Posted on March 18, 2010.
Lens Implant Potentially Improves Driving Safety About 60 percent of people over 65, and 70 percent of people over 75 have some degree of development of cataracts, a clouding of the eye that affects vision. About 2.5 million elderly people undergo cataract surgery each year in the United States.
The objective Tecnis was designed to improve functional vision of patients for cataract surgery. Functional vision is the ability to see objects clearly under different levels of light and in conditions such as rain, snow, fog and night.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers over 65 are more likely to be involved in a car accident than people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Provide elderly patients with cataract vision improvement is essential to their security and safety of others.
"The ability of the lens Tecnis to improve functional vision sets a new standard in the treatment of cataract patients," said Dr. Mark Packer, clinical assistant professor, Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, the Oregon Health & Science University, and principal investigator for the Tecnis clinical study. "Many Tecnis patients see very well in low light conditions and tell me they feel comfortable driving at night for the first time in years ".
In a clinical study comparing Tecnis leader, traditional acrylic lens implant, the patient's ability to detect and identify objects was tested using a driving simulator at night. Although Tecnis showed no significant improvement on the acrylic lens in contrast sensitivity, reaction time of patients improved when using the lens Tecnis the night driving simulator.
One of the most significant benefits of the lens Tecnis was improved detection and identification of pedestrians at night. Tecnis patients consistently pedestrians at a greater distance in all environments.
Adverse events associated with achieving Tecnis are compatible with intraocular lens implantation in cataract surgery patients and include, but are not limited to: corneal edema, iritis, hyphema, macular edema, delamination of retina and lens dislocation.
