WK Eye Institute surgeons Christopher Shelby, MD, and Wyche T. Coleman, III, MD, are the first surgeons in Louisiana to perform cataract eye surgery using the Alcon AcrySof®IQ PanOptix® Trifocal Intraocular lens. This is the first and only trifocal lens available to cataract surgery patients in the United States.

The new lens is a type of multifocal intraocular lens used to focus images clearly onto the back of the retina to allow clear vision after cataract removal. In addition, the center of the PanOptix Trifocal lens allows for better near (reading) vision and intermediate (computer work) vision versus what a monofocal lens would provide. Using ENLIGHTEN® Optical Technology, the proprietary design significantly reduces the need for glasses after surgery.

“We are very excited to have technology that provides a full range of vision including distance, intermediate and near,” Dr. Shelby says. “We are always striving to bring our patients the best technology for the best outcomes.”

A cataract is a cloudy area in the natural lens of the eye that affects vision. As a cataract develops, the eye’s lens gradually becomes hard and cloudy, allowing less light to pass through and making it more difficult to see. Most cataracts result from normal aging, but radiation exposure, steroid use, diabetes, and eye trauma can accelerate their development. Cataracts are the most common age-related eye condition and the leading cause of preventable blindness.