Bausch & Lomb Surgical Launches the Akreos® AO Micro Incision IOL

This award winning, innovative addition to the glistening free Akreos® family is designed for implantation through a 1.8mm incision, completing the B&L 1.8 mm MICS™ platform.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Bausch & Lomb Surgical has announced the US launch of its new Akreos® AO Micro Incision Lens (Model MI60L). In the US, the company refers to this lens as the Akreos® MICS™lens. This unique spherical aberration free lens has been specifically developed for 1.8 mm MICS™. Its award winning design and glistening free material allows implantation through a 1.8 mm incision, while maintaining the optical quality and stability first established with the parent Akreos AO lens design. Akreos lenses have a history of over ten years since the first implant in Europe and to date there have been more than 3 million Akreos lenses implanted worldwide.

When the Akreos® MICS™lens is coupled with the Stellaris MICS™ Vision Enhancement System, small incision surgeons can now enjoy the universal advantages provided by the MICS™ Platform. The advantages include increased wound sealability1, and a reduction in both endothelial cell loss2 and surgically-induced astigmatism3.

Dr. John Hunkeler, Overland Park, Kansas City, was chosen to be among the first surgeons to implant the lens in the US. “This is what we’ve been waiting for… a crystal-clear acrylic lens with no yellow tint, vacuoles, or glistenings. I am yet to have any patient complain of edge glare or temporal darkness syndrome that has been reported with other acrylic IOLs. The four-point-fixation offers unparalleled centration. Besides all that, it delivers through a 1.8-mm incision. This is the perfect lens that my patients deserve” said Dr. Hunkeler.

On June 24, 2009 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) granted New Technology Intraocular Lens (“NTIOL”) designation to the Akreos® MICS™ IOL for its spherical aberration reducing design. The NTIOL designation became effective April 30, 2009. NTIOL designation means the Medicare reimbursement to ambulatory surgery centers for cataract surgery will increase by $50 when surgery is performed with the Akreos® MICS™ IOL.

Mike Judy, vice president of worldwide marketing for Bausch & Lomb Surgical stated, “We have strategically timed the launch of the Akreos® MICS™ IOL in order to best support surgeons and their patients by providing our latest technological advancements in aspheric optics with NTIOL designation. By introducing an advanced technology lens with a designation that recognizes the high level of performance this lens provides, we continue the Bausch & Lomb tradition of delivering quality products and innovation that perfect vision and enhance life.”