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Darrell Pickard, MD and Joshua Jones, MD of Precision Vision are the First and Only Surgeons in Oklahoma, To Offer the Light-Adjustable Lens (LAL) to Cataract Patients

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Darrell Pickard, MD

We’re very honored to be chosen as the first practice in Oklahoma to offer LAL technology to patients seeking a more refined visual outcome or monovision for spectacle independence


OKLAHOMA CITY (PRWEB)

A cataract occurs when the clear crystalline lens within the eye becomes cloudy. This cloudiness can cause a loss of colors, night-time glare or even complete blindness. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States. More than half of all Americans will have cataracts by the time they are 80 years old. However, in most cases, loss of vision due to cataracts is completely reversible.

Over the last few decades, ophthalmologists have made remarkable progress in improving the cataract surgery process and patient outcomes. Some of these innovations include; phacoemulsification, which makes the removal of a cataract a more pleasant experience for both the patient and the surgeon, laser-assisted cataract removal, which helps make cataract surgery more precise and more predictable and premium lens implants, which may allow patients undergoing cataract removal to see at all distances, even up close, with little to no dependance on reading glasses or bifocals.

The First and Only Lens That Can Be Customized After Cataract Surgery- Light Adjustable Lens Technology

Darrell Pickard, MD is the medical director at Precision Vision, with locations throughout Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Dr. Pickard has been a regional leader in cataract surgery, LASIK and lens replacement surgery for over 30 years. He and Joshua Jones, MD of Precision Vision have recently been selected by RxSight™ to be two of only a few surgeons in the country, and the first surgeons in Oklahoma to have Light-Adjustable Lens (LAL) technology, which allows for more precision vision for his post cataract surgery patients.

In the past, surgeons would take measurements of the patient’s eye, then based off of those measurements, make their best educated guess at which lens power would give the patient their best possible visual outcome. While effective, it wasn’t always precise and many times a patient would still require glasses to see in the distance and almost always need glasses for near or intermediate vision.

The Light-Adjustable Lens (LAL) manufactured by RxSight™ is the first and only cataract lens implant that can be customized after cataract surgery. This customization helps deliver superior visual outcomes that non-adjustable IOLs simply cannot match. In a study of 600 subjects, those who received the Light Adjustable Lens followed by adjustments were twice as likely to achieve 20/20 distance vision at 6 months without glasses as those who received a standard monofocal IOL. This technology can also allow patients to have the best possible corrected vision for distance in their dominant eye and if they wish for independence from reading glasses, the surgeon can adjust their non-dominant eye for reading vision.

Designed by a Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Robert Grubbs of California Institute of Technology, the LAL is a three-piece silicone lens that is implanted just like a monofocal lens implant, except the LAL is made with a special photoreactive silicone, permitting surgeons to adjust a patient’s prescription after implantation by using a specialized Ultra-Violet (UV) light or Light Delivery Device (LDD). Dr. Grubbs won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005 for his theory of olefin metathesis, which is used in LAL technology.

Precision Vision’s Medical Director, Darrell Pickard, MD wanted to include LAL technology into his practice to improve patient outcomes, especially in patients undergoing refractive lens exchange or cataract surgery that had previous refractive surgical procedures such as LASIK, PRK or RK. It’s also designed for patients seeking monovision (dominant eye corrected for distance and non-dominant eye corrected for near) or patients seeking more precise visual outcome following their cataract or refractive lens exchange procedure.

“We’re very honored to be chosen as the first practice in Oklahoma to offer LAL technology to patients seeking a more refined visual outcome or monovision for spectacle independence,” said Darrell Pickard, MD – Medical Director at Precision Vision located in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

The ideal candidates for Light Adjustable Lens implants are patients that are concerned about their best possible distance vision, a patient wanting monovision, or patients with a history of corneal surgery including LASIK, PRK, or RK for irregular corneas.

“LAL technology has made cataract outcomes more predictable than ever before, especially for patients seeking to reduce or eliminate their need for glasses following cataract surgery,” said Joshua Jones, MD of Precision Vision.

About Precision Vision

At Precision Vision we strive to offer every patient individualized care, using the most advanced technology, in a caring, friendly environment. We specialize in advanced laser cataract surgery with premium lenses, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), LASIK, glaucoma surgery plus the diagnosis and treatment of dry eyes, diabetic eye care, and macular degeneration. Precision Vision’s locations are convenient for patients across Oklahoma including; Midwest City, South Oklahoma City and Shawnee. Our surgery center is located in Oklahoma City, making surgery more convenient than a typical hospital setting.

Darrell J. Pickard, M.D., was the first surgeon in Oklahoma City to offer laser cataract surgery as well as dropless cataract surgery. Dr. Pickard is a board-certified ophthalmologist and cataract and LASIK surgeon. He specializes in advanced cataract surgery, lens implants, and refractive surgery, including LASIK eye surgery and PRK. He has served as a full-time eye surgeon for Midwest City and its surrounding communities in the Oklahoma City metro since 1993. A native of the Mid-Del area, Dr. Pickard attended Oklahoma Christian College, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Health Sciences in San Antonio. He was one of the first eye surgeons in Oklahoma to perform laser vision correction with the VISX laser starting in 1996. Dr. Pickard is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract Refractive Surgery, The American Medical Association, and the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

Joshua Jones, MD, is an ophthalmologist at Precision Vision practicing at their Midwest City location. He performs cataract surgery with premium lens implants, glaucoma surgery and oculoplastic procedures. Dr. Jones received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma and his Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center where he served as Chief Ophthalmology Resident. Dr. Jones is a resident member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a trainee member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. He also has research articles published in journals including Ophthalmology and Journal of Glaucoma. His personal hobbies include sports such as racquetball, snow-skiing and basketball, and he also enjoys traveling, cooking, and gardening.

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