Synchrony® Intraocular Lens

Synchrony® is a new design of intraocular lens (IOL) for use in cataract surgery to give recipients clear, continuous vision at all distances. It is not yet approved for general use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, but if approved it will become the second accommodating intraocular lens for use in cataract surgery, after Crystalens®.

When the eye's natural crystalline lens is removed during cataract surgery, it normally loses the important ability to change shape (known as "accommodation") that allows the eye to focus on objects at different distances. In the past, people dealt with this by using reading glasses, bifocals, or trifocals after cataract surgery. More recently, new options have been developed that allow people to see clearly at all distances. One option is multifocal lenses like ReZoom™, ReSTOR®, and Tecnis®. Another option is accommodating lenses that mimic the behavior of the eye's natural lens.

How the Synchrony® Intraocular Lens Works

The process of accommodation is controlled by a tiny muscle that surrounds the lens, known as the ciliary muscle, that changes the shape of the lens to change which light becomes focused on the retina. During implantation, the Synchrony® intraocular lens is attached to the ciliary muscle. This allows the ciliary muscle to control Synchrony® just as it controlled the eye's natural lens.

When compared to a multifocal IOL (ReSTOR®), Synchrony® gave equivalent results for near and far distance, and better vision at intermediate distances (a known weakness of ReSTOR®), and showed significantly less incidence of halos and glare, and a better quality of vision overall, measured as contrast sensitivity.

Design of the Synchrony® Intraocular Lens

The Synchrony® intraocular lens has a unique design. Crystalens®, the only other accommodating lens, is designed as a single lens with hinges that allow the lens to move forward or back to change the light being focused on the retina. Synchrony® actually has two lenses, and the action of the ciliary muscle changes the distance between them to adjust the focus of light on the retina. One advantage that the designers of Synchrony® claim over the design of Crystalens is that the Synchrony® preserves the "3-dimensional architecture" of the eye's natural lens, which may reduce the incidence of a particular complication seen with Crystalens and other intraocular lenses, posterior capsule opacification.

Risks of the Synchrony® Intraocular Lens

Since FDA approval is still pending, no compilation of the results from pre-approval studies has been made public, so we are not sure what specific risks may be associated with the Synchrony® intraocular lens. General risks associated with cataract surgery are infection, hemorrhage, macular edema, and retinal detachment.

With approval of the Synchrony® intraocular lens pending, it is definitely an option to discuss with your ophthalmologist when you are considering cataract surgery. Find a local ophthalmologist who can discuss the pros and cons of all your options before making a decision.