Vision Restoration

It is an exciting time to be an ophthalmologist. We are continually presented with newer and better tools to improve our patients’ visual lives. I would like to highlight two of the most exciting new advances, the astigmatism-correcting, implantable Toric ICL and the new Vivity Intraocular Lens (IOL).

Common to vision correction are glasses, bifocals, trifocals, and contacts, all of which may work but do not provide visual freedom. Many of our patients want to be free of the constant need for glasses and contact lenses. They want their vision restored. This is what we strive to deliver to our patients. As a former professor of ophthalmology, let me break down the newest tools available to improve your vision.

Vivity IOL

In the fall of 2020, our surgeons were the first in southern Utah to have access to this procedure for our patients. The results are quite nice. The Vivity IOL is the newest eye implant designed to help both our younger and older patients restore their distance and computer vision via refractive lens exchange (RLE) or cataract surgery. Refractive lens exchange (RLE) is when the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with a lens implant. The Vivity IOL is free from the light-inhibiting problems (glares and halos) of its implant predecessors.

>For younger patients whose farsightedness is outside the bounds of LASIK, we offer RLE with the Vivity IOL implant.

> For middle age patients who suffer from presbyopia (a loss of near vision) and do not want to use contacts or “readers,’’ we offer a RLE with the Vivity IOL implant.

> For older patients with cataracts, we offer cataract surgery with the Vivity IOL implant.

> Check out my youtube channel to view routine cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange videos in addition to many other eye surgery videos (youtube.com/c/marcosreyesMD).

Toric ICL

After sixteen years of waiting, the toric ICL (TICL) implants hit the US market in 2018 and became routinely implanted in 2019. Its predecessor was the ICL (also known as the Implantable Collamer Lens or Implantable Contact Lens). The ICL was designed to correct nearsightedness in patients that did not qualify for LASIK, but it did not correct astigmatism. Like its predecessor, TICLs are a reversible solution for nearsightedness. The toric addition gives the added capability of correcting a patient’s astigmatism in addition to the nearsightedness. Both the ICL and TICL are implanted in the space behind the iris and in actuality, have been shown to offer higher qualities of vision than LASIK, which alters the structure of the eye. For this reason, many individuals choose ICLs over LASIK. Go to my youtube channel (youtube.com/c/marcosreyesMD) to view a routine ICL being implanted.

Our office is involved in all aspects of eye care, including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease, all of which are age-associated causes of vision loss and benefit from early detection via routine exams and close monitoring.

Caring for our patients’ vision is our passion. Come visit us at St George Eye Center.

About the Author

Dr. Marcos Reyes, MD, is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He attended medical school at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He completed his Ophthalmology Residency at the University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas, where he also served as chief resident. He trained in LASIK and PRK at the nationally recognized Air Force War Fighter Refractive Surgery Center. Dr. Reyes completed a glaucoma fellowship at the prestigious Dean McGee Eye Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and subsequently served as a professor at the University of Missouri Mason Eye Clinic for five years. In 2015, he and his family moved to southern Utah to continue practicing medicine in private practice. Dr. Reyes specializes in LASIK, PRK, refractive lens exchange, ICL surgery, medical and surgical glaucoma, cataract surgery, and complex anterior segment surgeries. He and his wife Raina have four wonderful children, whom he loves spending time with. Hiking, mountain biking, and reading are a few of his favorite hobbies. Please visit his continually expanding youtube channel for examples of his surgeries (http://www.youtube.com/c/marcosreyesMD). The goal is to provide a place for those who are interested to see examples of the surgeries performed by Dr. Reyes.