Questions about Crystalens Eye Surgery

San Francisco, Bay Area and San Jose, California

Crystalens is an artificial replacement for your eye’s natural lens and is considered an intraocular lens (IOL), but a lens that can correct both cataracts and restore your full range of vision. Like your eye’s natural lens, the Crystalens flexes to allow you to see better at all distances. When you consult with an ophthalmologist like Dr. Craig Bindi at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley, an examination will reveal if a Crystalens is right for your cataract surgery.

How does Crystalens differ from regular cataract surgery?

In years past, cataract surgery involved removing the eye’s natural lens and substituting that lens with thick glasses for better vision. Intraocular lenses improved cataract surgery by replacing the eye’s natural lens with an implantable lens that offered distance vision. However, those patients still had to wear reading glasses for up close vision. With the Crystalens, the cataract patient receives an implantable lens that offers more movement related to the eye muscles and thus provides an alternative to reading glasses by giving you up close vision, as well as distant vision.

With Crystalens, will my vision be 20/20?

Using the natural focusing ability of the eye, the Crystalens is the only lens that corrects for presbyopia on the market, offering you a continuous range of vision. While ophthalmologists can’t guarantee that you’ll have 20/20 vision after your cataract surgery with Crystalens, it is your best chance for 20/20 vision. More than twice the number of patients who receive the Crystalens for cataract surgery can see at all distances.

Will the Crystalens affect my night driving?

With all IOLs, a chance exists that you will have some glaring and halos as you drive at night. However, the Crystalens offers a reduced incidence of nighttime abnormalities due to the way the lens delivers available light rays from near, far and intermediate distances. The results from Crystalens surgery show that patients experience less glare and halos with this particular lens.

Will my insurance cover the Crystalens procedure?

Medicare and insurance coverage varies greatly but cataract surgery procedure is typically covered. However, insurance and Medicare generally pays for standard cataract procedures, which means you may owe an additional amount to receive the Crystalens implant. Yet, you should factor in the additional benefit of receive a full range of vision versus only distance vision and years of wearing glasses for near vision.

If you live in the Northern California area and plan to undergo cataract surgery, please schedule an appointment with the eye surgeons at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley. Our doctors will advise you on the benefits of Crystalens and evaluate your eyes for this type of cataract lens replacement.

1.800.725.0740