Lens Implant Surgery - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Ocular Health Issues

                                                                                         

Lens implant surgery is one way for people to regain normal vision following if someone suffers from severe nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). Below are just some of the most frequently asked questions about lens implant surgery.

What is lens implant surgery and how does it work?
Lens implant surgery is a procedure that does not use a laser to perform the vision correction in the eyes. The non-laser refractive procedure is used to correct those patients who have moderate to severe nearsightedness or myopia. A contact lens type material, called a phakic intraocular lens is implanted inside the eye either behind the iris or in front of the iris. This lens acts like an internal contact lens and works with your natural lens to give the patient clearer vision in all ranges of distance.

Who can benefit from surgical implants?
This type of procedure is ideal for patients older than 21 and less than 45 years of age. Patients who are 45 and older usually have presbyopia or they are in the early stages of presbyopia and should consider an alternative vision correction procedure. Lens implants are suitable for patients with larger degrees of myopia or nearsightedness, usually –6.00 to –20.00 diopters and either very little or no astigmatism. Also lens implants are suitable for patients who are not candidates for LASIK because of the thinness of their corneas.

What are the risks with lens implant surgery?
Because it is a surgery, there are risks to lens implant surgery. It is important for a patient to understand the risks and to weigh them against the benefits in order to make the decision of what is the most suitable option for them. Complications following the phakic IOL or intraocular implant surgery are rare, but there are conditions that have an increased chance of occurring, such as infection, retinal detachment, increased intraocular pressure, cataracts, loss of corneal endothelial cells an inflammation.

This procedure is a fairly new procedure, so there is no data on long-term effects and risks for 10 years out.

Will my insurance cover lens implant surgery?
Most insurance companies consider lens implants to be an elective surgery, but some may offer partial benefits that can save you on the cost of the procedure. Your employer may have a flexible spending or cafeteria plan, which can offer tax advantages for this type of surgery. Check with your vision correction provider to find out the options you may have. To help make vision improvement fit into your budget, Furlong Vision Correction have payment plans they can offer.

Can lens implant surgery correct astigmatism?
Lens implants will not correct astigmatism directly, however the process of the surgery can reduce it. If you have moderate to high degree of astigmatism, you may want to look into laser correction surgery to correct the problem after the lens implant surgery.

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So you want to learn more about refractive surgery procedures such as LASIK laser eye surgery? At a St. Louis, Missouri LASIK office, you can get the information you need about these vision correction options.

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