Cataract patient solutions for correcting Presbyopia.

1. NEW EYES
LAS VEGAS & HENDERSON
Helga Fuenfhausen Pizio
MD, FACS

2. Cataract Surgery
and
Presbyopia

3. What is a cataract?
• A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye
that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to
aging. By age 80, more than half of all
Americans either have a cataract or have had
cataract surgery.

4. Who is at risk for cataract?
• The risk of cataract increases as you get older.
• Certain diseases such as diabetes.
• Personal habits such as smoking and alcohol.
• The environment such as prolonged exposure
to sunlight.

5. How does cataract affect vision?
Normal Vision Cataract Affected Vision

6. What are the symptoms of a cataract?
• Cloudy or blurry vision.
• Colors seem faded.
• Glare. Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too
bright. A halo may appear around lights.
• Poor night vision.
• Double vision or multiple images in one eye.
• Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or
contact lenses.
• These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye
problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check
with your eye care professional.

7. How is cataract treated?
• Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract.
If the cataract changes vision so much that it
interferes with your daily life activities such as
driving, reading, or watching TV, the cataract
may need to be removed.
• You can decide not to have the cataract
removed. If you don’t have the surgery, your
vision loss from the cataract will probably
continue to worsen.

8. What type of cataract surgery does
Dr. Helga F. Pizio perform?
• Phaco aka “small incision cataract surgery”
A small incision is made on the side of the cornea, the
clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the
eye. Dr. Helga F. Pizio inserts a tiny probe into the eye.
This device emits ultrasound waves that soften and
break up the lens so that it can be removed by suction.
• After the natural lens has been removed, it is replaced
by an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL).
An IOL is a clear, plastic lens that requires no care and
becomes a permanent part of your eye.

9. Is cataract surgery effective?
• Cataract removal is one of the most common
surgeries performed in the United States. It
also is one of the safest and most effective
types of surgery. In more than 90 percent of
cases, people who have cataract surgery have
better vision afterward.

10. What is presbyopia?
• Inability of the eye to focus up close.
• It happens naturally in people as they age.
• Symptoms include:
 Hard time reading small print.
 Having to hold reading material farther than
arm’s distance.
 Problems seeing objects that are close to you.
 Headaches.
 Eye strain.

11. How is presbyopia related to
cataract surgery?
• Presbyopic individuals require bifocals or
separate (different prescription) reading
glasses in order to see clearly at close range.
• There are several options available to you to
achieve both distance and near vision after
cataract surgery.

12. Options for distance and near vision
after cataract surgery?
• Glasses.
• Monovision.
• Accommodating monofocal IOL implant.
• Multifocal IOL implant.

13. Glasses
• Monofocal IOL lenses have a single focus.
• They provide either clear far or clear near vision
after cataract surgery, but not both at the same
time.
• Options:
1. Monofocal IOL lenses implanted in both eyes for
distance vision and wear separate reading glasses.
2. Monofocal IOL lenses implanted for near vision and
wear separate glasses for your distance vision.

14. Monovision
• Monovision involves implanting a monofocal
IOL in one eye that provides near vision and a
monofocal IOL in the other eye that provides
distance vision.
• Some people can adjust to monovision, but if
you cannot, your vision may seem blurry both
near and far.
• Method works best on those who have already
used monovision with contact lenses, which is
a common way of correcting presbyopia.

15. Accommodating IOL
• The only FDA approved IOL of this type is called
the Crystalens.
• Crystalens have a single focal point that
can shift position in space.
• Accommodating IOL’s achieve this by physically
moving inside the eye in response to the focusing
action of the muscles of the eye.
• Patients implanted with the Crystalens IOL
generally enjoy near and distance vision without
glasses.

16. Multifocal IOLs
• New technological advances in IOL’s include
lenses that allow patients to see both distance and
close without wearing glasses.
• ReZoom, ReSTOR and TMF lenses.
• Helga F. Pizio, MD, FACS was
recognized to be one of the leading
surgeons in Nevada and chosen to be
the first surgeon to implant the latest
TECNIS Multifocal lens in Nevada in March 2009.

17. NEW EYES
LAS VEGAS & HENDERSON
Las Vegas Office:
501 S. Rancho Dr. Suite G-46
Las Vegas, NV 89106
Henderson Office:
8935 S. Pecos Rd. Suite 21-C
Henderson, NV 89074