The Market for Spectacle Freedom

In spite of imperfect presbyopia solutions and a depressed economy, the demand for spectacle-free options among the presbyopic is steadily growing. According to an American research company, Market Scope, the penetration of prebyopia-correcting IOLs increased in the fourth quarter of 2009 to about 7% of all cataract procedures in the U.S., said Giulia Newton, vice president of global marketing. She also mentioned that with about 3.2 million cataract procedures performed yearly, which come to about 224,000 cataract procedures using premium IOLs, this penetration has stayed steadily between 6-7% for about 1 year.  On top of that, BSM Consulting Group has also researched those presbyopic patients who opt for premium IOLs had to pay an additional $800 to $900 for multifocal lenses as these are not covered by Medicare. 

In 2010, Professor Howard Fine, who received the Binkhorst Award from American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, said that even though there are many surgeons doing presbyopic surgeries but IOLs (ReSTOR, ReZOOM) used for correcting both cataract & presbyopia are not in demand yet as patients do not mind using reading glasses or they just want to undergo cataract surgeries. In order to satisfy these patients, IOL manufacturers will continue to work on producing new multifocal and accommodating lenses in order to develop the best technology for cataract-presbyopic patients.    

The latest IOLs developed in England is Rayner Sulcoflex multifocal IOL, which can be implanted in the patients’ sulcus who are pseudophakic with monofocal IOLs.  Another type is Synchrony Dual Optic Accommodating IOL (AMO), which is the first 3D, single-piece, foldable & accommodating IOL with twi separate optics connected by a spring system, that replicates the natural lens by increasing its power when viewing near objects and reducing it when looking at distant objects, allowing the patients to utilize their natural muscle-driven mechanism to move the IOL and achieve spectacle unaided vision.

Besides that, Dr. Fine also mentioned that corneal inlays look like they have some utility and advantages as these inlays are reversible but yet again, the ability to reverse is an imperfect device.  Nevertheless, research has shown that many people in their mid-forties come to the clinics thinking that they have hyperopia, but actually they have slight presbyopia or early signs of cataract. In these cases surgeons will usually recommend an intraocular procedure instead of a corneal procedure to solve both presbyopia and cataract problems. Up till now, laser is used mainly by younger generation to correct their vision, but yet patients with cataracts are unable to use it to remove cataracts and it is definitely an issue worth looking into for the next generation.