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Ophthalmologic Surgeon Dr. Sheri Rowen

Dr. Sheri Rowen, Director, Eye & Cosmetic Surgery Center At Mercy, Discusses Using Crystalens HD For Correcting Cataracts

New lenses are becoming available for patients who may one day need cataracts surgery. Doctors said the new lenses can come pretty close to giving baby boomers and seniors the vision they had in their younger years, both near, far and in between. Michele Johnson, 53, said she has worn glasses for nearsightedness since she was a child and then developed cataracts. She had her first cataract surgery three years ago on her left eye. "When I came out of surgery, the first thing I said was, 'I can see!' It was a huge difference," she said. Mercy Medical Center ophthalmologic surgeon Dr. Sheri Rowen said the earlier lens replacements only gave improved vision for distance. "The problem was, the intermediate and close vision was always blurry. Now, lenses have come out over the last several years that allow us to see up close, also," she said. Rowen used the latest generation of the Crystalens, the high-definition version, for Johnson's second cataract. It enhances the near and intermediate vision using the eye's own muscles. "The muscles in the eye actually focus this lens, sort of like the original lens we were born with. It gives us the ability to focus near and far," Dr. Rowen said. "I don't wear contacts. I don't use glasses," Johnson said of her current condition. Crystalenses are tiny, but she said they've made such a difference in her vision. To view Dr. Rowen's interview on WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor" online, visit this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/20535312/detail.html.