Carol Liardon was a nurse for a long time, but now her work is a little different.

“I’m the executive vice president of my son’s organization, Roberts Liardon Ministries. I haven’t practiced nursing for quite a few years,” she says.

Although she is used to being in helping professions, recently Carol needed a little help for herself due to a problem with developing cataracts.

“I knew I was having issues the first year I moved here from California,” she explains.

Cataracts, the gradual clouding of the eye’s lens, were having a severe impact on her vision. Carol decided a checkup was in order, and she selected board-certified ophthalmologist Pooja Khator, MD.

“I was looking for an ophthalmologist to take the place of the one I had in California, and I was looking for a female. A friend of mine gave me an annual physician’s guide, and that’s where I found Dr. Khator.”

The patient and her new doctor hit it off right away.

“I’m a first impression kind of person: if I don’t like someone, I don’t return to them,” adds Carol. “I liked Dr. Khator very much the first time I went to her.”

She adds that the doctor was very forthcoming, which hasn’t always been the case with some of the doctors she has known over the years.

“Sometimes, you have to pry information out of doctors, but Dr. Khator is very good at explaining things. I was very comfortable with her.”

A closer look at cataracts

Dr. Khator explains that cataracts are actually a common, naturally occurring process.

“Basically, cataracts occur as the natural lens of the eye hardens,” says the skilled surgeon. “This makes it difficult for patients to see well, and many experience nighttime glare when driving and have difficulty reading or watching television. These are often the first symptoms patients develop.”

There are a variety of options available to cataract patients, and decisions about what course to take are often dependent on factors such as astigmatism or previous eye surgeries such as LASIK.

“With refractive surgeries such as LASIK,” reflects Dr. Khator, “the patient has the surgery specifically because they want to be less dependent on glasses. With cataract surgery, the patient has to have the cataract removed anyway, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to address their refractive goals at the same time, without additional surgery.”

She explains that the so-called “lifestyle” lenses include ReSTOR® and Crystalens.

“Everyone has options, but a standard intraocular lens does not correct any astigmatism in the eye nor does it provide improved ability to see up-close. Consequently, patients who opt for a standard lens are often still in progressive glasses or bifocals afterwards.

“For people who don’t have much astigmatism, and want to be less dependent upon eyeglasses, Crystalens is my favorite choice among the lifestyle lenses.”

Why Crystalens?

Dr. Khator notes that the unique design of the Crystalens is one of the main reasons for its high rate of success.

“When you look up-close, the muscle in your eye contracts and shifts that lens,” she explains. “When the lens moves forward, it changes the focus from far to near, and you are able to focus on things at more of a near range.

“The Crystalens really works most closely like the regular lens of your eye when you were young. It flexes and is able to move forward and back and help you see at a distance, at intermediate, and up-close. That’s why I like the lens: it mimics the natural lens of the eye and gives you the best ranges of vision.”

Dr. Khator adds that patients often fail to understand how important intermediate vision is, concentrating instead on improving distance and near vision.

“Many people say, I don’t really need intermediate vision that much , but when you see someone at the grocery store holding a can out to read it, that’s really intermediate vision. They’re doing that because it’s too close for them to use the distance portion of either their glasses or distance lens, but yet they have to bring it in real close if they are trying to read it with a pair of readers. Crystalens is very successful at treating this problem and still enables most patients to seriously reduce their need for glasses, as in Carol’s case.”

“A whole new world”

For Carol, the change from cataracts to Crystalens has been a most welcome one.

“I had already made up my mind that I wanted lenses that would reduce my need for glasses, so we went with the Crystalens…which is fantastic and wonderful!” she says.

Carol adds that within just a day or so after her first cataract surgery, she experienced a truly remarkable improvement in her vision.

“I could see very well out of that eye, and I was totally shocked,” she recalls. “Everything was crisp and clear and bright, and it was fantastic, just totally amazing. The colors were bright and very vivid. I saw colors I hadn’t seen in years. It was like walking into a new world.”

Now accustomed to sharp, clear vision in both eyes, Carol is adjusting quite well to life without the constant need for glasses.

“The only time I use any glasses is at the computer sometimes, or if I’m reading very fine print,” she reports. “Otherwise, I don’t need them. I can even drive at night without glasses.

“Like I said, my world now is a whole new world.”

FHCN – Michael J. Sahno