Spotlight on Technology & Technique

Trulign Toric IOL can solve near-vision correction riddle

Bausch + Lomb lens a ‘one-and-done’ solution.

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

The Trulign Toric IOL from Bausch + Lomb may not be the first astigmatism-correcting lens, but, according to Sheri

Rowen, MD, of the Mercy Medical Eye and Cosmetic surgery center in Baltimore, Md., the Trulign can do so much more for the patient. “We now can offer a lens that will correct your distance. It’s an amazing toric lens and with that you will also get intermediate vision and a significant amount of near vision back,” she says, adding that “it’s my new favorite toric lens.”

NEAR-VISION BENEFITS

The Trulign is intended for adult patients with or without presbyopia seeking improved, uncorrected distance vision. However, it also provides spectacular intermediate and increased near vision correction, according to Dr. Rowen, which is not offered by other toric IOLs in the market. The near vision usually is at a J3 level and, unlike monovision, you don’t lose distance, she says. It provides approximately one diopter of binocular accommodation, which allows for some near as well as great intermediate and distance vision, reducing spectacle dependence. “The beauty of this lens is it has the flexibility to give an extra diopter for near vision tasks,” Dr. Rowen says. “We even get more with some patients.” The bottom line, she says, is this is the only toric correcting lens that gives the patients a range of vision for most functions.

This IOL mimics the natural accommodating process with what Dr. Rowen calls “seamless focusing ability.”

The Trulign is built on a flexible lens platform. When the muscles are trying to move, they can actually move this lens a little bit. It arches it a little bit. “You can count on a diopter and that’s enough to give patients terrific computer vision,” she explains. “It may not be enough to read a medicine bottle, but it doesn’t have any problems with light splitting, like a multifocal lens does.”

A WORRY-FREE ALTERNATIVE

For Dr. Rowen, this improved near vision, in addition to the expected intermediate and distance vision improvements, is “one-and-done” which translates to happier patients. “It offers me a worry-free alternative,” she says. “I don’t have to exchange lenses. If patients don’t like a multifocal, it has to come out.” Now, she says, “most patients won’t have to get LASIK or LRIs, the lens itself takes care of that.”

IMPLANTATION TIPS

Dr. Rowen offers some advice for implantation. First, she says, create a capsulorhexis that completely overlaps the edges of the optic, or overlaps it as best as possible. That assures there won’t be any forward movement of the lens. It should sit back in a posterior position.

Also, be sure to clean up the anterior capsule of the lens cells that remain behind. “We actually polish them off with little instruments,” she explains “You just go underneath the capsule and manually remove the residual lens material in there. We can see what’s left behind with the microscope. Cleaning out all residual cortex can keep the lenses in place.” OM