Premium IOLs still an option in post-refractive eyes
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NEW YORK — Patients with post-refractive corneas are not necessarily excluded from undergoing premium IOL implantation, according to an expert at OSN New York.
Deborah Ristvedt, DO, said many patients in this situation have high expectations and are motivated to maintain spectacle independence.
“But there’s a balance between spectacle independence and image quality,” she said. “There’s a balance between desire and reality. We’re utilizing modern-day diagnostics to really help us determine what we can give these patients.”
Ristvedt said there are some important factors to understand before moving forward with a premium IOL in these patients, including the timing of the LASIK surgery, the amount of vision corrected, as well as what the topography shows.
“One thing I want to know is what is their total [higher-order aberrations],” she said. “If they have low [higher-order aberrations], it may set us up for more options. These patients aren’t completely excluded from these IOL technologies.”
Ristvedt uses a step-by-step approach to select the right lens for each patient, including taking the patient’s lifestyle into account, discussing dysphotopsias, optimizing the corneal surface and being prepared for an IOL exchange to ensure the refractive target is met.
“Post-refractive corneas do not necessarily exclude patients from premium IOLs, but it takes individual treatment using our modern-day diagnostics, as well as educating the patient and being with them before and after surgery,” Ristvedt said. “That’s key.”