Cataracts aren’t inevitable, but they are a very common occurrence as we grow older. Thanks to modern technology, though, they are now routinely corrected with techniques that restore vision that in the past would have simply continued to deteriorate into blindness.

Cataract surgery today is a relatively simple procedure. The lens, which has become clouded and non-functional due to cataracts, is removed through an incision in the cornea. The natural lens is then replaced with an artificial lens, referred to as an intraocular lens, or IOL.

The type of IOL used to replace the natural lens can vary based on your specific needs. Dr. Lewis can evaluate your situation and determine what is the best kind of lens for you.

One type of IOL is a toric lens. A toric lens placed in the eye during cataract surgery can help correct astigmatism as well as provide a new, unclouded lens for your eye. The toric lens is relatively new, and until fairly recently, contact lenses could not be used to correct astigmatism. The toric lens, though, makes this possible.

The major difference between a toric lens and a standard, or spherical lens, is that the standard lens is designed to rotate in the eye. It can be placed in any position and still function properly to correct your vision. A toric lens, by contrast, must be placed in the correct position, and must remain in that position. Toric lenses are often weighted slightly at the bottom to keep them stationary in your eye.

The biggest advantage of a toric lens for use as an IOL in cataract surgery is that it can correct vision problems that previously could only be corrected with glasses. Even after having cataract surgery, many people still had to wear glasses for reading, distance vision, or to correct astigmatism. Now, by placing a toric lens such as the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR®, cataract patients can experience corrected vision after surgery, without having to depend on glasses in addition to the IOL. AcrySof IQ ReSTOR lenses can give you not only a new, unclouded lens, but corrected vision.

Dr. Stuart Lewis, Cherry Creek Eye Physicians and Surgeons, P.C., performs cataract surgery using toric lenses for patients for whom they prove appropriate. For more information about toric lenses and cataracts, please contact Dr. Stuart Lewis, Denver, Colorado eye surgeon.