The new lens technology allows patients with cataracts to have continuous vision for distance, intermediate and near
For the first time in Hawaii, a Honolulu cataract patient has undergone surgery to receive the state-of-the-art Tecnis Symfony Intraocular Lens (IOL) which will allow 73-year-old Gordon Ching to have continuous high-quality vision for distance, intermediate and near. The surgery was successfully performed last Thursday (8/25) by Dr. Carlton Yuen at the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii located at Dole Cannery. Dr. Yuen has been given the exclusive Hawaii rights to perform this surgery based on his extensive surgical experience and is among the first 30 physicians nationwide to implant the lens since FDA approval last month.
“I am so grateful for this high-tech lens that will help me to restore a normal lifestyle and to do the basic activities in life like driving,” said Gordon Ching, Hawaii’s first Tecnis Symfony Intraocular Lens patient. “My vision is close to 20/20 which is a miracle given how difficult it was for me to see before at a distance as well as all of the glare that I would see.”
“It is an honor to be able to dramatically improve the vision of cataract patients in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region by implementing the Tecnis Symfony Intraocular Lens,” said Dr. Carlton Yuen. “Cataract patients desiring to improve their vision especially senior citizens will benefit greatly from this new lens. The Tecnis Symfony lenses are the only lenses in the United States that provide a full range of continuous high-quality vision following cataract surgery.”
The Tecnis Symfony lenses were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 15, 2016. The approval was based on results of a U.S. pivotal study involving 298 patients. In clinical studies the Symfony lens:
- Provided seamless, day-to-night vision. Patients could see objects sharply and clearly at near, intermediate and far away distances, and points in between.
- Provided high-quality vision. Some IOLs may leave patients with an inability to focus clearly due to competing wavelengths of light passing through the lens at different angles (known as chromatic aberration), or with vision that is not completely focused because of the shape of the lens (known as spherical aberration). The Symfony lens has been engineered to correct these issues.
- Demonstrated a low incidence of halo and glare, which may be perceived as rings or blurring around bright lights. Glare and halo can sometimes affect an individual’s ability to drive at night or to perform other visual tasks.
Dr. Yuen is the first ophthalmologist in Hawaii with access to this technology. Abbott, the developer of the lenses, selected Dr. Yuen among 18,000 physicians seeking to introduce the lenses to their practices. The official launch nationally for the Tecnis Symfony IOLs will be on October 1, 2016.
Understanding Cataracts & the Surgery
Cataracts are a common condition, with almost 4 million cataract surgeries performed each year, and that number is expected to increase.1 By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.2 However, cataracts do not just impact seniors. In 2016 it is estimated that nearly one in four cataract surgeries will be performed on people younger than 65.1 Many people who have cataracts experience other problems with their vision, such as presbyopia and astigmatism, which the Symfony lenses also address. Presbyopia, which affects most people over age 40, means people have lost the ability to focus on objects up close and often require glasses to perform near visual tasks. Astigmatism is when the cornea is misshapen, which causes blurry or distorted vision.
During cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eye is removed, and an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, or IOL, is inserted into the eye. The IOL most commonly used in cataract surgery is a monofocal lens, which only allows the person to see at a distance, with closer objects being out of focus. In contrast, the Symfony lens was specifically developed with features to improve both the range and quality of vision.
What Hawaii and Asia-Pacific Region Patients Can Do
Patients interested in being a candidate for the Tecnis Symfony lenses should contact Dr. Yuen’s office at 808-782-1861. His practice is Aloha Vision Consultants at www.alohavisionconsultants.com
About Dr. Carlton Yuen
Undergraduate: U.C.L.A Bachelor’s of Science
Medical School: U.C. Davis
Dr. Yuen is dedicated to performing the latest techniques in Cataract Surgery. He offers a selection of premium intraocular lenses to correct your cataract. He is also a principle investigator in areas of research involving multifocal intraocular lenses. These lenses reduce your dependency on glasses, for both distance and near, following your cataract surgery.
Dr. Yuen has also served as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Kuakini Medical Center and Chief of the Division of Ophthalmology at Hawaii Medical Center
About The Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii
The Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii (ESCH) is the leading state-of-the-art ophthalmology specialty surgery center of excellence focused exclusively on the surgical treatment of eye disease in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region. Sixteen eye surgeons perform highly specialized ophthalmic surgeries at ESCH. The ‘bionic eye’ surgery is performed at the center and other surgeries include treatments for glaucoma, cataract, myopia, retina, cornea, and other eye conditions. All staff and surgical team members are specialists in eye surgery and its subspecialties, allowing ESCH to provide world-class expert attention for patient care. The center is able to perform nearly 9,000 surgeries a year. www.eyesurgeryhi.com
About Abbott:
Abbott developed the Tecnis Symfony lenses. At Abbott, we’re committed to helping you live your best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we’ve brought new products and technologies to the world – in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals – that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 74,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com,
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