BLOG: Are there risks associated with bifocal glasses?
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Many of us talk to patients with cataract about the opportunity to choose a “lifestyle” lens that offers them the convenience of greater spectacle independence.
However, we rarely consider the safety aspects of presbyopia-correcting IOLs, especially if the alternative would be to wear progressive or bifocal spectacles after cataract surgery.
The near add portion of any bifocal or progressive spectacle worsens depth perception and reduces edge contrast sensitivity. Because of this, bifocal or trifocal glasses more than double the risk for falls in older adults. And falls account for significant morbidity and mortality in this age group: They cause 95% of hip fractures and kill more older Americans than either breast cancer or prostate cancer.
In addition to physical health outcomes, falls can be detrimental to seniors’ quality of life and independence. About 40% of all older admissions to nursing homes or long-term care facilities happen as a direct result of a fall. Many of us have experienced this firsthand with a family member or loved one and know just how difficult the rehabilitation and recovery process can be for both patient and family caregivers.
As always, it is imperative that we empower our patients with information, options and guidance — not fear. With that said, it is amazing to realize that the lenses we implant influence how safely our patients can ambulate and interact with their world. The ability to correct refractive error, cataract and presbyopia simultaneously with a multifocal IOL or an extended depth of focus lens like the Tecnis Symfony (Johnson & Johnson Vision) may have a greater impact on health, safety and well-being than we typically appreciate.
References:
Falls facts and figures. http://www.rgpeo.com/media/57625/falls%
20facts%20and%20figures%20oct%2029.pdf. Accessed May 27, 2020.
Lord SR, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002;doi:10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50502.x.
Parkkari J, et al. Calcif Tissue Int. 1999;doi:10.1007/s002239900679.
Scott V, et al. Technical report: Hospitalizations due to falls among Canadians age 65 and over. An analysis of data from the discharge abstract database as presented in: Report on seniors’ falls in Canada (Section 2.2). www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/alt-formats/pdf/publications/pro/injury-blessure/seniors_falls/technical-report-hospitalizations_e.pdf. Accessed May 27, 2020.
Collapse
Falls are leading cause of injury and death in older Americans. www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0922-older-adult-falls.html. Accessed May 27, 2020.