Allergic to Lens Implant Material

Question: My wife has cataracts and needs to have them taken care of, however she is allergic to acrylics and is afraid to have that done for fear that her body will not accept the lens implants. 

Answer: The acrylic materials used in lens implants are typically highly biocompatible and non reactive as they are carefully tested and there is virtually no residual monomer, however there are indeed reports of low grade inflammation in rare patients that are allergic to acrylics. That aside, your wife's cataract surgeon could consult with the lens implant manufacturer and subject her to a test by exposing her to the material perhaps on an underarm area taped for some time or better yet the cataract surgeon could simply use an alternative lens implant material, for example a silicone material or a collagen-silicone material. The best thing to do is to discuss this with the cataract surgeon.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.