Dr. Teeple is one of the first doctors in Tucson, Arizona to implant the new Tecnis Symfony IOL. This is a brand new type of lens implant for cataract surgery. It is the first and only presbyopia-correcting extended range of vision IOL. It delivers a continuous, full range of high quality vision with incidence of halos and glare comparable to a monofocal IOL.
The Symfony lens, which treats presbyopia (age-related long-sightedness) is implanted into the eye during a normal cataract operation. In most cases recovery time is minimal, with patients able to return to their usual routine just 24 hours after surgery. Unlike traditional multifocal lenses, there is not an increased incidence of glares or halos with the Symfony lens, no reduction in contrast sensitivity, and it has a special defraction grating, making it similar to a traditional lens implant but with the added benefit of a reading prescription. A clinical study, carried out in New Zealand, discovered:
· Compared to previous monofocal lenses, there is no compromise in distance vision with the Symfony lens
· 100% of patients used for the study no longer need distance spectacles, with 94% no longer requiring spectacles for intermediate vision
· There were no reports of ‘glare’ or ‘halo’
· There were no reports of lens-related adverse effects
The FDA approved the Symfony lens in July of 2016 after clinical trials were completed. See the full press release from the FDA at the following link: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm511446.htm