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Light Adjustable Lens (LAL)

At Southern Eye Group, we offer the latest advancements in vision correction to help our patients see the world more clearly. Our cataract surgeons are among the first on the Eastern Shore to offer the Light Adjustable Lens™ by RXSight® to help our patients from Mobile, AL, and throughout the Gulf Coast region see more clearly.

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What is the Light Adjustable Lens?

The Light Adjustable Lens by RXSight® is a type of intraocular lens implant. During cataract surgery, the cloudy natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to restore clear vision. Refractive lens exchange is an identical procedure, except it is performed on patients who do not have cataracts to correct refractive errors.

Monofocal IOLs facilitate improved vision through cataract removal and cannot correct astigmatism. At Southern Eye Group we also offer a number of premium multifocal IOLs and toric IOLs designed to correct vision at multiple distances for patients with myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia, (farsightedness), astigmatism, and/or presbyopia.

The Light Adjustable Lens is the only IOL that can be adjusted after cataract surgery, which allows us to improve both near and distance vision with unsurpassed precision for a better visual outcome. Patients who receive the LAL are twice as likely to achieve 20/20 vision or better after cataract surgery than patients who receive Trusetd Source Checkbox Trusted Source Adjustable IOL Could Help Some Ditch Their Glasses After Cataract Surgery American Academy of Ophthalmology Go to Source standard IOLs.

How Does the Light Adjustable Lens Work?

The LAL is made from a unique photo-sensitive material that can be altered through exposure to UV light. The Light Adjustable Lens is implanted in the same way as every other IOL. After the eyes have healed from cataract surgery, the patient returns to our office for a series of fast, painless treatments. During these follow-up sessions, a Light Delivery Device (LDD) is used to expose the lens to UV (ultraviolet) light, allowing us to make minute changes to the curvature of the lens and customize the patient’s prescription.

Light Adjustable Lens vs Other IOLs

Intraocular lenses used during cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange have a pre-set prescription that is chosen by the ophthalmologist before surgery. What makes the LAL lens technology so unique is that the prescription is finalized after cataract surgery. This means a patient’s vision can be fine-tuned for better visual acuity.

Benefits of the Light Adjustable Lens

  • Accurate, customized vision correction for optimal visual outcomes
  • Reduce or even eliminate the need for glasses or contacts after cataract surgery
  • Customization sessions are fast and painless
  • Suitable for patients who have undergone LASIK/PRK/RK surgery in the Trusetd Source Checkbox Trusted Source Refractive results after implantation of a light-adjustable intraocular lens in postrefractive surgery cataract patients Brierley L Go to Source past
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Cataract Surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens

Preparing for LAL Surgery

Before your Light Adjustable Lens surgery, you will meet with one of our experienced eye doctors. During this consultation, you will undergo an eye examination and the doctor will review your medical history. You and your eye doctor will discuss your IOL options, including the LAL, so that you can make an educated decision about which lens is best for you.

Cataract or RLE Surgery with the LAL

Cataract surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens is identical to cataract surgery with any other type of IOL. Before cataract surgery begins, anesthetic eye drops are used to numb the eye. A small incision is made in the cornea, and the cloudy natural lens of the eye is removed before IOL implantation. The incision in the cornea heals itself without sutures.
Learn more about the cataract surgery procedure.

Recovery After LAL Surgery

Recovery after cataract surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens is slightly different because you’ll need to shield your new lenses from UV light. Your eye doctor will give you special UV-blocking glasses that you should wear until you have completed your final light treatment session.

LAL Light Treatments

Once your eyes have healed from cataract surgery, you will return to your eye doctor’s office for a series of painless follow-up adjustment sessions that take only a few minutes. A special Light Delivery Device (LDD) is used to expose the lens to a specific wavelength of UV light, which makes minute changes to the curvature of the lens to fine-tune your lens power. Once your ideal power calculation has been achieved, your eye doctor will “lock in” that correction permanently. After this final session, you will no longer need to wear UV protection glasses.

Frequently Asked Questions About the LAL

Am I a good candidate for the Light Adjustable Lens?

If you want to reduce your dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses after cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange the Light Adjustable Lens may be a great choice for you. The adjustable intraocular lens can improve near vision as well as distance vision, even for patients with presbyopia or astigmatism. Even patients who have undergone previous refractive surgery procedures like LASIK,PRK or RK may be able to achieve better vision with the Trusetd Source Checkbox Trusted Source Light-adjustable IOL offers positive refractive results in patients Ophthalmology Times Go to Source LAL.

Are the LAL light treatments painful?

No. Your eye doctor will administer numbing eye drops before your adjustment session to ensure you are comfortable.

How many LDD sessions will I need?

Many of our patients achieve their optimal prescription after 2-4 light treatment sessions, typically are spaced one week apart.

Is the Light Adjustable Lens safe?

The Light Adjustable lens is FDA approved and is considered to be both safe and effective. Still, any surgical procedure is associated with some potential risks and side effects. In the case of the Light Adjustable Lens, the greatest risk is altering your prescription by exposing the lens to sunlight. For this reason, it is very important that you closely follow your eye doctor’s instructions and wear your UV protective glasses until your customization sessions are complete.

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Contact Us

Thanks to the Light Adjustable Lens, our cataract surgeons have helped patients along the Gulf Coast and Mobile, AL see the world more clearly without eyeglasses or contact lenses. To learn more about customized vision correction with the LAL, contact us to schedule a consultation at a Southern Eye Group location near you.

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1 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Adjustable IOL Could Help Some Ditch Their Glasses After Cataract Surgery. Available: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/new-iol-adjustable-after-cataract-surgery. Accessed November 27, 2023.
2 Brierley L. Refractive results after implantation of a light-adjustable intraocular lens in postrefractive surgery cataract patients. Ophthalmology. 2013 Oct;120(10):1968-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.03.010. Epub 2013 May 21. PMID: 23706698. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23706698/. Accessed November 27, 2023.
3 Ophthalmology Times. Light-adjustable IOL offers positive refractive results in patients. Available: https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/light-adjustable-iol-offers-positive-refractive-results-in-patients. Accessed November 27, 2023.

The doctors at Southern Eye Group have either authored or reviewed and approved this content.

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