Following eye surgery involving the removal of a cataract or refractive lens exchange, the ophthalmologist may recommend the insertion of a Crytalens.

The crystalens is a multifocus intraocular lens, (IOL) which unlike the more traditional monofocal lens, is designed to permit the user to have both close and long range vision, without the aid of eye glasses.

The Working Processes of a Crystalens.

Rays of light entering a monofocal lens are bent to a focus point and as the lens becomes stronger so the light is bent more sharply, the lens being monofocal can only focus the light at one point on the retina of the eye.

The ophthalmologist has to choose an artificial lens which will enable the patient to be able to focus on either distant objects or objects which are close at hand, but the monofocal lens, having only one point of focus, cannot achieve both, and the patient has to choose which focus they want. Many choose to have good distance focus, and the use of eye glasses for focusing on close work.

The crystalens however is an accommodating lens which is more akin to the natural lens within the eye, the capabilities of the crystalens are—

n  This kind of lens enables the user to have both normally focused, distant and near vision.

n  The lens can adjust to the power of the incoming light rays, that is from distant light strength to the differing light strength from close objects, hence the expression an ‘accommodating’ lens.

n  The adjustment is made by utilizing two small hinges which allow the lens to move in the eye in harmony with the strength of the incoming light, similar to the operation of the natural eye lens.

The Use of Crystalens as against Other Lens.

The main advantage which crystalens has over monofocal lens, is that they relieve the patient of the need to use eye glasses for seeing either distant objects or closer items.

n  Crystalens alleviate the need for the constant removal/replacement of eye glasses when the wearer is changing from near vision to far vision.

n  By using crystalens, normal activities like reading, sowing can be enjoyed by the advantageous of having a multifocus lens rather than the traditional monofocus lens fitted.

There are other types of multifocus lens available which can give even greater clarity to close range vision, even to the point of reading fine newspaper print without any eye glasses, two of which are ReZoom and ReStor.

Both ReStor and ReZoom multifocus lens have shown that for most patient users, then 20/25 vision was restored in the majority of cases, which is only one line away from the normasl 20/20 vision associated with perfect sight.

The choice of the large variety of multifocus lens, as always lies with trhe patient.

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