Hopedale October 2016

Page 8 Local Town Pages www.hopedaletownnews.com October 2016
Living Healthy
Cataract Surgery: Symfony is here!
By: Roger M. Kaldawy, M.D.
Milford Franklin Eye Center
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has recently
approved the first cataract intraocular
lens implant that provides
cataract patients with an
extended depth-of-focus, which
helps improve their sharpness
of vision (visual acuity) at near,
intermediate and far distances.
The Symfony is here, a masterpiece
in design and function and
a real advancement in cataract
surgery implants.
Cataracts are a common eye
condition where the natural lens
becomes clouded, impairing a
patient’s vision. According to the
National Eye Institute, more than
20% of Americans will have cataracts
by the age of 65, and the
prevalence increases with age. In
cataract surgery, the clouded natural
lens is removed and replaced
with an intraocular lens implant.
While intraocular lenses have
been the mainstay of cataract
treatment for many years, we
continue to see advances in this
technology. The Tecnis Symfony
Extended Range of Vision implant
provides a new option for
patients that may result in better
vision across a broader range of
distances.
Traditional monofocal implants
have been limited to improving
distance vision. With
those traditional implants, only
one distance is corrected, so if
you choose to correct for distance
only, close-up vision is blurry…
and vice versa. The Tecnis Symfony
implant improves visual acuity
at close, intermediate and far
ranges and, therefore, will reduce
the need for patients to wear contact
lenses or glasses after cataract
surgery.
The FDA approval of the
Symphony implant was based
on a review of results from a randomized
clinical trial comparing
148 cataract patients implanted
with the Tecnis Symfony to 151
cataract patients implanted with
a monofocal IOL. The study
evaluated visual acuity at near,
intermediate and far ranges;
contrast sensitivity (the ability
to distinguish small differences
between light and dark); and adverse
events for six months after
implantation. Of the patients implanted
with the Tecnis Symfony
implant, 77% had good vision
(20/25), without glasses at intermediate
distances, compared to
34% of those with the monofocal
implants. For near distances,
patients with the Tecnis Symfony
implant were able to read two
additional, progressively smaller
lines on a standard eye chart
than those with the monofocal
implant. Both sets of patients
had comparable results for good
distance vision.
The Tecnis Symfony implant
is also available in four toric
models, which are indicated for
the reduction of residual refractive
astigmatism or imperfections
in the curvature of the eye. This
is indeed good news as astigmatism
was a limitation in the past
for using implants that allow both
distance and near vision. With
the Symphony implant, this is no
more.
Cataract surgery is all about
better precision, more safety
and excellent outcomes. At Milford
Franklin Eye Center, Dr.
Kaldawy is proud to have been
the first surgeon in the area and
among the first in Massachusetts
to offer bladeless laser-assisted
cataract surgery and the first surgeon
in the greater Boston area
to implant the new Symfony
cataract implant. We are happy
to bring this technology to the
area. The top 5 teaching hospitals
in the Nation offer bladeless
laser cataract surgery. So do we,
one of the few centers in Massachusetts
to do so. We implant
high quality premium lenses only,
with correction for distance, near
and everything in between. Our
percentage of posterior capsule
complications and infections is
one of the lowest in the Nation
and is measured by independent
sources. We operate in a
state-of-the-art surgery center in
Waltham offering door to door
concierge service transportation
and used by 65 other top Boston
surgeons. This same center has
not only one, but 2 ORA machines
for better precision and
less dependence on glasses. 100%
of the surgeries are performed
under topical anesthesia, so only
drops, no need for shots around
or behind the eye and their risks
and no need for stitches. No
knife, no shots, no stitch surgery.
Yes we are in 2016, and we are
proud to offer 2016 world class
outcomes closer to home. The
new Symfony implant is here,
and it is music to your eyes!
For more details, see our ad on
the front page.
Holliston, MA
(508) 429-7800
Milford, MA
(508) 473-2002
Hopkinton, MA
(508) 435-1200
www.SimplyOrtho.com
Another Farm to
Table Dinner is
Scheduled in Hopedale
Supporting Massachusetts
farms by purchasing locally
grown and produced foods is a
great way to care for the environment.
Eating local supports
family farms, sustainable agriculture
and a decrease in carbon
footprint when we produce and
consume our own fresh produce
rather than shipping it across the
country. On Saturday, November
5th Hopedale Unitarian Parish
will be hosting another farm
to table dinner to showcase a
bounty of locally available foods
from nearby farms. A full course
meal featuring Vegan and Vegetarian
options, as well as locally
raised meat, will be prepared
and served at the church by reservation
only. The menu will feature
items from the most recent
harvest, which includes squash,
pumpkin and apples. Please
Email HopedaleUnitarian@verizon.org
or visit HopedaleUnitarian.org
to get tickets.