CALL (949) 631-4780
CALL (949) 631-4780
Most intraocular lenses assume a reasonably regular cornea. If yours is irregular, especially if you had RK (radial keratotomy) decades ago, standard multifocal and extended-depth-of-focus lenses can amplify the very distortions you want to escape. The Apthera IOL takes a different approach, and it is our preferred lens for many patients with irregular corneas.
The Apthera IOL is built around a principle photographers have used for a century: a small aperture filters out unfocused, scattered light and lets through only the central, focused rays. An embedded ring in the lens creates a pinhole effect that extends your depth of focus and softens the impact of corneal irregularities, rather than trying to correct them point by point. The result, for the right eye, is a smoother, more forgiving range of vision from distance through intermediate.
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Clear vision across a full range, without blur
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Reduces the impact of mild astigmatism
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Small aperture technology filters out unfocused light
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A smoother, more forgiving range of vision in varied lighting
The Apthera IOL has a FilterRing™ component built within the lens. This FilterRing component creates a small aperture, allowing focused light to enter into the eye. Unfocused light that causes blurry vision is filtered away. This provides a continuous range of vision allowing patients to see from near (reading a cell phone), through intermediate (looking at a computer) to far (seeing a street light) without blurry zones.
Radial keratotomy corrected nearsightedness with a pattern of corneal incisions, and it left many of those corneas irregular, with day-to-night fluctuation and optics that make both lens-power calculation and multifocal lens designs unreliable. If that is your history, you have probably already been told you are a difficult case. This is exactly the situation the Apthera IOL was designed for: because the small aperture filters aberrated light rather than trying to correct it, an irregular cornea matters far less. Dr. Feinerman evaluates post-RK eyes with the full diagnostic workup (iTrace, Pentacam, IOL Master, OCT) before recommending any lens, and for many of these patients the Apthera IOL is the option that finally fits. Learn more about cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange.
The Apthera IOL is typically implanted in one eye, paired with a monofocal or toric monofocal lens in the fellow eye. The pairing is customized to your visual demands: the monofocal eye anchors crisp distance vision, while the Apthera eye contributes extended range through intermediate and functional near. Like every lens decision at Feinerman Vision, the plan is personalized to your anatomy, your imaging, and how you live; no lens in our portfolio is right for everyone.
You may be a candidate if you have an irregular cornea from prior RK or other corneal history, if you have been told multifocal lenses are not an option for your eyes, or if you are having cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange and want extended range without the light-splitting design of a multifocal. Candidacy depends on your retinal health and overall eye exam, which is what your evaluation with Dr. Feinerman determines.
Not automatically, but post-RK eyes are the group this lens serves best. Your corneal imaging and retinal exam decide it.
The aperture is engineered to preserve normal light levels for everyday conditions. Some patients notice mild dimming in very low light; this is one of the tradeoffs Dr. Feinerman reviews with you against the alternatives.
The small-aperture design reduces the visual impact of moderate corneal irregularity and astigmatism rather than correcting it the way a toric lens does. Which approach fits your eye is a measurement question, answered by your imaging.
No. It is typically placed in one eye and paired with a monofocal or toric lens in the other, a plan Dr. Feinerman customizes to your goals.
Cataract surgery with a standard monofocal lens is generally covered; the Apthera IOL is a premium lens paid out of pocket. Costs are reviewed at your consultation.
If you have an irregular cornea or a history of RK and have been told your options are limited, schedule your consultation with Dr. Feinerman. Call (949) 631-4780 or book online at FeinermanVision.com. Your imaging will show what your cornea actually needs, and lens selection follows from that, not the other way around.
This quiz is educational and does not diagnose any condition or guarantee candidacy for any procedure. Candidacy is determined only by a comprehensive evaluation, including corneal imaging and a full eye exam, performed by Gregg Feinerman, MD, FACS. Feinerman Vision · 320 Superior Ave, Suite 390, Newport Beach, CA 92663 · (949) 631-4780 · FeinermanVision.com
