The normal eye: When the corneal surface of a normal eye has a spherical curve that resembles the shape of a basketball, the light rays that enter through it are inclined towards the center and focus on a single spot. Astigmatism: Sometimes the corneal surface presents irregular curvatures, some more pronounced than others. When the corneal surface presents irregular curvatures, there are distortions in the vision. This frequent abnormality, called corneal astigmatism, causes haziness or distortions in vision because light rays don't focus on a single spot to provide clear vision.

The normal eye

When the corneal surface of a normal eye has a spherical curve that resembles the shape of a basketball, the light rays that enter through it are inclined towards the center and focus on a single spot

Astigmatism

Sometimes the corneal surface presents irregular curvatures, some more pronounced than others. When the corneal surface presents irregular curvatures, there are distortions in the vision. This frequent abnormality, called corneal astigmatism, causes haziness or distortions in vision because light rays don't focus on a single spot to provide clear vision.

In a person with cataract and corneal astigmatism, distant vision will never be fully restored after cataract surgery, unless astigmatism is corrected as well.

How would it be if you could say goodbye to cataract and astigmatism at the same time?

How would it be if you could say goodbye to cataract and astigmatism at the same time?

Ποιες είναι οι επιλογές σας για τη διόρθωση του αστιγματισμού;

Φανταστείτε να μπορούσατε να έχετε επιτέλους ποιοτική μακρινή όραση χωρίς τη βοήθεια γυαλιών ή φακών επαφής. Διαβάζετε το φυλλάδιο αυτό με τα δύο μοναδικά μάτια που έχετε και θα έχετε για όλη τη ζωή σας. Για το λόγο αυτό, οι αποφάσεις σχετικά με τη διόρθωση της όρασης είναι ανάμεσα στις πιο σημαντικές αποφάσεις που θα πάρετε ποτέ. Σήμερα, η επαναστατική νέα τεχνολογία προσφέρει στο χειρουργό την δυνατότητα μίας μόνο επέμβασης, με την οποία ο θολωμένος από τον καταρράκτη φυσικός φακός αντικαθίσταται από έναν τεχνητό φακό που έχει σχεδιαστεί και για τη διόρθωση του αστιγματισμού. Ενδέχεται να μπορέσετε να ελαχιστοποιήσετε τη χρήση γυαλιών ή φακών επαφής για τη μακρινή όραση σε ένα μόνο βήμα, χωρίς να χρειαστούν επιπλέον χειρουργικές επεμβάσεις.

What are your options to correct astigmatism?

If you depend on your glasses, you might have already experienced how bad someone feels when he can't find his glasses exactly when they're needed. The glasses can get lost or damaged easily, their replacement costs a lot and cleaning and maintaining them is a nuisance. The more active you are, the bigger the nuisance the glasses can be in your life, since they complicate your participation in recreational or even everyday activities.

Many people don't enjoy wearing glasses and prefer some other ways to correct their vision, like contact lenses. “Toric” contact lenses that are designed to correct astigmatism are an option. However, some people don't find them comfortable and face difficulties adjusting to their use. There are many surgical options that your surgeon can choose from to correct your astigmatism, like laser correction of your vision with LASIK laser, astigmatic, keratotomy (AK) or limbal relaxing incisions – LRI).

However, if you have programmed a cataract surgery, now you have one more option... an implanted lens that will help you treat cataract and correct corneal astigmatism simultaneously. Your ophthalmologist will recommend the best option for your case.

A better choice for quality distant vision.

The surgical procedure to remove the cataract is a process that needs no hospitalization. During the procedure, an eye surgeon removes the hazy natural lens and replaces it with an artificial lens. In the traditional procedure the surgeon implants a unifocal artificial lens that is usually called “intraocular lens” (IOL). But if you also have astigmatism, your vision could still be hazy or distorted, because a typical intraocular lens cannot correct corneal astigmatism. To achieve quality distant vision with a typical intraocular lens, you might continue to need glasses, contact lenses or another surgical procedure.

If quality distant vision is important for you, then there is a better option. This unique lens design offers a much improved distant vision and can decrease the need for corrective lenses.

Hazy and distorted vision because of cataracts and astigmatism.

What is the intraocular lens?

This lens is a folding, single-piece lens, implanted by an eye surgeon during a cataract procedure, in order to replace the hazy lens.

The unique design of the intraocular lens allows for a decrease of corneal astigmatism and significantly improves non-corrected distant vision. The lens provides QUALITY distant vision. The lens is manufactured with the same biocompatible lens material that has already been implanted.

Published in the newspaper

Arkadikoi Orizontes

June 2009