| abstract |
An intraocular lens (IOL) system includes a flexible lens having a skirt, and a restraining element. The restraining element is provided about the skirt and maintains the flexible lens in a stressed, non-accommodating configuration. At implantation, the ciliary body muscle is pharmacologically induced into a relaxed state, a capsulorrhexis is performed on the lens capsule, and the natural lens is removed from the capsule and replaced with the lens of the invention. The ciliary body is maintained in the relaxed state for several weeks until the capsule heals and shrinks about the lens. The restraining element is preferably designed to be removed in a non-surgically invasive manner, e.g., via dissolution or laser light, after capsule healing has occurred. The ciliary body and lens may then interact in a manner substantially similar to the physiological interaction between the ciliary body and a healthy natural crystalline lens. |