IOL provides presbyopic patients with crisp vision day and night

When Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, MS, heard about the availability of the Tecnis Symfony OptiBlue (Johnson & Johnson Vision), a presbyopia-correcting, extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOL, he said he was excited for his patients. The reason:

“This new design improves upon the use of InteliLight technology, allowing even better clarity at nighttime,” explains the doctor, who practices at Williamson Eye, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “One of patients’ biggest gripes is that they have great daytime vision but in low light situations, it is challenging to see crisply. This lens looks to solve that.”

Because it is an EDOF lens, Dr. Williamson adds that it is a little more lenient as far as the final refractive positioning. This wide landing zone has also contributed to patient satisfaction and has meant fewer touch-ups, he says.

Here, Dr. Williamson and colleagues further discuss the attributes of the IOL.

InteliLight Technology

First introduced in the Tecnis Synergy IOL, IntelliLight technology combines 3 technologies, according to the company: (1) a violet-light filter, (2) an echelette design, and (3) achromatic technology.

The violet-light filter aids in mitigating glare, halo, and starbursts by blocking the shortest wavelengths of light that produce the most light scatter.

The echelette design facilitates viewing digital devices, as it aids in decreasing halo intensity, and light scattering.

The achromatic technology enhances contrast during the day and at night by correcting chromatic aberration.

“Patients [with this IOL] have a really great quality of night vision and don’t have to worry about glare,” explains Marjan Farid, MD, director of cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine. “Even so, I always set the expectation with patients that there will be some starbursts around lights at night.”

Preloaded Format

The lens is available preloaded in the company’s Simplicity Delivery System. Dr. Williamson says this attribute means “less risk of complication from the loading process.”

“For facilities that do not have the same lens loader or scrub tech each time, I think that the preloaded format simplifies the process,” he explains.

Karolinne Rocha, MD, PhD, a cataract, cornea, and refractive surgeon at the Medical University of South Carolina, agrees that the preloaded format reduces risk, and is easy to use. “It’s always a benefit when you don’t need to touch the lens prior to implantation,” she says.

Another Design

Those interviewed say the Tecnis Symfony OptiBlue lens availability in a toric design is a welcomed addition to their IOL armamentarium for patients with irregular corneas.

“In my patients, [the toric version] has proven successful at neutralizing astigmatism and has good rotational stability,” notes Dr. Williamson. “I like that the toric version has a new haptic design, which I find is much stickier and less likely to rotate. This provides better predictability, as far as the final results.” CP