A cataract happens when the eye’s natural clear lens becomes clouded. To correct this, an ophthalmologist surgically replaces the clouded lens with what’s called an intraocular lens (IOL)—typically, a kind of monofocal IOL. While this artificial lens allows people to see distant objects well, it doesn’t correct the natural decline in near vision that occurs with age. This lack of near vision, called presbyopia, forces many people to wear glasses after cataract surgery, especially for reading. That may be about to change, however, through a promising development in lens technology. 

The TECNIS Synergy Lens

Although cataract surgery is a very effective medical procedure performed on millions of Americans each year, researchers have long been working on an IOL that can fix all ranges of vision: near to the eyes, a few feet removed, and far away. To date, presbyopia IOLs have had the opposite issue of monofocal IOLs, where they don’t allow people to see well farther away.

In an attempt to fix this problem and achieve full vision after surgery, a new IOL by Johnson & Johnson Vision has joined two presbyopia-correcting lenses: multifocal and extended depth of focus. Called TECNIS SynergyTM, the new IOL was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2021.

Encouraging Research

On November 13, 2021, at the 125th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO 2021), results from a study on the TECNIS IOL were presented.

• Two hundred seventy-two patients who underwent cataract surgery were recruited at 15 sites across the U.S.
• Visual outcomes in patients receiving a traditional monofocal IOL during cataract surgery were compared against those receiving the new TECNIS presbyopia-correcting IOL.
• 88% of patients receiving the new TECNIS IOL reported never using glasses versus just 3% of monofocal recipients.

‘The Best Near Vision’

Lead researcher Daniel Chang, M.D., is enthusiastic about the new technology, stating:

“My career goal has always been to conquer presbyopia—before it conquers me. This lens is a key addition to our ability to treat presbyopia. The Tecnis Synergy provides the best near vision of any lens I’ve ever used. For patients not wanting glasses, this is the lens I recommend.”

*Henerson, E. (2021, November 14). New kind of artificial lens may help patients avoid glasses after cataract surgery. News Medical Life Sciences. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211114/New-kind-of-artificial-lens-may-help-patients-avoid-glasses-after-cataract-surgery.aspx