Revenue Cycle Insider

Question: I’ve recently heard of intraocular lenses (IOLs) to treat patients with vision difficulties. What are IOLs, and what advancements have been made?

Wyoming Subscriber

Answer: IOLs are implantable lenses that replace a patient’s natural lens in their eye. The artificial lenses can help correct several vision impairments, like farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), and farsightedness due to age (presbyopia). Also, patients who suffer from cataracts or who have refractive errors in their vision may benefit from IOL implants.

Companies and researchers continue to improve IOLs, and here’s one example: In September 2024, Johnson & Johnson announced a full visual range IOL, named the TECNIS Odyssey. The IOL is designed to provide a clear view at any distance, so patients can easily switch from reading to viewing across the room to seeing objects at a far distance.

Some patients who receive IOL implants may still require glasses for reading, but Johnson & Johnson found that 94 percent of the patients who underwent the TECNIS Odyssey IOL implantation procedure were satisfied with their vision without needing glasses.

“More than 14,000 eyes have already benefited from TECNIS Odyssey, our new full visual range IOL. TECNIS Odyssey patients have reported outstanding visual outcomes following surgery, which is why we are excited to announce we are expanding the roll-out across the U.S. today,” said Peter Menziuso, company group chairman, Vision, Johnson & Johnson in a press release.

Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC