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G04 - January 2006 - New Option for Cataracts
Intro: Here's a riddle for you. What causes blurry vision, lots of glare and can make reading the paper nearly impossible? The answer is cataracts, and everyone is at risk of getting them as they age. The good news is surgical options keep getting better. More on a new bifocal lens implant from Mayo Clinic.
| Video | Audio |
| Total running time 1:30 | FOR REALTOR SANDRA JONES, A DAY AT THE OFFICE IS ALL ABOUT READING NAMES AND LITTLE NUMBERS. |
Sandra Jones |
"I DO ALL THE BOOKKEEPING. I'M ON THE COMPUTER CONSTANTLY." |
| ALL THAT FIGURING REQUIRES SHARP VISION. | |
| Sandra Jones | "IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY CONTACTS OR GLASSES I COULDN'T WORK BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE." |
| SANDRA'S NEARSIGHTEDNESS AND FARSIGHTEDNESS WERE NOT HER ONLY VISION PROBLEMS. SHE ALSO BEGAN TO DEVELOP A CATARACT. | |
Akbar Hasan, M.D. |
"A CATARACT IS A CLOUDING OF THE LENS INSIDE THE EYE." |
animation VO: Dr. Hasan in surgery Standup |
DR. AKBAR HASAN SAYS CATARACTS ARE A NORMAL PART OF AGING. THEY'RE CAUSED BY PROTEIN CHANGES IN YOUR EYE. DOCTORS CORRECT THEM WITH AN OUTPATIENT PROCEDURE WHICH INVOLVES BREAKING UP AND REMOVING THE CATARACT WITH HIGH-FREQUENCY SOUND WAVES. THEN THEY REPLACE THE CLOUDY LENS WITH A SOFT PLASTIC ONE, GIVING MOST PEOPLE EXCELLENT DISTANCE VISION. BUT INSTEAD OF USING A STANDARD LENS ON SANDRA, DR. HASAN IMPLANTED A NEW, BIFOCAL LENS RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE FDA. WITH THE NEW LENSES YOU GET THE ABILITY TO READ ROAD SIGNS IN THE DISTANCE AND SEE THE MAP UP CLOSE. WITHOUT READING GLASSES. |
Akbar Hasan |
"IT GIVES YOU FREEDOM FROM GLASSES. THAT'S WHAT I TELL MY PATIENTS. YOU'RE NOT GAINING SUPER VISION, BUT YOU'RE LESS DEPENDENT ON GLASSES." |
| A FREEDOM SANDRA ENJOYS EVERY DAY AT WORK WHEN SHE READS THE BIG MAP IN HER REAL ESTATE OFFICE. | |
| Sandra Jones | "THIS IS WHERE WE BRING PEOPLE TO SHOW THEM WHERE THINGS ARE. WITH MY GLASSES I HAD TO USE THE MAGNIFYING GLASS." |
| VO: Sandra at work | NOT ANYMORE. THE NEW BIFOCAL LENS IMPLANT ALLOWS SANDRA TO READ THE SMALL PRINT AND SEE THE DISTANCE WITHOUT GLASSES. |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. | |
Tag: Dr. Hasan says this new lens is not a cure-all. Some people may still need glasses at some point. But it's certainly a great option now available for people with cataracts. For more information, log on to our Web site at ...
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