There is an exciting development for patients with cataract and astigmatism. Utilizing Toric Intraocular Lens Implant technology, you now have the option of correcting your astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery!

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a distortion of the eye in which light rays that enter the eye from different directions are focused differently. Most astigmatism is due to an oblong-shaped cornea.

The cornea is the clear window that makes the very front surface of the eye. Other than acting as the covering of the eye, the cornea’s primary purpose is to focus rays of light as they enter the eye. Normally, the cornea is round–shaped like a basketball.

This provides good, distortion-free vision. If the eye’s overall length is too long or too short, the eye is said to be myopic (near-sighted) or hyperopic (far-sighted), respectively. Myopia and hyperopia are fixable with glasses, contact lenses, or standard *spherical* monofocal intraocular lens implants.

In some patients, the cornea is not quite as round as it is oblong–like a football. This irregularly-shaped cornea causes astigmatism, which leads to distortion and blurring of the vision. To correct this astigmatism, special glasses, toric contact lenses, or through surgery is needed.

What are my options?

Standard spherical monofocal implants do not correct for astigmatism. However, Empire Eye and Laser Center now offers special Toric Intraocular Lens Implants that do. By having the astigmatism-correcting–or toric–surface onto the implant, it is now possible to correct your astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery. Special markers on the lens implant indicate the specific rotational alignment that is needed at the time of implantation.

Selecting the best intraocular lens implant for you can be a complicated choice. Not all implants performs the same, and not all eyes are candidates for Toric IOLs. Dr. Chang can help you to navigate the sea of options available to you in order to provide you the best results possible.

If you’ve been told that you have cataracts, or if you think you may be a candidate for a Toric Lens Implant, come see how at Empire Eye and Laser Center, we provide “Quality worth Experiencing.”