San Jose Eye Institute

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What is the Vivity intraocular lens?

Vivity Toric

The Vivity intraocular lens is the latest generation of lenses that is used to replace the cataract during cataract surgery. It is classified as an “Extended Range of Vision” lens, meaning that patients with this intraocular lens will be able to see far and near without glasses.

With a standard monofocal intraocular lens, patients are typically able to see clearly far away without glasses. The inability to also see intermediate distances or close objects clearly without bifocals or reading glasses is known as presbyopia.

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DURYSTA implant is now available

DURYSTA implant (arrow) compared to a quarter

DURYSTA is a very small implant that will slowly release medication directly into the eye to lower eye pressure for glaucoma patients. It is the first and currently the only dissolvable implant for treatment of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a medical condition where the pressure inside the eye is too high, leading to progressive optic nerve damage. Very commonly, eye drops are used to lower the eye pressure. Typically, eye drops from the prostaglandin class are the first ones chosen by most ophthalmologists to treat glaucoma.

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What is the PanOptix Lens?

PanOptix Trifocal

The PanOptix lens is an intraocular lens that is implanted during cataract surgery after the cataract has been removed. In contrast to a standard monofocal lens, the PanOptix lens has the ability to treat presbyopia, a condition that prevents patients from seeing both far and near at the same time.

This lens is recently FDA approved and is the first to be classified as a trifocal intraocular lens. It is the next evolution in the treatment of presbyopia, building from its predecessor, the ReSTOR multifocal lens.

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What is the Hydrus Microstent?

Hydrus Microstent

The Hydrus Microstent is a MIGS device (Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery) used at the time of cataract surgery to lower pressures in patients with glaucoma. It is one of the larger of the MIGS devices that exists on the market today.

Glaucoma is a medical condition where the pressure inside the eye is too high, leading to progressive optic nerve damage. To understand how the Hydrus Microstent works, think of a road with a long drain and sewer system along the entire side of the road. The grating of the drain is called the trabecular meshwork inside the eye, and the sewer system directly underneath the drain is Schlemm’s Canal. In this analogy, glaucoma would be an overflow of the storm water.

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What is the iStent inject?

iStent inject

The iStent inject Trabecular Micro-Bypass System is used at the time of cataract surgery to lower pressures in patients with glaucoma. It is made by Glaukos, the company that also makes the original iStent Micro-Bypass Stent. The main difference between the iStent inject and the original iStent is that with the iStent inject, two stents are utilized, whereas the original iStent only uses one stent. The iStent inject is also significantly smaller, with the largest dimension only measuring 360 μm (or 0.360 mm) long.

Glaucoma is a medical condition where the pressure inside the eye is too high, leading to progressive optic nerve damage. Open angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma, is essentially a backing-up of fluid due to a drain that has become increasingly clogged. The main drain in the eye is called the trabecular meshwork.

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