The human lens becomes thicker and less flexible with age. It becomes harder and harder to focus on near objects throughout one’s lifetime. Starting in their forties, people will generally begin to need reading glasses. Many people wonder if there have been technological advances in this area of research.
Currently, there is one FDA approved intra-ocular lens and several more that are being investigated. The only FDA approved accommodative lens, Crystalens, restores a fair amount of near focus and provides good distance vision. Most patients are satisfied with their ability to see both near and far.
We can expect that future advances in IOL technology will continue to help patients to see well at both near and far. Turner Eye Institute was the first eye care provider in the San Francisco bay Area to provide Crystalens treatment for patients. Already hundreds of patients in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, San Leandro, and Concord have received this treatment and can now see both near and far without the need for glasses or contact lenses. While Crystalens treatment is not perfect, it does provide a significant near advantage versus standard cataract surgery.