S. who are eager to offer this first-of-its kind option to their patients,” says J. Andy Corley, Chairman and CEO of Eyeonics, Inc.

The Crystalens is the result of more than 14 years of research and development by J. Stuart Cumming, MD, F.A.C.S., FRCOphth, and Chief Scientific Officer of Eyeonics, Inc. and developer of the Crystalens technology. Early on in his research Cumming noted that the ciliary muscle in the eye did not stop functioning in older patients. Therefore he created a lens that works by moving back and forth along the axis of the eye in response to pressure changes in the front and back of the eye as the ciliary muscle contracts and relaxes. The cilary muscle is responsible for focusing the eye in younger patients. As a result, patients experience the same vision they had when they were younger, for most without the inconvenience of corrective lenses. In contrast, standard intraocular lenses only restore distance vision – therefore patients may still require glasses or contacts to see up close and all points in-between.

“Most people don't realize how much vision occurs at arm's length and at in-between distances,” says Dr. Cumming. “In-between vision means you can sit at your computer, read a magazine or engage in a hobby, even use a golf scorecard, in most cases without corrective lenses.”