Crystalens® Intraocular Lens

After cataract surgery, your natural lens is replaced with an artificial lens. In the past, this lens was designed to give you clear vision at only one distance, but new technology has created replacement lenses that can give you clear vision at all distances, so in most cases you won't need reading glasses, bifocals, or any glasses at all. Crystalens® is the only one of these lenses that actually works the way your natural lens did, so it has the ability to give you the most natural vision possible.

This page contains a basic explanation of the Crystalens technology, but the best way to learn whether Crystalens is right for you is to talk to one of our doctors about your vision goals after cataract surgery. To schedule a consultation at either of our Kansas City offices, please call us at 816-358-3600 or email us today.

Understanding Crystalens

Your natural lens is a remarkable technology. It is flexible, and surrounded by a special muscle that allows it to change shape to focus your vision at different distances. Unfortunately, once it becomes cloudy, there is no way to make it clear again, so cataract surgery involves removing the natural lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Artificial lenses, called intraocular lenses (IOLs), are rigid and cannot flex, so you lose this ability when your natural lens is replaced. Even most premium lenses are unable to respond to the flexing of your eye muscle.

Crystalens is the only IOL that responds to your eye muscles. It is designed with tiny hinges that allow the lens to move forward or backward when your eye muscles flex, naturally changing the focus of your vision, so you can move smoothly from looking at close objects to distant objects.

Advantages of Crystalens

Because Crystalens works the same as your natural lens, the period of adjustment to basic functional vision might be shorter for Crystalens than for multifocal IOLs, though your vision will continue to improve for several months after surgery.

You will likely experience less glare and fewer halos than with multifocal lenses like Tecnis®. Crystalens gives very good distance vision, night vision, and intermediate vision. If your main vision tasks are driving or outdoor activities and working on a computer, Crystalens is an ideal choice.

Disadvantages of Crystalens

Close-up or reading vision may be slightly poorer for Crystalens than some of the other replacement lenses, especially with certain models. The clarity of the lens to ultraviolet light means you should always wear strong sunglasses when in sunlight.

There is a small chance that the hinges on Crystalens will become locked, giving you only near or distance vision in that eye. This complication is very rare, and did not show up in any of the clinical studies, but has been reported since the device's approval.

During your cataract surgery consultation, we will discuss all your lens replacement options and decide which is the best for you. Please contact Silverstein Eye Centers to schedule a consultation at one of our Kansas City area locations.