Extended Depth of Focus With a Small Aperture IOL

In a recent conversation, Dr. Michael Patterson discussed his experience with the IC-8™ Apthera™ lens in patients who desire a wide range of functional vision from their intraocular lens.

Meeting an Unmet Need 

“The Apthera lens has changed the lives of many of my patients. I believe I'm one of the top implanters of Apthera in the country, and it's not because I push refractive lenses. Rather, Apthera has radically changed my conversation with a whole set of patients for whom I used to rule out premium lenses. It is the most groundbreaking development we have had in our practice in easily two decades.”

Apthera Advantages 

“In our practice, we often use presbyopia-correcting IOLs to address near and far vision needs,” Dr. Patterson explained. “To me, the benefits of the Apthera lens are clear.”

“You have very little concern about decentration of the lens, which is a significant problem with a diffractive optic.”1

“The small aperture of the Apthera lens allows you to have a continuous elongated focal point that you wouldn’t have with any other implant. The small aperture also enhances the refractive acuity, which isn’t surprising. It's no different from doing the pinhole test to see how well a patient can see without their glasses. Suddenly, someone who ordinarily wears glasses can see 20/20. The depth of focus has clarified the image. The patient gains an extended functional range of vision.”

“Additional problems with diffractive optics include the frequent side effects of glare and halo.2  On average, patients in the Apthera clinical study reported the severity of halos and glare as mild to none.1 Patients who play pickleball or tennis often complain of missing the ball with diffractive optics.”

“The high-quality blend of vision with the Apthera is due to the fact that it filters and focuses light to achieve good near, intermediate, and far vision.1,3 You find a continuous range of vision, from computer vision up to 10 or 15 feet, which you don’t find in a traditional non-EDOF diffractive optic lens. With a bifocal or trifocal, you have only 2 or 3 set focal points, with transitions or blurry zones in between.4 With Apthera, I can get both eyes working together to have an extended depth of focus by targeting at different ranges.”
 

Monocular Defocus Curve Monofocal IOL at Plano & Apthera IOL at -0.75 D

Targeting -0.75 D in the non-dominant Apthera™ IOL eye delivers monofocal-like binocular distance vision when implanting the fellow eye at Plano, while improving intermediate through near vision.1

Patient Selection

“We separate patients into two categories,” Dr. Patterson explained. “The first is people who don't want to wear glasses to drive but are willing to wear occasional reading glasses for things such as medication bottles. These are some of the patients for whom we think Apthera fits best. Depending on patient preference, you give and take between near and distance vision by adjusting your targets. The second is people who want to be glasses-independent as much as possible. We ask people in this second category how well they want to see, and if they want to see 20/20 with both eyes at every range, we may end up down a diffractive-lens pathway. However, if the patient says he can’t handle having glare at night when he’s driving, he’s probably a better candidate for Apthera.” 

Reactions of Patients and Colleagues

“My patients have been thrilled with their results with the Apthera lens,” Dr. Patterson noted. “I have not had one negative comment.”

“The main impetus for me to get access to this lens was that my father needed it. He is a renowned surgeon with over three decades of experience and works alongside me in our practice. Based on my work with AcuFocus™, I was committed to gaining access to the Apthera IOL. My father has had outstanding results.”

“My partners and other surgeons are excited about the possibilities opened up by the Apthera lens. We now have an IOL that provides extended depth of vision for patients that previously would not have been candidates for diffractive or other premium IOLs. It has unlocked the potential to help patients in ways we never could before,” Dr. Patterson concluded.

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