What is the Symfony Lens? By Cameron Johnson, M.D.
“...a new lens has just been FDA-approved, which will help eye surgeons overcome many of these limitations and help more cataract patients see well, with less dependence on glasses.”
A cataract forms when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, causing decreased vision. During surgery, the cataract is removed through a small incision and replaced with a clear, artificial lens. Standard monofocal lenses have been used for many years and allow a patient’s vision to be set for distance or up-close, but not both. If vision is optimized for distance, the patient will require reading glasses. If the vision is adjusted for reading, the patient will require distance glasses. Over the last decade, multifocal intraocular lenses have become widely available, allowing many patients to decrease their dependence on glasses for both up-close and distance. These lenses have concentric rings on their surface. Some of the rings focus the light up-close, and some focus light for distance. Multifocal lenses have increased quality of life for many patients. However, they also have limitations such as increased halos and glare at night. Most patients can adjust to this, though rarely, a patient may
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Woodstock Family Life | DECEMBER 2016
be bothered enough to request removal of the lens. For this reason, multifocal lenses may not be recommended for patients who do a lot of night driving. Patients also lose some contrast sensitivity, or crispness, of distance vision when they opt for multifocal lenses. For this reason, patients who desire the clearest distance vision may choose a monofocal lens, understanding that they’ll need reading glasses after surgery. Finally, patients with significant amounts of astigmatism are not candidates for multifocal lenses, as these lenses are unable to correct astigmatism. A better option for these patients is a toric lens, which corrects astigmatism so patients can see clearly in the distance without glasses, although they will still need reading glasses. It’s exciting to hear that a new lens has just been FDA-approved, which will help eye surgeons overcome many of these limitations and help more cataract patients see well, with less dependence on glasses. This new lens, called the Symfony lens, improves vision from the distance all the
way up to about eighteen inches from the patient. Patients treated with this lens have been shown to have excellent vision for distance activities, such as driving and sports, as well as intermediate activities, such as using a computer or tablet. Many patients can also perform some activities at a distance closer than eighteen inches, although low-power readers are needed for activities such as reading fine print and knitting. There are some impressive features that make the Symfony a big advancement compared to previous lenses. One unique feature is that it’s the first lens to correct near and intermediate vision that can be used in patients with significant astigmatism, as it also corrects mild-tomoderate astigmatism. The Symfony also has a much lower incidence of glare and halos compared to previous multifocal lenses. Finally, the contrast sensitivity, or crispness of vision, is excellent.
Dr. Cameron Johnson is a boardcertified ophthalmologist with Milan Eye Center, located in Canton. 470326-0320. MilanEyeCenter.com