Interviewed this week for BBC - Symfony Lens

Those of you in the South East may have caught a TV interview I gave to BBC this week - discussing the benefits of the advanced new Symfony lens, introduced this summer at Optimax.

As I told BBC, the main benefit of this implantable lens technology is that it gives allows high-quality vision at all distances, which independence from spectacles.

The programme also interviewed one of my patients - Nicola Ellen, from Wingham, Kent, who was one of the first to be treated with the new lens, and who is delighted with her visual outcome.

On a more technical note, the new lens largely eradicates factors which can be present in traditional multifocal lenses - glare and poor colour contrast in certain lighting situations.

Introducing new Toric version of Symfony Lens.

This week I will begin implanting the new Toric version of the Symfony lens. These new lenses, released only a few days ago, mean that we can now treat patients with astigmatism, so now even more people can benefit from an extended range of good vision.

Our latest results with groundbreaking Symfony Lens - Published in leading eye surgery journal this month

CRST Europe: October 2014


Early Results With the Symfony IOL

This lens offers another option in presbyopia correction

By Amir Hamid, BMedSci, FRCOphth

 

Cataract surgery has evolved from a procedure devised to remove a cloudy lens to one that additionally aims to incorporate refractive solutions. Until recently, emmetropia for distance vision was the main goal, and many patients required reading glasses after surgery.

However, improved techniques and increased patient expectations have resulted in the quest for a simultaneous presbyopic solution.

Multifocal IOLs have been an excellent option in patients who desire spectacle independence. Specifically, the latest generation of trifocal IOLs provides excellent distance, intermediate, and near vision with high levels of spectacle independence and patient satisfaction.

 

However, several factors can still affect visual results and patient satisfaction. Chief among these are glare and halos and reduced contrast sensitivity. Another is the fixed focusing distances that these lenses afford.

 

EXTENDED RANGE OF VISION

In June 2014, the Tecnis Symfony IOL (Abbot Medical Optics) received the CE Mark. This IOL offers several advantages over traditional multifocal IOLs.One is its echelette design,which producesa unique pattern of light diffraction, elongating the focusing ability of the eye.The result is an extended range of vision.

Another advantage is that the Symfony compensates for image-degrading chromatic aberration between shorter blue and longer red wavelengths. It has been reported that correction of chromatic aberration results in a sharper focus of light.^1,2

This lens design therefore allows improved depth of focus, increased retinal image quality, and reduced visual disturbances (glare and halos) compared with traditional multifocals.

 

REAL WORLD RESULTS

My colleagues and I have compared the performance of the Symfony IOL with the AT LISA tri(Carl Zeiss Meditec).³We used a standard monofocal IOL (Tecnis) as a control. The defocus curve of the control provided a benchmark for the other two groups.

 

Each lens was implanted in one eye of 10 consecutive patients (20 eyes) who presented for cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange with no other ocular comorbidity. Both the Tecnis Symfony and the AT LISA performed well and similarly to each other, with all patients achieving 20/25 visual acuity or better and excellent levels of uncorrected near, intermediate, and distance visual acuities (Figure 1).

 

In terms of the defocus curves, the AT LISA had three distinct points of focus corresponding to near, intermediate, and distance vision, with a drop in vision between these points. By contrast, the Symfony had a smooth defocus curve up to approximately 2.50 D (Figure 2).

 

We also found that the Symfony provided better contrast sensitivity than the AT LISA tri and Tecnis monofocal IOLs (Figure 3).

 

CONCLUSION

Both the AT LISA tri and the Symfony IOLs are high quality lenses that produce excellent results in near, intermediate, and distance vision. The early results from our small group of patients, however, suggest that the latter provides an extended range of vision. Therefore, we have found that the Symfony IOL is another option in presbyopia correction with improved contrast sensitivity and reduced glare and halos.

 

Amir Hamid, BMedSci, FRCOphth, is Medical Director of UltralaseOptimax Eye Surgery Specialists in London. Dr. Hamid states that he has no financial interest in the products or companies mentioned. He may be reached at e-mail: amir.hamid@optimax.co.uk.

 

1.      WeeberHA, Piers PA.Theoretical performance of intraocular lenses correcting both spherical and chromatic aberration. J Refract Surg. 2012;28(1):48-52.

2.      ArtalP, Manzanera S, Piers P, et al. Visual effect of the combined correction of spherical and longitudinal chromatic aberrations. Opt. Express. 2010;18(2):1637-1648.

3.      Hamid A, SokwalaA, Patel V. Comparative visual performance of an extended range of vision IOL, trifocal IOL and monofocal IOL. [Data to be published].

 

Meet the UK's first couple to be treated with the Symfony Lens

It was my pleasure to treat Gordon and Maureen Williams, a couple from Kent who recently received RLE treatment - employing the new Symfony lens. After Maureen's excellent result, she encouraged her husband Gordon to have treatment soon afterwards.They describe how the treatment has made life more enjoyable.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKtLZIiXMTc

Interview with Nicola Ellen, after treatment with Symfony implantable lenses: