Near vision improved with diffractive-refractive multifocal IOL, surgeon says

KOLOA, Hawaii — The Alcon AcrySof ReStor diffractive-refractive multifocal IOL demonstrated an improvement in near vision and no decrease in distance vision compared to a monofocal IOL, one surgeon said.

Kerry D. Solomon, MD, described a study in which 340 patients were implanted bilaterally with a three-piece AcrySof ReStor multifocal IOL and 225 were implanted with the traditional one-piece monofocal AcrySof. He said there was no decrease in distance vision with the ReStor compared to the monofocal IOL, and near vision was markedly improved.

“Near vision is simply spectacular with this lens,” Dr. Solomon said at an Alcon-supported symposium held during Hawaii 2004: the Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting.

Dr. Solomon explained that a benefit of the ReStor lens is that it meets the needs of patients who do not want to wear glasses while going about daily activities such as reading, driving and sewing. In patient satisfaction questionnaires, “most patients say they would have this lens implanted again,” he said.

He added that the ReStor provides significant advances “like I’ve never seen before in lens technology.”