Kelly Hanson from Twin Cities Live visited Chu Vision Institute and met patient Ann, who can see clearly for the first time in decades without glasses! Ann underwent cataract surgery with the Light Adjustable Lens, and now she can see clearly when driving at night, she enjoyed the Bruce Springsteen concert, and she will be able to enjoy swimming this summer without contacts. These lenses allow the doctor to adjust the power of the lens after it has healed in place. This means the lens can be tweaked ever so slightly to gain precise and sharp vision. LASIK-like results! It’s a great option for people who had LASIK in the past and want that same vision quality from before.
Watch the segment below!
Transcription:
Ben Leber: okay so after the age of 50 getting cataracts when the when the eyes natural lenses become somewhat cloudy unfortunately is inevitable most people will get them and will also want their Vision corrected why not
cataract surgery is a very common procedure and the technology just keeps getting better and better TCL reporter Kelly Hansen takes us to chu Vision Institute where light adjustable lenses are giving patients 20 20 vision and freedom from glasses
Dr. Chu: so remember that green light up there in front of you
Kelly Hanson: Ann Hennessy is just moments away from having the best Vision she’s had since she was a kid
Ann: at night that’s where I really had a problem where everything was so blurry at night driving and it got to the point where it just didn’t feel safe driving at night which in Minnesota in the winter so 4:30 I’m like I gotta go
Kelly: earlier this year she had cataract surgery at Chu Vision Institute and had a light adjustable lens implanted
Dr. Chu: a light adjustable lens is really the most exciting technology we’ve had in the last couple of years it’s the first and only technology that allows us to customize really optimize the lens implant after cataract surgery to a patient’s individual eyeball
Kelly: now Ann is back for her last lens adjustment
Dr. Chu: there’s polymers inside the lens implant that respond to a wavelength of ultraviolet light and so in a certain pattern we customize the way those polymers change the shape of the lens to help the patient see the best that they can we’re getting lasik-like results with this lens implant
Ann: I don’t even know how you describe it like I don’t know that there’s words to I’ve worn glasses since I was in seventh grade and all of a sudden I don’t have to anymore and you know I wake up and I can see and I do I can do things I you know I went to the Bruce Springsteen concert and I could see him on stage and I’m like okay this is pretty cool I forgot how much I love seeing him on stage it was fun it was very fun
Dr. Chu: the lens has the ability to be adjusted up to three times and then it takes a couple times to permanently secure that position of the lens patients have the option of coming in some patients don’t need all three visits but they do have that option of having that adjustment if needed
Kelly: Dr Chu says this technology not only gives you LASIK-like results it’s also people who’ve had LASIK surgery in the past
Dr. Chu: one thing that we’re seeing is so many people have had Lasik 20 30 years ago and now they come back and they say you know I want to see like I did when I had my LASIK surgery before this lens implant we couldn’t be as confident as getting them that result now with light adjustable lens we can customize the vision and I can look at them and say we can achieve lasik-like results with this implant
Ann: I mean I look forward to this summer I I can’t even imagine going swimming and not having to worry about a contact falling out or or just not seeing because I had worn my glasses so it’s little things like that that I’m really looking forward to
Dr. Chu: you are done
Ann: Woohoo!
Dr. Chu: hahaha! that was awesome hey congratulations hey oh awesome thank you we so appreciate you yeah
Kelly: she hugged you
Dr. Chu: yeah
Kelley: your patients they just it’s this can be life-changing for someone
Dr. Chu: yeah that’s what we never get tired about you know our passion is to help people achieve the best Vision that they can with as much Freedom that they can because it’s really our way of connecting with the world and achieving that Independence and so that hug I mean I I hugged her back genuinely I mean that’s that makes my day that’s why we do what we do
Ben: it’s absolutely incredible what they can do over there so to learn more about your cataract surgery options at Chu Vision Institute including the light adjustable lenses uh procedure just head over to twincitieslive.com there you’ll find links to schedule your appointment or over the phone or just online as well all right sounds