Keywords light adjustable lenses, cataract surgery, vision correction, depth perception, blue light protection Summary In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses light adjustable lenses (LAL) used in cataract surgery, explaining their benefits, drawbacks, and potential impact on depth perception. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how these lenses work, the necessity of UV protection during the adjustment period, and the need for blue light protection to prevent potential eye issues. Dr. Berne also shares his personal recommendations regarding vision correction options. See his BONUS podcast on his membership site: https://drsambernesmembership.com Takeaways Light adjustable lenses (LAL) are a new option for cataract surgery. LAL allows for customization of vision correction post-surgery. Patients must wear UV protective glasses during the adjustment period. Depth perception can be affected by blended vision from LAL. Monovision and blended vision can create confusion for some patients. Surgeons can adjust the non-dominant eye after surgery for better results. Blue light protection is important to prevent eye damage. Not all interocular lenses have blue light blocking capabilities. It's advisable to try monovision contacts before surgery. LAL may be worth considering if blended vision is acceptable. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Light Adjustable Lenses 02:20 Benefits and Drawbacks of Light Adjustable Lenses 05:42 Depth Perception and Vision Challenges 07:36 Blue Light Protection and Final Thoughts "Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast today. So I'm to take a question that I've been getting a lot of something called light adjustable lenses. These are new lenses that cataract surgeons are putting in your eyes. And so what are the pros and cons? Do I recommend it? What do you have to watch out for? That's what we're going to talk about today. So light adjustable lenses are new intraocular lens that cataract surgeons are putting in your eyes. So just like regular cataract surgery, they take out the clouded lens and they're putting in this new interocular lens. I call it the LAL light adjustable lens. So after the surgery, there's a two to three week healing period and once your eyes have healed, then the adjustable process can occur with this new interocular lens. So during this time you get a pair of ultraviolet glasses that protect you from UV light. because it's the UV light that actually creates the changes in the light adjustable lenses. So after the eye heals, you'll go back to the doctor and he will start making some adjustments in the lens using a special UV laser and this UV light causes a retargeting of the shape of the lens. So the refractive errors myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism can be fine-tuned by reshaping the lens in the eye. Typically, you'll need two to three light treatments to complete the reshaping and come up with a prescription that you can see clearly out of. So once you get to the end result of having clear eyesight, then there's a final lock in where the lens will be permanent. in terms of the prescription that you're getting. In some of the studies I've seen, there's been a 92 % success rate in having clear eyesight from the light adjustable lens. So you get this great customization of your prescription and it works really well. If you've had things like PRK or Lasik surgery because it can really find to the final result of having clear eyesight. Sam Berne (02:20.652) So three initial drawbacks. I see is number one. You have to use UV protecting glasses during the period of measuring. What is the final LAL prescription number two? You have to do somewhere between two and four extra office visits to fine-tune the reshaping and get the prescription that you want and number three is the cost. So usually these lenses are not covered by insurance. So you're going to have to pay out of pocket. If you want these, okay,
