A new breakthrough lens that corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and reading vision in cataracts patients has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Melissa Crow is one of the first cataract patients to receive the new lens. Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, but the new lens is used to replace that lens.

"With this lens, I don't have to compromise," said Crow.

Before undergoing surgery, Crow struggled to read. She described her vision as "blurry during the day and at night when I'm driving I notice that the lights reflect off of it and there’s a halo."



Dr. Kerry Assil, of the Assil Eye Institute, suggested the one-of-a-kind lens to cure Crow's cataracts and restore her full range of vision while eliminating the need for glasses. Crow did not even have to go to sleep for the procedure, which took less than an hour.



First, Assil numbed the eye, then he removed the cloudy lens. The new lens fit easily into the same spot in the eye.

"It has an envelope that we leave behind of the original lens and that envelope serves as a hammock to support the new synthetic lens," Assil said.

Just a few days later, Crow already noticed a major improvement in the quality of her eyesight.



"I was so excited. When I woke up that next morning, I could see 20/20 and it was amazing because I was used to getting up and just seeing a blur out of that eye and all of the sudden I was seeing print that I hadn’t seen in ages," Crow said.



Dr Bruce Says: This lens is not prescribed for near or far vision, which may be corrected by Lasik, or for reading vision, which affects everyone sooner or later. Its major use is as a replacement for cataract affected lenses but the added bonus is its ability to help with a wide range of vision problems.

