SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY & TECHNIQUE

Seeing is believing

AMO’s +3.25D and +2.75D Tecnis Multifocal IOLs offer benefits for modern patients’ lifestyles.

By Corrie Pelc, Contributing Editor

The FDA first approved intraocular lenses (IOLs) in 1981, but patient expectations have since increased along with modern technological needs, says Kerry Assil, MD. “Patients nowadays expect not only greater visual clarity, but greater visual clarity without glasses,” says Dr. Assil, of the Assil Eye Institute in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, Calif. “We knew [these IOLs] were going to generate solutions for a subset of patients seeking premium IOLs, and that they would be the best solution for those patients.”

Dr. Assil now offers his patients the +3.25D and +2.75D Tecnis Multifocal IOLs from Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), which he says meet their needs effectively to see clearly at multiple distances throughout the day without glasses.

AMO’s Tecnis Multifocal +2.75D and +3.25D IOL show improved intermediate and distance vision compared to the original Tecnis +4.0D lens.

PATIENT BENEFITS

According to Dr. Assil, the Tecnis Multifocal IOL functionality is based on the diffractive optics principle. Through parallel bundles of light, patients can focus on far objects with one portion of the lens, while focusing on close objects through islets that are concentrically positioned along the lens. This provides patients with clarity of vision both near and far, he says. Also, Dr. Assil says the +3.25D and +2.75D lenses are suited for patients who often use computer, e-readers and other electronic devices and aids mid-range tasks such as seeing a car dashboard and putting on makeup in a mirror.

Keith Walter, MD, says about 80% of his Tecnis patients are choosing the +2.75 lens right now, which has become his go-to multifocal lens. “Most people are happy with that lens because they’re going to be able to see everything they need in the real world,” says Dr. Walter, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

In addition, Dr. Walter reports a low incidence of patient complaints and adjustments. “They can read in dim light, they can read and see good at distance, they don’t have waxy vision, and that’s true of all three Tecnis lenses.”

IMPROVING ON THE ORIGINAL

Originally, AMO only offered the Tecnis Multifocal IOL as a +4.0D lens for enhanced near vision. Tecnis +2.75D and +3.25D clinical trials showed improved intermediate and distance vision compared to the +4.0D lens. In particular, 98% of +3.25D and +2.75D patients reported functioning comfortably without glasses, compared to 85% with the +4.0D.¹

Also, Dr. Walter prefers the Tecnis Multifocal IOLs because patients reported few problems while driving at night. In the clinical trials, 80% of +2.75D patients reported no halos when driving at night, and 13.8% reported only mild halos. For +3.25D patients, 75.4% reported no halos while 13.3% reported mild halos. Also, 95.2% of +2.75D patients and 94.7% +3.25D patients reported no night glare.¹

“If those patients drive a lot at night, you don’t have to worry about [glare and halos],” Dr. Walter says.

PRACTICE BENEFITS

Dr. Assil says the new lenses allow him to customize IOL surgery for patients according to their specific visual needs. For instance, patients who are more likely to drive at night may prefer the +2.75D lens, and older patients or those who infrequently use computers may prefer the +3.25D lens.

Additionally, Dr. Walter says the lenses are forgiving, even if you’re off target by about .50D or 1.00D, which benefits doctors who are new to multifocal IOLs. “Patients are still pretty happy, and I’m not seeing a lot of enhancements where we have to go back in and touch patients up.”

Also, the lens comes with an economic benefit for the practice. Although this option is not covered by patients’ insurance, Dr. Walter says that his patients are willing to pay two to three times what the lens costs. “That’s going to make it a very nice margin for the practice,” he says. “In light of declining reimbursement, I think it makes sense.”

CONCLUSION

Dr. Assil reports high satisfaction ratings with his patients implanted with the +3.25D and +2.75D, which are in line with those collected during Tecnis’ FDA studies. This showed the +2.75D group of patients had a 97% high satisfaction rate. And according to AMO, 94% of patients implanted with the +3.25D lens said they would have the same IOL implanted again.¹

Over all, Dr. Assil highly recommends the +3.25D and +2.75D Tecnis Multifocal lenses to his colleagues. “Everybody wants to know what lens you would implant into your own mother’s eyes, and these are the lenses I implanted in my mother’s eyes when I did her cataract surgery.” OM

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