Presbyopia begins for nearly everyone around the age of 40. The natural lens inside the eye begins to harden and lose its flexibility. This reduces the eye's ability to change its focus from near to intermediate, to distance, and back again and is known as "loss of accommodation" or "presbyopia." The earliest symptom of presbyopia is difficulty seeing things up close.

Bifocal and even trifocal glasses often become necessary to see clearly at all distances.

Monovision, often achieved through blended vision (where one eye is focused for distance and the other eye for intermediate near) is sometimes a good compromise for average daily activities, but still requires prescription glasses for fine visual tasks that require better depth perception.

Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process wherein the natural lens of the eye starts to become cloudy or brown. Vision becomes blurry, and colors lose their brilliance. At first, frequent changes in glasses prescriptions can help, but left untreated, cataracts can eventually lead to blindness. The only way to see clearly after a cataract matures is to have it removed and then replaced with an intraocular lens, or IOL.

Virtually everyone who has cataracts and/or presbyopia and is in good general health may be candidate for the ReZOOM lens. People who have had prior corneal refractive surgery (i.e. LASIK, IntraLASIK, or PRK) may be acceptable candidates for ReZOOM implantation as long as their eyes are in good health. After a thorough examination, we will be able to better advise you if you qualify for the ReZOOM lens implant.

What to Expect:

Prior to surgery, you will undergo an examination to determine your general health, which will assist the surgery staff in preparing for any special needs. You may be prescribed eye drops or other medication to be taken prior to surgery and you may also be asked to obtain medications in advance for your postoperative care.

Before treatment, be sure to tell us about any medication you take or allergies you have. You will receive instructions regarding preparation prior to surgery (e.g. food/drink, transportation, arrival time). In all cases, you will need to arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and to your next appointment. You will not be allowed to drive yourself until you receive permission from our ophthalmologist. If you are a contact lens wearer, you will need to stop wearing your contact lenses during your baseline refraction and on the day of surgery.

The Day of Your ReZOOM Lens Implant Surgery

After you arrive and complete the surgery center check-in, you will be taken to the preoperative area and readied for the surgery. Before the procedure, your eye will be numbed with a topical or local anesthetic, and a mild sedative may be given if necessary. You will be taken to the operating room where your eye will be cleaned and prepared to receive the lens. A drape will be placed over you to keep the area around your eye clean. Our ophthalmologist will place an instrument in your eyelids to assist in stabilizing your eye. This instrument is used to hold the eyelids apart, to give better access to the eyeball.

During the surgical procedure:

ReZOOM eye surgery is a relatively quick and pain-free surgical procedure. Our ophthalmologist will make a tiny incision in your eye and remove your cataract by phacoemulsification. The ophthalmologist will replace your cataract with the ReZOOM through a tiny injector tube. The lens will unfold and the incision sealed.

Immediately After Surgery

A temporary shield will be placed over your eye to protect it during the immediate postoperative period. You will be transported to a recovery area until you have stabilized and are ready to go home (after approximately one hour). After you have stabilized from the surgery, you will be asked to go home and relax for the rest of the day (no lifting, exercise, or other strenuous activity). You may not drive yourself home, so be sure to arrange for someone to be there when you are ready for release.

Your ophthalmologist may give you eye drops to use when you return home, with instructions on when and how to use the eye drops. After your ReZOOM lens implant procedure, you should only have minor discomfort, if any, but if you experience pain, be sure to let us know.

The Next Day

You will return for an evaluation the day after surgery to determine the results of your surgery. At that time, we will explain further care of your eye and schedule your next follow-up visit. Follow all postoperative instructions given to you. Do not rub your eye as this may cause disruption of the wound or cause corneal edema. Some slight discomfort is normal during the healing process. Contact Harvard Eye immediately if you experience any unexpected pain, discharge, trauma, or anything that appears abnormal.

The First Week Following Surgery

You will return to Harvard Eye the day after your surgery for an examination. The shield will be removed and your eye will be observed under a special microscope to make sure the lens is positioned correctly and that there are no complications. Although there may be some improvement in your vision at this time, keep in mind that the full visual effects of your surgery will take 2-4 weeks to stabilize. Most patients are able to return to work and resume normal non-strenuous activities.

You will be given appointments for additional follow-up visits to monitor your progress. These are of vital importance. Standard postoperative exams are performed at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3-6 months, and yearly thereafter. If you experience any pain, trauma or unusual discomfort during the postoperative period, immediately contact Harvard Eye for instructions.

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