Alcon lens implant approved for cataract surgery

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new replacement lens for cataract patients. The new lens combines treatment for both astigmatism and presbyopia. This allows the patient to depend less on prescription eyewear. The new lens offered by Alcon is the only multi-focal intraocular lens where the central portion is completely dedicated to distance vision and also corrects astigmatism at the same time. Presbyopia is common in people over the age of 40 and can lead to the patient requiring reading glasses. Astigmatism causes blurry vision and distorted images and is a result of the cornea becoming misshapen. Almost 4 million Americans undergo cataract surgery every year and more than half of those patients have treatable astigmatism. Alcon's ACTIVEFOCUS™ toric IOL provides patients the option of correcting their asitigmatism while also giving them improved distance vision.