As we perform daily activities such as reading, watching television or working at the computer, our eyes are constantly focusing on objects at varying distances – up close, far away and everything in-between.

The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation. The loss of this ability is called presbyopia.

Presbyopia becomes a reality by the time we are 40-45 years old causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses. For people over the age of 40, life without reading glasses or bifocals is something they either experienced before presbyopia or they just dreamed about for most of their lives. But today, the ReSTOR IOL is turning those dreams into reality with its revolutionary lens technology, which is designed to allow patients to see clearly at all distances without bifocals or reading glasses.

In the clinical study, 80% of patients receiving the ReSTOR IOL reported that they never wear glasses for any activities. With the ReSTOR IOL they can read a book, work on the computer, and drive a car – day or night – and play golf or tennis with an increased freedom from glasses. In fact, patients were so pleased with their vision, nearly 94% of patients said they would have the ReSTOR IOL implanted again, if given the choice. Finally, the opportunity for freedom from reading glasses and bifocals.

During U.S. clinical trials, the results with ReStor were remarkable:

• 99% of patients could see well enough to drive a car without glasses or contacts
• 97% of patients could read the newspaper without reading glasses or bifocals
• 90% of patients could shave or put on makeup without glasses or contacts
• 74% of patients could read stock quotes in the Wall Street Journal without reading glasses or bifocals

The best candidates will be those that have a strong desire to see well without glasses and have realistic expectations.

The following types of patients should NOT have the Aspheric ReStor lens:

• Patients who are satisfied with wearing glasses
• Patients that are hypercritical with unrealistic expectations
• Patients who drive at night for a living, or whose occupation or hobbies depend on good night vision
• Patients with ocular disease may not be good candidates for this implant.
  

Astigmatism is a common vision problem, but most people don't know what it is. It may accompany nearsightedness or farsightedness and is usually caused by an irregularly shaped cornea (called corneal astigmatism).

In a normal eye, with a round corneal curvature, light rays passing through the cornea and focus exactly at one spot on the retina. With corneal astigmatism, the surface of the cornea has an uneven curvature. As a result, light rays are not focused at one spot on the retina and your vision becomes distorted or blurred. If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you may not notice it or have just slightly blurred vision. But sometimes uncorrected astigmatism can give you headaches or eyestrain, and distort or blur your vision at all distances.

For cataract patients with astigmatism, successful cataract surgery is only half the battle for regaining quality vision. Until recently, the only viable vision correction options for astigmatism correction after cataract surgery were eyeglasses or contact lenses, both of which are not only inconvenient in terms of lifestyle but can also be expensive over your lifetime.

The AcrySof Toric Intraocular Lens (IOL) is an advanced technology that now makes it possible to correct the cataracts clouding your vision — AND the corneal astigmatism distorting your vision — all at the same time. The technology behind the AcrySof Toric IOL offers precise astigmatic correction that reduces or eliminates corneal astigmatism and delivers significantly improved distance-vision without glasses or contacts for cataract patients with pre-existing astigmatism. With the AcrySof Toric lens, your distance vision can be clear and vibrant, all in just one step.

The AcrySof Toric lens has proven long-term clinical results and is made of a patented material developed specifically for the eye. The AcrySof Toric lens is made of the same biocompatible lens material as Alcon's market-leading family of AcrySof intraocular lenses, which have been implanted in more than 30 million human eyes since 1991.

The AcrySof Toric lens is a foldable, single-piece lens that your eye surgeon implants during cataract surgery to replace your clouded, natural lens. Its unique design makes it possible to reduce or eliminate corneal astigmatism AND significantly improve uncorrected distance vision.

Cataract surgery remains the most frequently performed surgery in the United States and is one of the safest as well. So, the surgery itself remains the same — only the lens technology has improved. Think for just a minute about all of the things you could enjoy if you had QUALITY distance vision after cataract surgery without the hassles of eyeglasses or contacts: Your eyes are the only ones you'll every have. So, your choice of vision correction options are among the most important health decisions you'll ever make. See your eye doctor to learn more about the AcrySof® Toric lens to find out if it's right for you.