Crystalens®
Serving Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, WA
The intraocular lens implant (IOL) is one of the most revolutionary advances in vision correction for replacement of the eye’s natural lens. With an intraocular lens implant like Crystalens®, more people than ever can see better without needing thick glasses. At Bellevue Lasik and Cornea in Seattle, Washington, Dr. Kent Leavitt’s patients are discovering this superior alternative for enhanced vision.
Crystalens® is just one type of IOL, yet it offers a distinct advantage in its ability to closely mimic the natural movements of the eye’s lens. Other IOLs cannot offer this benefit. This means that even older individuals undergoing cataract surgery can look forward to enhanced visual acuity with Crystalens®.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003, Crystalens is creating a world of possibilities for individuals who as recently as ten years ago were doomed to wear thick glasses to correct lens defects.
Understanding Crystalens
The natural crystalline lens of the eye is located behind the iris. The iris is the colored part of the eye. Around the lens are ciliary muscles that control how the lens moves. The ciliary muscles help the lens to bend, flex, thicken and thin, all movements that are crucial for “accommodation”, or the ability to focus distant or close objects onto the retina, where the brain then interprets the image.
Healthy eyes can easily focus on objects that are close up or far away, because healthy eyes have a normal corneal curvature and a normal crystalline lens. But when the cornea and the lens are not perfectly shaped, the result is nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Corneal curvature issues can be corrected with LASIK or corneal implants. But the shape of the eye’s lens requires correction with an intraocular lens like that designed by CrystaLens.
Cataracts and Crystalens
Cataracts, a common vision problem in aging eyes, occur when the lens grows less flexible and becomes cloudy. Without medical intervention, cataracts can cause vision deterioration. Crystalens replaces the clouded natural lens via cataract extraction and replacement with the Crystalens IOL. The result is restored clear vision.
Crystalens Risks
While Crystalens has helped many people see more clearly, the procedure is still surgery. Therefore, some risks, although rare, include:
- Infection
- Placement issues that require additional surgery to correct
- Potential for cornea clouding
- Permanent vision loss
- Increased risk of retinal detachment
Will Crystalens work for you? There is only one way to know for sure. When you schedule your consultation with Dr. Kent Leavitt at Bellevue Lasik and Cornea in Seattle, Washington, you will experience superior patient care in a highly advanced diagnostic environment. When your consultation has concluded, you will know which procedure is right for you, and will have the confidence to move forward to achieve your goals of better vision.