Can someone get iol's if intraocular lens sac has been removed?

Greetings all!

My aunt had cataract surgery years and years ago, and at the time, her
intraocular lens sacs were removed (I confess I know little about her
circumstances; I see her briefly about once per decade and this
particular topic rarely comes up). For whatever reason...perhaps the
technology was not available then...she didn't get intra-ocular lenses
implanted at that time, so she has had to wear those glasses with
'coke bottle lenses'.

My question is: Is it possible to insert intraocular lenses into eyes
that do not have a lens sac (or 'capsule'...I apologize for any misuse
of terms)? I seem to remember hearing (when I had my own cataract
surgery a few years ago) that something like this was possible, but I
don't recall the details.

Any advice at all on this matter is greatly appreciated!

Chuck

 

She can have an anterior chamber lens inserted; it is a lens that sits in
front of th iris instead of behind it. This type of intraocular lens was
the first kind used before the surgery to allow the current posterior lens
was developed. The complication rate with anterior lenses is higher and it
would mean a second surgery which also carries risk. Her eye doctor can
advise her of the possiblity and risks for her particular case.

If your aunt does not like her thick glasses and doesn't want the risk of
surgery, she could consider contact lenses. Before IOLs, in the '70s and
early '80s I had a busy post cataract contact lens practice.

Dr Judy

 

I had my first cataract surgery a few years ago. My wife was talking with
a retired RN at church about it beforehand, and the RN brought in some
brochures she had in her attic about cataract surgery. It was a kind
effort, but I thought they were funny. They were pre-IOL but post
cataract contacts. The brochure talked about how in the olden days
patients had to wear these really thick glasses, and despite the
thickness, they only corrected in the middle, so you had to move your head
to see things clearly. The contacts didn't have these disadvantages, and
also introduced less size distortion. Now, I had switched to soft
contacts when I was diagnosed with cataract, since the doctor said that it
was likely that I would be unable to see with both eyes with glasses,
after the first surgery, and that the second surgery might not be for
several years, if ever. The funny part about the brochure (at least to
me, who was used to inserting and removing contacts) was that it stated
that you went to the doctor to have the contacts inserted, and that you
would return yearly to have the lenses removed, cleaned and reinserted!
In this group we talk about the dangers of leaving contacts in overnight,
but this brochure had people wearing the contacts continually for a year
at a time.