NEW YORK -- An improvement on traditional cataract surgery now can help some people read without their glasses.

The new cataract surgery involves doctors using a new kind of lens implant.

"Everyone over the age of 45 starts to need reading glasses because the range of focus that they have is no longer adequate to see up close to be able to read," said Dr. Barrie Soloway, of New York Ear and Eye Infirmary.

Almost everyone who has a cataract removed gets it replaced with something called an intraocular lens, called IOL for short. But now, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a very different type of IOL called Crystalens.

"This is a new style of implant -- not just the fixed focus, but one that can move forward and back to give us that near and far focus," Soloway said.

The Crystalens has hinged wings that secure it in place in the cilliary muscles that help the eye focus. As the eye tries to focus, the tiny muscles move the lens forward and back, allowing someone to focus up close.

Typically, it takes two weeks for the lens to heal in place, but some people can reap the benefits even sooner.

Even though Crystalens has been FDA-approved, only specially trained doctors can use it, so its availability will be limited for a while. Some doctors predict that, eventually, Crystalens may even be used to restore close-focusing in people without cataracts.

To find an ophthalmologist trained to use Crystalens near your area, you can visit the Crystalens Web site.