Light Adjustable Lens (LAL): A New Way to Customize Vision After Cataract Surgery
Light Adjustable Lens (LAL): A New Way to Customize Vision After Cataract Surgery
Even after successful cataract surgery, many patients still need eyeglasses or contacts to achieve the best possible near and distance vision. But a newer option—the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL)—offers a different path. This technology lets your eye doctor fine-tune your vision after surgery, without another operation.
First approved in Europe and available in the U.S. since 2017, the LAL is a cutting-edge lens technology that offers patients a customized approach to achieving their desired refractive outcomes. This potentially reduces the need to wear glasses for both far and near vision.
How Is the Light Adjustable Lens Different?
Cataracts develop with age or as a result of a health condition that causes the lens of the eye to become cloudy.
This can lead to:
- Blurry vision
- Trouble seeing at night
- Colors that appear muted or faded.
During surgery, the clouded lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic one.
With traditional lenses, physicians choose the lens type and prescription power based on a patient’s individual vision-correction needs and the unique measurements of their eyes. Once a traditional lens is implanted, the only way to adjust your prescription is through additional surgery or new eyeglasses or contacts.
However, the LAL allows your physician to make precise adjustments to the lens after implantation until the clearest possible eyesight is reached.
How Does the Light Adjustment Lens Process Work?
The LAL are the only lenses on the market that can be adjusted after they are placed in your eye.
The advanced material used to create the LAL can be molded and shaped by shining a high-tech UV light at precise areas of the lens to customize your results.
“This is a major breakthrough,” says Craig J. Chaya, MD, an ophthalmologist at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, who has offered LAL treatment to his patients for more than two years. “My patients have been elated with the quality of their vision and their reduced dependence on glasses.”
For LAL patients, treatment begins the same way as standard cataract surgery.
The difference comes after surgery, when you return to your doctor’s office after your eye has healed.
Here’s what to expect:
- Your doctor tests your vision.
- An advanced UV light is used to target precise areas of your lens to personalize your prescription.
- Each treatment takes less than two minutes to complete.
- You may need up to three adjustment sessions per eye until you and your physician are satisfied with the results.
Once you’re happy with your vision, your doctor performs two final light treatments to “lock in” your custom prescription.
Who Might Benefit Most from Light Adjustment Lens?
The LAL can be a good option if you:
- Have had a history of refractive corneal surgery, like LASIK
- Have a strong glasses prescription
- Are interested in blended mono-vision (one eye is set for distance, and the other for near)
- Need high-quality vision in low-contrast settings without halos or glare, like night driving
What Should Be Considered Before Choosing Light Adjustment Lens?
While promising, the LAL isn’t the right fit for everyone.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It takes time. Your final results may take a few months and require more post-operative visits than standard surgery to finalize your vision results.
- You’ll need UV protection. Throughout your treatment, you’ll need to wear special UV protection glasses while outdoors or when in direct sunlight indoors to ensure that your lens doesn’t accidentally change in response to UV light.
- It costs more. Most insurance plans and Medicare don’t cover the upgraded lens due to the advanced technology and extra appointments involved. Check with your insurer to see what your plan provides.
- Some health factors matter. LAL aren’t a good fit for people who are taking certain medications that could impact the UV treatment or who have a condition in which the pupil does not dilate large enough to perform the adjustments. People with pre-existing macular degeneration or prior corneal viral infections may also may not be suitable candidates for the LAL technology.
- Movement can interfere. Uncontrolled eye or body movements, like tremors, may prevent the LAL from being properly adjusted after surgery.
Talking with your eye doctor can help you weigh these factors based on your goals and health.
Finding Comprehensive Cataract Surgery
At the Moran Eye Center, state-of-the-art laser-assisted cataract surgeries allow for a customized procedure with unparalleled accuracy. Our highly trained surgeons have extensive experience, enabling them to provide personalized care to each patient.
“We’re always evaluating new technology that meets the needs of our patients at the Moran Eye Center,” Chaya says. “Our researchers were among the first to test the LAL lenses at our Intermountain Ocular Research Center, which serves as the premier testing resource for lens manufacturers before commercialization.”
Today, patients benefit from experienced ophthalmologists with the highest levels of training who are also certified to safely implant the LAL.
Whether you choose a traditional lens or the LAL, your ophthalmologist will work with you to find the best option for your vision and lifestyle.
Visit One of Our Moran Eye Care Center Locations
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