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Dr. Rex Hamilton is a specialist in modern cataract surgery. With his many years of experience performing cataract surgeries and training opthalmologists at the prestigious UCLA Stein Eye Institute, Dr. Rex Hamilton has developed two different management options that patients can choose to best fit their lifestyle.

Astigmatism Management

Many individuals suffer from astigmatism, a visual condition that results in blurred vision. The source of the astigmatism can be either from the cornea (the front window of the eye), the lens (which focuses the light entering your eye), or a combination of both. With Astigmatism Management, Dr. Rex Hamilton’s goal is to minimize your astigmatism and optimize your distance vision without glasses. To do this, there are three methods:

  • Astigmatic Keratotomy: A cornea that has a football shape as opposed to a more rounded basketball shape will cause astigmatism. To correct this, Dr. Rex Hamilton will make targeted incisions (either manually or with a femtosecond laser) at the steepest parts of the cornea to adjust its shape and reduce astigmatism. This procedure is done during your cataract surgery and is extremely safe and effective.
  • Toric Lens: For higher levels of astigmatism, a special type of intraocular lens called a Toric lens is implanted in the eye after the cataract is removed. Once placed inside, Dr. Rex Hamilton will carefully orient the lens to maximally reduce your astigmatism. When Dr. Hamilton uses the femtosecond laser, he is able to measure the optics of the eye in real time. This allows for a higher level of precision for toric lens placement.
  • LASIK / PRK: If residual astigmatism remains following a healing period of weeks to months after cataract surgery, Dr. Hamilton will determine whether a PRK or LASIK procedure could further improve your vision. The procedure would be done in a laser suite as opposed to an operating room at a later date.

To learn more about this management option, read the FAQs about Astigmatism Management.

Refractive Management

During the pre-operative comprehensive examination, Dr. Hamilton will determine if your ocular health is sufficient to allow for Refractive Management. If you qualify, then in conjunction with Astigmatism Management (see above), Dr. Rex Hamilton will make use of his many years of experience utilizing state-of-the-art surgical techniques together with customized analysis to minimize your reliance on glasses and allow you to live a more active, independent lifestyle. Dr. Hamilton utilizes two methods to provide refractive management:

  • Presbyopia-Correcting Lenses: A traditional monofocal lens with astigmatism management provides optimized distance vision without glasses. However, you will still require glasses for near activities (e.g. computer, menus, price tags, cell phone). Dr. Hamilton has extensive experience utilizing three classes of presbyopia-correcting lenses that allow you to minimize your reliance on glasses: Accommodative, Multifocal, and Extended Depth of Focus. Dr. Rex Hamilton will discuss in-depth with you all of the available options and figure out which one is right for you.
  • Monovision: Using traditional monofocal lens implants with astigmatism management, Dr. Rex Hamilton can correct one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision. Many patients have years of experience using this monovision technique with their contact lenses. When Dr. Hamilton uses the femtosecond laser, he is able to measure the optics of the eye in real time, adding an important level of precision to optimizing a monovision outcome.

Following a healing period of weeks to months after cataract surgery, Dr. Hamilton will determine whether a PRK or LASIK procedure could be done to further improve your vision. The procedure would be done in a laser suite as opposed to an operating room at a later date.
To learn more about this management option, read the FAQs about Refractive Management.