Written by Rod Boam
September 28, 2019
LOGAN – For people who want their twenty-year-old vision back, Dr. Bryan Monson is one of a few ophthalmologists performing refractive lens exchanges. He takes the eye lens and replaces it with a lens that works better than the patient’s natural one.
“We are one of the two eye surgery centers with the kind of equipment in the state,” Monson said. “We have the technology to let patients have freedom from cataracts and glasses.”
He can fix near, medium and distance vision with a new lens. A number of people go in with trouble seeing, and come out a half hour later reading the small print on a cell phone and being able to see detail in the mountains far away.
“The other thing is people who have lost the zoom of their eyes,” Monson said. “People that may not want to have all those glasses all over the house. They can dump glasses once and for all. We take out their dysfunctional lenses and replace them with new ones. I can make it so you won’t have cataracts.”
“Look at my schedule at all of the people I’ve done this week,” he said showing a print out of his surgeries in a day. “Most of these are going to have their lenses replaced and a new Trifocal Intraocular lens.”
People are coming from thee different states to have their lenses replaced in Logan.
The procedure at Monson Vision takes 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish.
The patient is awake during the procedure and they can feel a little pressure, but they don’t’ feel any pain.
Dr. Bryan Monson shows a diagram of what he will do take the old lens out and replace it with a new lens.
“Some patients come out of surgery and can see better right away,” Dr. Monson said. “Some patients take a little longer for the brain to adjust. Some up to three months.”
Doug Gunnell, an optical equipment representative, explained the procedure Monson uses, comparing the eye lens to a Peanut M&M. A Peanut M&M has three layers: a peanut, chocolate layer, and a shell. The lens of an eye also has three layers, a capsule, cortex and nucleus.
“During the procedure the outer part has a small incision made by Dr. Monson,” Gunnell said. “Then using ultrasound, he takes the nucleus and cortex out through a small incision, and slips a tri-focal lens into the shell.”
Monson uses a special lens material. To make the implant successful, it must be unlocked, custom shaped, and then relocked — all with a non-invasive, painless, in-office light based procedure.
Everyone has been watching the procedure done in Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia. The procedure has just recently been given the green light by the FDA to be used in the U.S., Gunnell said.
Gunnell said Dr. Monson was probably the third in the state to begin doing the procedure. He has done 35 or 40 since it was approved a month ago.
“This is revolutionizing lens replacement surgery,” Gunnell said. “There are candidates that may not be good candidates, people with severe glaucoma, severe dry eye or other eye issues.”
Dr. Bryan Monson smiles after another successful surgery completed in an effort to help people see more clearly.
Dr. Monson said the surgery is only one of the options available to help people improve their sight. He has a portfolio of seven other options to help people see better.He received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and has been in practicing in Logan for two years, but has been practicing for about a decade .