AcrySof ReSTOR IOL 

A revolutionary advance in cataract surgery has been made. AcrySof ReSTOR is a breakthrough lens that uses apodized diffractive technology to give patients a full range of vision – near through distance – and greatly reduces their reliance on reading glasses or bifocals. 

The AcrySof ReSTOR intraocular lens (IOL) is an artificial lens used in cataract surgery for patients with or without presbyopia.  The unique patented optic design results in highly- predictable visual acuity results, meaning patients can read the font on items such as prescription bottles, magazines, newspapers and computer screens, while also providing the ability to see items at a distance independent of reading glasses or bifocals.  In fact, clinical trials have demonstrated that four out of five patients never needed to wear glasses or bifocals following cataract surgery in both eyes.

AcrySof ReSTOR is a foldable IOL and represents breakthrough technology because of its unique, patented optic design, which allows patients to experience the highest level of freedom from glasses ever achieved in IOL clinical trials. 

• Clinical data demonstrates that AcrySof ReSTOR IOL greatly reduces dependence on glasses or bifocals.

• 80% of patients in the FDA clinical study did not need to wear glasses with AcrySof ReSTOR IOL, compared to 8% in the monofocal control group following cataract surgery in both eyes.

• Combined Visual Acuity:  84.3% of patients demonstrated combined uncorrected vision without glasses of 20/25 or better for distance and 20/32 or better for near.

• 85% of Acrysof ReSTOR patients achieved 20/40 or better binocular uncorrected vision.

• In most states, 20/40 vision allows individuals to pass the visual requirements for the driver’s license test without glasses or contact lenses.  

Acrysof ReSTO IOL uses a combination of three complementary technologies:  

1. Apodization:  A gradual reduction or blending of the diffractive step heights.  This unique technology optimally manages light energy delivered to the retina because it distributes the appropriate amount of light to near and distant focal points, regardless of the lighting situation.  Apodized diffractive optics are designed to improve image quality while minimizing visual disturbances.  The result is an increased range of quality vision that delivers a high level of spectacle freedom.

2. Diffraction:  The spreading of light.  In an optical system, light can be diffracted to form multiple focal points or images.

3. Refraction:  The deflection of a ray of light when it passes from one medium into another of different optical density. 

The Acysof ReSTOR IOL is made of the same highly-biocompatible acrylic material as Alcon’s market-leading AcrySof family of intraocular lenses, which have been implanted in more that 21 million human eyes since 1991.

The AcrySof ReSTOR IOL received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2005.  Clinical trials were conducted in the United States and Europe to establish the safety and effectiveness of the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL.  A total of 566 patients received the AcrySof ReSTOR lens in clinical trials and had a mean age of 68 years. 

Since its introduction outside the U.S. in 2003, more than 11,000 AcrySof ReSTOR IOLs have been implanted in patients by more than 1,000 surgeons in Europe and other countries.  More than 500 ophthalmic surgeons outside of the U.S.  have been trained to implant the AcySof ReSTOR lens and thousands of lenses have already been successfully implanted.

A cataract is a “clouding” of the eye’s natural lens, which results in blurred or defocused vision.  According to a recent article published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, more than 20 million adults in the U.S. have developed cataracts making it the number one cause of poor vision in the United States.  While not all cataracts require surgery, nearly 3 million cataract procedures are performed annually in the U.S.  Cataracts cannot be prevented and are the leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide.  According to the National Eye Institute, the number of Americans with cataracts is expected to rise to over 30 million people by the year 2020. 

The Eye Clinic is among the first medical groups in the United States to receive the new lens.