October 15, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Surgeons at UAB’s Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital are the first in Alabama to offer a new intraocular lens for cataract surgery that is designed to filter blue light. Research indicates that blue light may cause retinal damage, and may play a role in the onset of age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in the world.

Surgeons must insert an artificial lens into the eye following cataract surgery and the newest lens on the market, called the AcrySof® Natural intraocular lens from Alcon Laboratories, mimics a healthy eye’s ability to filter blue light.

“Following cataract surgery, patients sometimes report problems with brightness and observe a blue tint to their vision,” says UAB ophthalmologist Dr. Virginia Lolley. “The new lens will assist in correcting those problems and restore patients to as near to normal vision as possible.”

Lolley says there is a growing body of evidence that high-frequency blue light may cause retinal damage. The new lens features a yellow component called a chromophore bound in the implant material that effectively filters high-energy blue light. The lens also absorbs UV light. It does not affect color vision or the ability to see in dim light.

The procedure to install the new lens is the same as current procedures for existing lenses, according to Lolley. The Callahan Eye Foundation hospital at UAB became the first Alabama medical facility to offer the AcrySof® Natural lens in October.