FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CATARACT LENSES
EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CATARACTS, CLAREON® INTRAOCULAR LENSES, CATARACT SURGERY, AND MORE
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of your eye that causes your vision to appear hazy. Cataracts happen gradually as your eyes get older, and the natural lens will eventually need to be removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens in order for you to see clearly.1
Symptoms of cataracts include:
• Clouded, blurred, or dim vision
• Reduced quality of night vision
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty reading
• Fading of colors
• Double vision in a single eye
An intraocular lens, or IOL, is an artificial, lightweight replacement lens placed in the eye during cataract surgery to restore vision. You can choose from many different types of lenses—some are designed to provide only distance vision, while trifocal lenses deliver near, intermediate, and distance vision for clear, complete focus.2 After a surgeon removes your cataract-clouded lens, he or she will implant the lens that you chose before your procedure.
Unlike contact lenses, which must be removed, cleaned, and reinserted, an intraocular lens remains in the eye after surgery. Intraocular lenses do not break down and almost never need to be replaced except in rare cases. Learn more about cataract surgery and download our doctor discussion guide here.
A trifocal lens is specifically engineered to provide vision at every distance, from near through far2 and can offer benefits beyond a standard cataract lens. The Clareon® PanOptix® Lens, the first and only trifocal lens for cataracts in the United States, delivers a full range of vision and exceptional clarity without glasses.2-4
A standard cataract replacement lens, also called a monofocal lens, allows you to see far away. An Extended Depth of Focus lens, like Clareon® Vivity®, is designed to allow you to see clearly at the crucial far and intermediate distances, while still providing functional near vision, reducing the need for glasses or contact lenses.5
A toric lens addresses Astigmatism, a common eye condition that happens when the cornea’s surface has an uneven curvature, resembling a football rather than a basketball. This irregularity results in blurred vision at all distances and challenges in seeing fine details. By choosing a toric intraocular lens, you can effectively address the vision problems caused by cataracts and Astigmatism simultaneously.6
A monofocal lens is an intraocular lens with a fixed focus for one distance only, usually distance.7 After cataract surgery, a person with both monofocal lenses focused at distance would need glasses to see clearly at near and intermediate distances.7
Cataract surgery is usually completed within 10 to 20 minutes.1
The cost of your surgery is based on a lot of things—like your location, your doctor, your co-pay requirement, and the lens you choose. Talk to your surgeon’s office; they will work with your insurer to determine how much you will need to pay. Learn more about the cost of cataract surgery and see what costs are typically covered by insurance here.
Most people rest for a few hours after surgery. Your doctor may recommend that you wear a protective shield over your eye for several days.
You should not drive for up to 24 hours after your cataract surgery.
Ask your doctor at your follow-up visit if you are cleared to travel.
You should avoid strenuous activities for a few weeks after cataract surgery. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about certain activities.
Intraocular lenses usually last a lifetime.1
Cataract surgery involves removing the eye’s natural lens which has become cloudy (cataract) and replacing it with an intraocular lens. Different lenses serve different functions depending on the vision issues you are trying to correct. Your ophthalmologist will work with you to decide on the best lens option to meet your needs. Learn more about cataract surgery and download our doctor discussion guide here.
Deciding which lens is best for you will depend on a combination of factors including your medical history, past and current eye health, as well as your lifestyle (i.e., your need for near vision, or how often you drive at night). It’s important to discuss your vision goals with your ophthalmologist to help determine the best possible lens choice for you. Learn more about cataract surgery and download our doctor discussion guide here.
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IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION - CLAREON® FAMILY OF IOLS
CAUTION: Restricted by law to sale by or on the order of a physician.
DESCRIPTION: The Clareon® Family of Lenses are artificial lenses implanted in the eye of adult patients following cataract surgery. The Clareon® Aspheric Hydrophobic Acrylic IOLs are designed to allow for clear distance vision. However, you will likely still need glasses for reading and for distance vision particularly if you already have astigmatism. The Clareon® PanOptix® Trifocal Hydrophobic IOL is a type of multifocal lens (sometimes called “presbyopia-correcting IOL”) designed to allow for clear distance, intermediate, and near vision with the potential to be more independent of the need to use glasses for daily tasks. The Clareon® Vivity® Extended Vision Hydrophobic Posterior Chamber IOL provides clear distance vision, and better intermediate and some near vision compared to a monofocal IOL. The Clareon® Aspheric Toric, Clareon® PanOptix® Toric, and Clareon® Vivity® Toric IOLs are also designed to correct pre-existing corneal astigmatism, which is the inability of the eye to focus clearly at any distance because of difference curvatures on the cornea, and provide distance vision.
WARNINGS / PRECAUTIONS: You may experience and need to contact your eye doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms after cataract surgery: itching, redness, watering of your eye, sensitivity to light. The safety and effectiveness of these IOLs have not been established in patients with eye conditions, such as an increase in eye pressure (glaucoma) or complications of diabetes in the eye (diabetic retinopathy). As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. These risks may include but are not limited to infection, damage to the lining of the cornea, the retinal layer which lines the inside back wall of your eye may become separated from the tissue next to it (retinal detachment), inflammation or swelling inside or outside the eye, damage to the iris (the colored diaphragm around the pupil), or an increase in eye pressure that cannot be controlled by medicine and secondary surgical procedure. There is a possibility that the IOL may be placed incorrectly or could move within the eye. This may result in less improvement or a reduction in vision, or it may cause visual symptoms. The Clareon® Aspheric Toric, Clareon® PanOptix® Toric, and Clareon® Vivity® Toric IOLs correct astigmatism only when placed in the correct position in the eye. There is a possibility that these Toric IOLs could be placed incorrectly or could move within the eye. This may result in less improvement or a reduction in vision because your astigmatism has not been fully corrected, or it may cause visual symptoms. With the Clareon® PanOptix® and Clareon® Vivity® IOLs, there may be a loss of sharpness of your vision that may become worse in dim light or in foggy conditions. There is also a possibility that you may have some visual effects such as rings or circles (halos) around lights at night. You may also have trouble seeing street signs due to bright lights or glare from oncoming headlights.
ATTENTION: As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. Prior to surgery, ask your eye doctor to provide you with the Patient Information Brochure for the lens to be implanted. This Brochure which will inform you of the risks and benefits associated with the IOL. Discuss any questions about possible risks and benefits associated with your eye doctor.
REFERENCES
1. Cataract Surgery. Mayo Clinic web page. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cataract-surgery/about/pac-20384765. Accessed March 8, 2023.
2. Clareon® PanOptix® Trifocal Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL Model CNWTT0 Directions for Use.
3. Werner L, Thatthamla I, Ong M, et al. Evaluation of clarity characteristics in a new hydrophobic acrylic IOL. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2019;45:1490-1497.
4. Zhu D, Ren S, Mills K, Hull J, Dhariwal M. Rate of Complete Spectacle Independence with a Trifocal Intraocular Lens: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Ophthalmol Ther. 2023;12(2):1157-1171.
5. Clareon® Vivity® Extended Vision Hydrophobic IOL (CNWET0) Directions for Use – USA.
6. Clareon® Toric Directions for Use.
7. Sridhar U, Tripathy K. Monofocal Intraocular Lenses. [Updated 2022 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK580484/.