Center For Sight Ophthalmologist First Surgeon in United States to Utilize New TECNIS Synergy Lens Technology for Cataract Surgery

June 11, 2021 – Sarasota

Center For Sight is now offering cataract patients the ability to experience high-quality vision at all distances with the TECNIS Synergy™ Intraocular Lens (IOL). Developed by Johnson & Johnson Vision, it is the most advanced intraocular lens to date, delivering uninterrupted high-contrast vision at all depths, day and night. 

The Synergy™ lens is the first IOL to provide cataract patients with a full range of vision without glasses, offering lifelong freedom from contact lenses and glasses. The intraocular lens includes technology that caters to contrast sensitivity, visual acuity and depth perception, all of which play a vital role in a patient’s daily routine. 

David Shoemaker, M.D., founder and director of laser cataract and lens replacement surgery at Center For Sight, will be the first ophthalmologist in the United States to implant the Synergy™ intraocular lens as a Food and Drug Administration approved device. Shoemaker built the practice around the promise of providing unsurpassed visual results to the community. He has performed over 100,000 cataract procedures, resulting in Center For Sight being ranked No. 1 in the United States for advanced lens surgery. 

“As a patient-centric eye care practice, we are committed to offering our patients the most innovative services and cutting-edge technology for their eye care needs,” Shoemaker said. “The Synergy™ intraocular lens is the most recent innovation on the market, and I am honored to be the first surgeon in the country to offer it to Center For Sight cataract patients to fulfill their visual goals.” 

For over 30 years, the world-class surgeons at Center For Sight have set the standard in cataract and lens replacement surgery. Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process and develop slowly, causing cloudy vision, loss of color perception and trouble reading or driving at night. Surgery is performed to remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial lens implant, or IOL. IOL options range from decreasing dependency on glasses at all distances to limiting dependency on glasses for either distance or up-close activities. Center For Sight doctors Joshua W. Kim, M.D., William L. Soscia, M.D., and Joaquin O. De Rojas, M.D. will also participate as implanting surgeons. 

“Until now, no intraocular lens has been able to meet the needs of patients who want a clear range of vision, no matter the time of day,” said William Lahners, M.D., F.A.C.S., medical director at Center For Sight. “Cataract patients often have difficulty reading in dim or low-lit areas. With the Synergy™ IOL, they can continue to perform everyday tasks all day without deterioration of vision based on time of day. On top of that, 92% of patients who received the IOL didn’t feel the need to wear glasses after cataract surgery. The technology is unrivaled.” 

The TECNIS platform offers the widest portfolio of IOLs, delivering patients with diverse vision conditions and lifestyles the solutions they need to see effortlessly. The lens portfolio includes a mix of IOLs for cataract patients in need of multifocals, monofocals, extended depth of focus lenses, and lenses for patients with a stigmatism.