West Chester Eye Surgeon Restores Vision After Cataract Surgery With Premium IOLs

West Chester Eye Surgeon Restores Vision After Cataract Surgery With Premium IOLs

Dr. Robert Liss outlines the benefits of the three premium intraocular lens implants (IOLs) he offers his cataract surgery patients and how he helps patients make the best choice for their individual needs.

West Chester, PA – Dr. Robert Liss, a cataract surgeon at Chester County Eye Care Associates, specializes in minimally invasive cataract surgery. During the procedure, the eye’s natural lens often must be replaced with an intraocular lens implant (IOL), which can ultimately restore – and even improve – the patient’s vision after cataract removal. A range of advanced technology intraocular lens implants (IOLs) are available at the practice, giving cataract surgery patients an alternative to conventional IOLs to improve their post-operative visual function and further reduce their dependency on eyeglasses for both distance and near vision tasks.

Dr. Liss generally offers three choices of advanced technology IOLs for patients who are good candidates for these types of lens implants: Toric, ReSTOR^® and Crystalens^®. According to Dr. Liss, ReSTOR^® multifocal IOLs usually yield excellent distance and near vision. Although Dr. Liss notes that “there are often halos around bright lights, especially driving at night when the eye is dilated (light causes the pupil to get smaller, darkness enlarges the pupil),” he also emphasizes that ReSTOR^® multifocal IOLs are “an excellent choice for patients who want to reduce their dependency on glasses for most tasks.”

ReSTOR^® multifocal IOLs function by splitting light—some light is used for near (reading) vision, while other light is being focused for distance (driving) vision. “This ‘splitting’ of the light causes a decrease in contrast sensitivity,” says Dr. Liss, citing difficulty seeing very faded print on a white background as an example. He says that this splitting of light “is rarely a problem except for those patients who have diminished contrast sensitivity from other eye diseases, such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.”

In contrast, Dr. Liss highlights that “the Crystalens^® accommodative lens works best for distance and mid-range (computer distance) vision.” Since the Crystalens^® does not affect contrast sensitivity, he says this IOL may be of benefit to those with ocular disease who are not ideal candidates for ReSTOR^® multifocal IOLs. While some of Dr. Liss’s patients who choose Crystalens^® IOLs still require reading glasses after surgery, many do not.

Toric lens implants are designed to correct astigmatism, a condition of the eye not being perfectly round. Toric lenses are used to sharpen vision, resulting in much less dependency on astigmatic glasses.

Ultimately, Dr. Liss says a healthy cornea is very important for multifocal IOLs – patients with inflammatory disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, and other conditions that may affect retinal and corneal health may not be good candidates for these types of IOLs. During the consultation process for cataract surgery, Dr. Liss will take a thorough medical history and discuss his patients’ lifestyles, needs, and expectations. He says he finds that in-depth discussions with his patients are the best way to determine the most appropriate IOL for the individual. According to Dr. Liss, there is no shortcut in discovering his West Chester ophthalmology patients’ best interests, and a detailed consultation process ensures the best possible results for each unique person.

About Robert P. Liss, MD

In addition to his service as a cataract and glaucoma surgeon at Chester County Eye Care, Dr. Liss has been a Senior Instructor and Course Director for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, teaching surgeons from across the globe minimally invasive techniques in cataract surgery as well as the latest advances in surgical glaucoma treatment. He was also the first ophthalmologist in the Philadelphia area to successfully implant a synthetic iris. Dr. Liss is a member of a number of medical organizations, including the American Glaucoma Society. He was awarded the 2004 Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and has been recognized as a “Top Doc” in Main Line Today magazine. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Liss is available for interview upon request.

For more information about Dr. Liss and Chester County Eye Care Associates, visit chestercountyeyecare.com, chestercountylasik.com, and facebook.com/ChesterCountyEyeCare.

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