It seems only a few lens are made from silicone, but it is the one my doctor is recommending. What are the pros and cons of silicone vs an acrylic IOL?
You may want to check this article out. It is a bit dated, but I don’t think things have changed much since.
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DOES IOL MATERIAL MATTER? Surgeons weigh in on the relative importance of IOL composition and design. BY RANDALL J. OLSON, MD; MANFRED R. TETZ, MD; AND MATTHEW R. JORGENSEN, PhD
Here is another article to look at. It is an annual survey done to find what lenses are being used by surgeons and why. Of the bread and butter basic monofocals the most used is the Alcon AcrySof IQ Aspheric, and number 2 is the J&J Tecnis 1. Both are acrylic hydrophobic materials, but I believe the Alcon one has a high refractive index. Not sure which ones are silicone. I think the main disadvantage of the silicone may be that it has a lower refractive index and since the lens has to be thicker, it requires a larger incision. But, there are probably many things that factor in the choice of material…
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Review of Ophthalmology PUBLISHED 10 JANUARY 2022 E-Survey: New IOLs Begin To Take Root
thank you. i had seen the 1st article you mentioned but not the 2nd one. They kinda leave me unsure about if silicone is a bad choice as such small percentages use it. If it’s what my doctor is recommending then i’m hoping it is because he thinks it will provide the best outcome in my case. who am i to say “no, don’t use that!”?
What are his reasons for using a silicone lens, and which particular one is it? I think they are used in some cases when an explant is necessary and the silicone lens is put in as a replacement for the acrylic hydrophobic lens when it has issues with dysphotopsia.
He said Bausch & Lomb AOV monofocal IOL or J&J Tecnis, which i think there is a silicone version monofocal – it might be this: Tecnis CL Silicone IOL (Z9002) though he didn’t specify which one.
His reason being, I think, because 1) i said i want as few visual artifacts as possible, and 2) this is the IOL he has experience with.
My hesitation is that they are used so infrequently (2%) so that would indicate there are better IOL out there.
It may be easier and safer to switch surgeons than to convince this surgeon to use a different lens.
Have you had a consult with another surgeon for another opinion on lenses? It could be as you said this particular surgeon is more comfort with the silicone lens as opposed to best outcome for you. It is hard to convince a surgeon on using a lens outside hos comfort zone. I would go get another opinion if I were you.