Everything in our society, from smartphones and cars to travel experiences, is moving towards consumer customization, so why aren’t intraocular lenses tailored to the customer yet? The RxSight Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is the first and only IOL that can be customized after cataract surgery. The LAL is made of a special photosensitive material that can be adjusted in response to UV light. This optimization is done by the surgeon in the weeks following lens implantation, after the eye has healed, through a series of non-invasive light treatments, lasting only a few minutes each. Each patient has the unique ability to adjust and preview their vision until it meets their personal needs and lifestyle requirements.
Customizing the RxSight LAL is a move away from off-theshelf lenses based on preoperative prediction – which can increase the potential for residual error. Additionally, patients who select a modern multifocal or trifocal lens cannot trial their vision to determine how they might be impacted by glare or halos.
The LAL has demonstrated the lowest level of residual refractive error seen in any astigmatism correcting IOL (1, 2, 3). The refractive corrections are performed by the RxSight Light Delivery Device that is programmed to correct spherical and cylindrical refractive error. Each adjustment is precisely administered in 0.25 D increments, correcting residual astigmatism as low as 0.50 D. By optimizing the spherical refractive target in both eyes, Dr. T. Hunter Newsom showed that out of 86 patients who were bilaterally implanted with the LAL, 80 percent saw at least 20/20 at distance and J1 at near (both uncorrected) at a follow-up visit after all light treatments were complete (4).
The LAL flips the script using postoperative adjustment and is the first ever opportunity for cataract patients to customize and test-drive their vision until they are happy with the results. There may soon be a time when people look back at cataract surgery prior to the LAL the same way we would view optometry prior to customized prescription glasses. RxSight believes this new value proposition – combining the benefits of unsurpassed refractive accuracy and complete customization to deliver the highest quality vision — will drive patient demand in coming years.
References
- RxSight P160055: FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data. 2017.
- Tecnis® Toric PMA P980040/S039: FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data. 2013.
- AcrySof® Toric P930014/S45: FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data. 2011.
- TH Newsom, “Bilateral Implantation of Postop Adjustable IOL With One Eye Customized for Near and the Other for Distance.” Presented at the AAO Annual Meeting; November 12-15, 2021, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. PTO5.
