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Effects of accommodative, multifocal IOLs may vary
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MADRID, Spain — Because the physiology of presbyopia in the eye is still unclear, the effects of IOLs that try to mimic accommodation may vary from patient to patient, according to one surgeon.
Researchers have not determined for certain the mechanism of action of presbyopia, and the theory introduced by Helmholtz in 1855 is still widely accepted, said Jorge Alió, MD.
We know that the lens increases in mass, and that dimension, thickness and the anterior and posterior surface curvatures increase with age, Dr. Alió told attendees here at the Congress of the European Society of Ophthalmology.
With age also comes increased refractive index and hardness of the lens, he said. For these reasons, surgical attempts to correct presbyopia should be customized to the patient, he said.
Current surgical modalities for the correction of presbyopia include IOLs that are multifocal, aphakic, phakic, pseudoaccommodating and accommodating, Dr. Alió said. The designs of some of these the lenses attempt to mimic the way the natural lens accommodates, he said.
In addition to lenses, other surgical techniques have been developed to restore accommodation. Corneal multifocal surgery, which Dr. Alió dubbed presby-LASIK, and scleral surgery are among the non-IOL surgical approaches to presbyopia reversal.