Eye on Health Seeing More Clearly Can Improve Your Game (NAPSA)—Aspeople age, their vision changes. They may suddenly need reading glasses and many people develop eye problems such as cataracts that makeit hard to stay on top of their game. Fortunately, new options mean even the most eyeglass-dependent person can now easily improve his or her vision—and more easily enjoylife. When Gary Player, who is only one of five men ever to win golf’s Career Grand Slam, decided to have eye surgery, he became just like a weekend duffer. Like millions of healthy, active adults, Player was suffering from the limitation of poor vision caused by two conditions that eventually affect middle-aged and older adults—cataracts and presbyopia. These were having a negative effect on his lifestyle. “I was miserable. For seven years I lived with not being able to see my golf ball land in thefairway, not being able to read to my grandchildren and being worried about driving my car at night,” said Player, who still competes professionally around the world. Early in 2006, Player went to see Dr. Thomas Coffman, a cataract surgeon in Palm Beach, Florida, who gave him very good news. Dr. Coffman told Player about the advanced ReZoom Multifocal Lens that is used to treat healthy, active adults who wantto be able to read, cook, use a computer, play sports or drive their car without dependingon glasses. Only one week after his proce- dure, Gary Player was able to competein a tournament, beating many golfers much younger than him. “Like many patients, Gary was a bit apprehensive. But he also yearned to have his eyesight back. WhenI explained to him that the lens is designed to help people see well at all distances, he said, ‘Let’s do it.” Player chuckled at the memory. “Those fears were unfounded. I didn’t feel anything during the procedures. I had no pain. It was a very easy time for me as a patient.” Today, Player is a true believer. “The biggest surprise I had after the procedure was that I don’t have to depend on glasses. I could see far. I could see near and I could see in between. It’s made a major difference in mylife.” Astoundingly, Player played in the 2006 Masters only one week after his procedure in hisleft eye. He birdied the tough first hole at Augusta National on thefirst day of the tourney and went on to shoot a 79 and beat manygolfers much younger than him. As people age, they often develop cataracts, which is a clouding of the natural lens inside the eye, which worsens vision in all circumstances. The ReZoom Multifocal Lens is designed to help people see well at all distances. Surveys have shown that nine out of 10 people with the technology used in the lens “never” or “only occasionally” need glasses after the procedure. Dr. Coffman, whois one of hundreds of doctors around the country who are usingthelensto treat patients, says, “It is a new option for people with cataracts and presbyopia because it helps them have sharp vision near, far and intermediate. Practically speaking, for most people, we can eliminate their dependenceon glasses.” Said Player, “Imagine that I went from not being able to see my golf ball to now being able to read a putt, read my e-mail and read to my granddaughter without glasses.” The ReZoom Multifocal Lens is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics of Santa Ana, California. A list of doctors that offer the lens can be found at www.rezoomiol. com.
