Allergy to Lens Implant Acrylic Monomer?

Question: I work in a dental lab and am allergic to the monomer that is used to make dentures. This is an acrylic. Since the cataract lens is acrylic, will I be able to have a cataract lens? Or is this a totally different type of acrylic? This may seem like a silly question but I still want to ask.

Answer: First, not all lens implants are made from acrylic materials if you are very sensitive. Second, being allergic to raw unreacted monomer is much more likely than reacting to a miniscule trace of unpolymerized residual monomer that might be in a finished lens implant. The FDA holds IOL manufacturers to exceedingly strict tolerances and specifications regarding residual monomer-especially in implantable devices, thus the chance of an allergy are quite remote. However, discuss this with your cataract surgeon who can then choose a different lens implant material for you in order to avoid all risk if necessary.

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