Chicago ReSTOR IOL Specialist
Stuart Sondheimer, MD

The AcrySof® ReSTOR® Intraocular Lens

Chicago cataracts specialist, Dr. Stuart Sondheimer, is among the first surgeons in the United States to be trained and certified to implant the new Alcon AcrySof® ReSTOR® intraocular lens (IOL). According to Dr. Sondheimer, I believe this new lens is an innovative technology that can help many cataract
patients see remarkably well without glasses or contacts of any kind following surgery. This is an important new advancement, and I want to be able to deliver the newest technology to my patients who want a lifestyle free from corrective eyewear, he explained.

According to Alcon, Inc., the lens was approved in the United States by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2005. It is the first and only lens to use a particular diffractive technology that achieves a range of vision for patients thus enabling it to function much like the eye's natural lens. ReSTOR® does not rely on the eye's ciliary muscle to change focus between near, intermediate and distance, but instead relys on the diffractive properties of the lens itself. Weakening of the ciliary muscle is the root cause of presbyopia which results in the need for reading glasses or bifocals.

The ReSTOR® lens allows patients with and without presbyopia a quality range of vision. A cataract occurs because the eye's natural lens becomes cloudy or opaque. As the lens becomes more cloudy over time, it prevents light from being focused on the retina, and thus, vision diminishes. Cataracts grow at different rates, some more quickly than others, and there is no cure but to have the cloudy lens removed. Once the eye¹s natural lens has been removed, a new, man-made intraocular lens (IOL) is used to replace it. There are many IOLs that will usually serve patients well for distance vision, but patients must still wear glasses for reading or for good vision at near. In ReSTOR® clinical trials, about 80% of those participating said they never required glasses or contacts for distance or near after cataract removal.

That is the significance of this lens, explained Dr. Sondheimer. It potentially offers a great range of freedom from corrective eyewear that many patients are choosing. In fact, with this new lens, it is possible that people who have worn glasses for 10, 20, 30, or even 40 or more years, may enjoy good vision for the rest of their lives without corrective lenses.

According to the manufacturer, clinical trials were conducted in the United States and Europe to establish safety and effectiveness of the new lens. More than 11,000 ReSTOR® IOLs have been implanted by more than 900 surgeons in Europe and other countries. Further, it is estimated that more than 21 million implants used worldwide since the lens introduction in the early 1990s.

In addition to helping cataract patients with the ReSTOR IOL, Dr. Sondheimer is also highly sought after by Chicago glaucoma and LASIK patients for their vision needs.

Chicago ReSTOR IOL Specialist Stuart Sondheimer, MD

Chicago ReSTOR IOL Specialist
Stuart Sondheimer, MD