New Lens That Closely Mimics the Human Eye Introduced In Michigan by TLC Eyecare and Laser Centers
An advanced replacement lens that more closely mimics the human lens will be introduced this month by Paul H. Ernest, MD, and other physicians at TLC Eye Care & Laser Centers in Farmington Hills. The AcrySof Natural Lens, which has the capability of slowing the progression of macular degeneration, filters out blue light that can damage the pigment cells of the retina. While the human eye filters out up to 80 percent of blue light waves, traditional replacement lens can only filter out ultra-violet rays.
Farmington Hills, MI -- A more advanced replacement lens that more closely
mimics the human lens will be introduced this month by Paul H. Ernest, MD, and
other physicians at TLC Eye Care & Laser Centers.
The AcrySof Natural
Lens, which has the capability of slowing the progression of macular
degeneration, filters out blue light that can damage the pigment cells of the
retina. While the human eye filters out up to 80 percent of blue light waves,
traditional replacement lens can only filter out ultra-violet rays.
When
a cataract is removed and an artificial lens is inserted, the replacement lens
absorbs blue light, which can damage the eye, says Dr. Ernest, founder of TLC
Eye Care & Laser Centers and an associate clinical professor of
ophthalmology at Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University.
Dr.
Ernest, one of the principal clinical investigators of the Natural Lens, has
participated in lectures and workshops on the topic in Florence, Italy-Nice,
France, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and elsewhere.
Because of this
professional involvement, Dr. Ernest has been selected to by the manufacturer
(Alcon Laboratories of Fort Worth, Tex.) to introduce the Natural Lens in
Michigan.
Bill Graham, senior director for clinical sciences for Alcon
Laboratories, said the AcrySof Natural Lens was introduced in Europe six months
ago and has sold very successfully there. "The lens mimics the transmission
curve of the healthy human lens of a patient aged 50-53," said Graham. "The lens
is being introduced in Michigan because of Dr. Ernest's role as a principal
investigator for Alcon."
"TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers will be one of
the first in the U.S. to receive the AcrySof Natural Lens," says Dr. Ernest.
"With this product in hand we are now in a position to offer rather remarkable
improvements for our lens implant patients. Rather than waiting until the blue
light waves are absorbed we can filter out these harmful waves before they reach
the retina.
"The Natural Lens has a yellow chromophore bonded to the
plastic that acts as a filter," adds Dr. Ernest. "This filter does not alter
color vision, and does not alter the ability to perceive things under a dim
light. There's no down side, only the up side of mimicking the human
lens."
Dr. Ernest points to research done by Dr. John Marshall and Dr.
Janet Sparrow who found that blue light may be a contributing factor to macular
degeneration, a debilitating loss of central vision. "There are many factors
that cause this disease. So we must realize that the Natural Lens is not a
cure-all but its positive effects are very powerful," says
Ernest.
"Ophthalmologists have undergone retrofits of blue light filters
in operating microscopes to prevent retinal damage," says Marshall. "We now have
the ability to protect our patients for the rest of their lives with the AcrySof
Natural Lens."
Dr. Carmelina Gordon, a retinal surgeon at TLC Eyecare
& Laser Centers explains that persons with the advanced stages of macular
degeneration cannot focus, read, tell time, see faces, drive, write checks, or
do other close up work. "It is not a reversible disease and actually is
progressive," says Dr. Gordon. "Smoking and hypertension can aggravate macular
degeneration and we know that diet and genetics also have a relationship to who
gets this disease.
"A large scale study found that patients who had
cataract surgery in one eye had a greater chance of having macular degeneration
in that eye than in the eye that still has the cataract," says Dr. Gordon. "The
yellowing of the cataract offers a protection against ultra-violet and blue
light waves damaging the macula. The AcrySof Natural Lens filters most of the
blue light.”
TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers have offices in Lansing,
Jackson, Battle Creek, Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills and Kalamazoo
Michigan. For information or an appointment, call the center at 1-800-551-7347
or visit the company's web site at www.tlcmi.com.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/9/prweb79107.htm