ReZoom Lens

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about ReZoom lens implant.

Who is a candidate for this procedure?

Although ReZoom lenses are a breakthrough technology initially approved for cataract patients, with or without presbyopia (inability to read close up after age 45), it is not necessary to need cataract surgery to utilize the ReZoom lens, just the desire to ReZoom eyesight at a range of distances without corrective eyewear. In the absence of a medically significant cataract, the procedure would be a Refractive Lens Exchange, and this would represent an off-label use of the ReZoom lens, which is currently only FDA approved for use in cataract surgery. A careful examination and discussion with Dr. Seibel will determine if you are a candidate for this lens implant.

The following types of patients should not have the AMO ReZoom lens:

• Patients that are hypercritical with unrealistic expectations
• Patients with excessive complaints about their prescription
• Patients who drive at night for a living or whose occupation or hobbies depend on good night vision
• Patients who are amateur or commercial airline pilots
• Patients who have lifelong complaints about glare and halos or are bothered by glare at night
• Patients who are satisfied with wearing glasses
• Patients who want guarantees on surgical outcomes

How do I find out if I qualify as a candidate for the ReZoom lens implant?

Please call our office to schedule an exam. The best candidates will be those that have a strong desire to see well without glasses and have realistic expectations. Patients with ocular disease may not be good candidates for this implant. To find out if you are a candidate for this breakthrough in vision care and cataract surgery or simply for more information, please call us at Seibel Vision Surgery, 310.444.1134.

What can I expect after my procedure?

Similar to other lens implant procedures, you can expect your vision to often be improved the day following surgery and vision typically further improves gradually over the next few weeks and even months.

How soon after the procedure will I be able to see at varying distances?

For most patients, near vision is good the next day, and both near and distance vision improves over the following weeks. Studies have shown that results are best when both eyes have ReZoom lenses implanted. We usually wait 2-4 weeks between implants.

How many patients are 100% glasses free after having this procedure?

The results are very good. After having ReZoom lenses implanted, 80% of patients say they never or seldom wear glasses.

Is the ReZoom FDA approved?

Yes.

What are the risks/contraindications of this procedure?

While very rare, the dominant risk in any surgery is infection. Patients receive both preoperative antibiotics and postoperative antibiotics to minimize this risk. Lens implant surgery is one of the most successful and commonly performed surgeries in the US.

Is this a reversible procedure?

If the patient desires and if it is medically indicated, the ReZoom lens implant can be removed and replaced with a different ReZoom or with a different lens implant. Although potentially more common relative to a standard monofocal IOL, ReZoom exchanges are still relatively uncommon because the benefit of a full range of vision usually outweighs any complaint of visual disturbance. The only medical indication for lens replacement would be if the lens power needed to be significantly changed, which is uncommon due to advanced eye measurements and calculations that Dr. Seibel performs prior to surgery.

How Does the ReZoom compare to the Crystalens and ReSTOR?

All three lenses are designed to reduce a patient's need for reading glasses while retaining good distance vision without glasses. In general terms, the ReZoom lens tends to offer better sustained reading ability at a range of around 18" away, and optimum reading light is often moderate. The ReSTOR, by comparison, tends to give better sustained reading vision at a closer range of around 12", and tends to benefit from brighter reading light. By comparison, the Crystalens statistically does not give quite as strong a sustained reading ability for these closer distances, and patients desiring to read for more prolonged periods may wish to supplement with a weak pair of reading glasses, such as +1.25 diopters (as compared to the much stronger +2.50 diopters usually required by patients with a standard monofocal IOL).

When comparing lens implants for intermediate distance around 24 inches (e.g. computer monitor), the ReSTOR tends to not be quite as sharp as it is at the closer reading distance of 10 inches. By comparison, the Crystalens tends to be sharper at intermediate distances. The ReZoom performance tends to fall in between the ReSTOR and Crystalens for intermediate distance.

With regard to glare, the ReSTOR and ReZoom models are more likely than a standard IOL to produce such phenomena as rings or haloes around street lights or headlights. In the FDA study, 74% of ReSTOR patients rated glare as mild to none, while 21% thought it was moderate, and 5% thought it was severe. The high satisfaction rate with the ReSTOR lens would seem to indicate that patients felt that glare symptoms were more than compensated for by their reduced dependence on glasses. The ReZoom lens, being a multifocal design like the ReSTOR, would tend to have similar glare effects. For comparison, standard monofocal lens implant patients rated glare as 91% mild to none, 7% moderate, and 2% severe. The Crystalens data generally showed no more increased risk of glare than with a standard monofocal lens implant.

In summation, no lens implant can guarantee freedom from glasses, but the new technology of the ReZoom, ReSTOR, and Crystalens stack the odds much better in favor of a patient being less dependent on glasses for vision at all distances, and many patients with these implants seldom or never wear glasses at all.

Your individual exam may indicate that one lens may be better suited to you than another, and perhaps neither one may be as appropriate as a standard monofocal lens implant. Some studies even indicate some benefits to having one model on lens implant in one eye and another model in the other eye (e.g. ReSTOR in one eye and ReZoom in the other eye). Dr. Seibel will of course discuss this with you after a thorough consultation.

Our Promise

As always, Seibel Vision Surgery is first and foremost concerned about what is best for each individual patient. Call us today for your personalized consultation!