Is Replacement or Removal Possible for Intraocular Lens?

IOL (Intraocular lens) is both replaceable and removable. However, it is not a simple procedure to perform as it sounds and can lead to numerous potential vision complexities in the future. It is flexible, lightweight and transparent which will not get clouded anymore.

Moreover it will not get shifted and worn out for the rest of your life. But in some cases IOL dislocation cases have been found. In this blog, we will discuss the potential reasons behind these occurrences and how to correct it.

IOL gets misplaced primarily because of the following reasons:

• Position

Rarely, IOL can get moved from its actual position for numerous reasons. It occurs spontaneously and thereby indicating the importance of follow up checkups for the patient with cataract surgery. For any sudden experience of vision loss, they should visit the ophthalmologist on an urgent basis!

• Incorrect power

Sometimes even after complete assessment and calculations there can be slight variations in the transplanted lenses. In such instances the implanted IOL fails to offer the expected vision or it may lead to other eye issues as well. Hence, it has to be replaced immediately with the correctly-powered IOL.

IOL removal or exchange alternation should be considered very carefully and after thorough research.

Common causes for displacement of intraocular lens

Dislocation of the IOL (Intraocular lens) is a bare eye problem! But some of the common causes of intraocular lens displacement are mentioned here for your references:

• Nearsightedness (high myopia)

• Eye injuries

• Earlier underwent eye surgery including vitrectomy and glaucoma surgery

• PSX (Crystalline Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome) that breaks down the ligaments fibres and supports zonule (natural eye lens)

Only a few percentages of the patients with cataract surgery suffer from IOL dislocation in the future. But if there is a chance it can happen anytime within 5 years of your cataract surgery.

Various intraocular lens types you must know about

IOL is referred to the soft and artificial intraocular lens that inserts as the replacement of affected natural lens. Mainly, it is used for treating or removing cataract but these days it serves to a variety of other vision corrections as well. Some IOL types are mentioned here in the following for your reference:

• Mono-focal- Most traditional lens with fixed focal length to correct distant vision

• Multifocal- Multiple-focal lens equipped lenses which correct distant, intermediate and near vision

• Toric- Astigmatism is corrected using this lens

• Mono-vision- It is different power-lenses used for correcting vision in both eyes. Due to its high flexibility it acts as the natural lens for varied distances. It eradicates the essentially of putting on the reading glasses.

For some extremely advanced cases, ophthalmologist makes use of combined technologies to provide combined lens to the patient for personalised treatment according to the individual visual requirements.

What is a cataract means?

When the natural lens of the eye becomes blurred or cloudy, this conditional is medically coined as cataract. It can happen for a number of reasons along with aging. The lens’ mistiness creates an obstacle for the light to pass through impacting normal vision badly.

Cataract surgery involves the procedure to replace the natural cataract-ridden lens by an artificial IOL lens. This will enable you to read and see the objects clearly and eliminates your reliability on contact lenses and eyeglasses further. A number of cases have been successful and patients are truly benefited from IOL transplantation.

Recovery of lens replacement surgery or cataract

Local anaesthesia is administered to the patient prior to conduct lens replacement surgery. That’s why patients can’t experience any kind of pain at the time of surgery. Once it is done, mild discomfort and some itching is normal to experience for the first few initial days! Afterwards, it will get subsided naturally. In the meantime, an eye drop will be prescribed to provide you some relief in that phase.

Within a couple of week of the surgery, you will be completely fine and prepared to get back into the track of your daily life again. A few more weeks will be needed for complete improvement of your vision with proper after care. Optimal vision can be achieved within 4-6 weeks which you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Is this procedure safe to undergo?

Like any other vision correction solutions, lens replacement surgery is also safe. Although it possesses the risk of a few associated complications that you might be aware of yet it is common in every medical surgical procedure. However, all these complications are mild and get subsided on their own after a couple of days with some bonus treatments.

If you develop cataract in one of your eyes, don’t consider IOL surgery all by yourself. Instead contact your nearest eye clinic for intraocular lens implant surgery on getting checked if you are the right candidate for this surgery!