Florence Henderson to Be Featured With Bausch & Lomb’s Crystalens(R) at American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

ALISO VIEJO, CA--(Marketwire - March 23, 2011) -

Bausch + Lomb, the global eye and health company, announces Broadway, TV and film star, Florence Henderson, will be featured at the company’s exhibit during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, March 26. The ASCRS meeting, which will be held at the San Diego Convention Center from March 25-29, is the world’s largest gathering of cataract and refractive surgeons.

Ms. Henderson, whose remarkable career has included starring performances on Broadway, film and television, is the national spokesperson for Crystalens®, which is the only FDA-approved accommodating intraocular lens (IOL). She will appear at the Bausch + Lomb exhibit from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Ms. Henderson, who turned 77 on Valentine’s Day, had the Crystalens surgery to treat a cataract that had developed in her eye. She has been the center of the Crystalens marketing campaign in print, online, and local television advertising for the past year. She is best known for her role as Carol Brady in the iconic television series The Brady Bunch. She was prominently featured as a competitor on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars that aired last year and continues to perform in theater and television.

“Florence Henderson perfectly embodies the brand of Crystalens with her ageless energy and very active lifestyle. We know that our surgeons and our employees all look forward to seeing her again this weekend at the ASCRS,” said Elisabeth Sandoval, global vice president of marketing, Bausch + Lomb Surgical.

The marketing and advertising programs feature Ms. Henderson talking about what it is like to have a cataract, how cataracts adversely affected her vision and what life has been like since she had her Crystalens surgery. The marketing and advertising programs emphasize that the Crystalens not only corrects the cataract but also provides full range of vision for the patient. Ms. Henderson will also continue to do personal appearances for Bausch + Lomb at selected national and local meetings of cataract surgeons around the country during the year.

“I’m very pleased that we will continue to bring the story of Crystalens to the baby boomers and active seniors. I didn’t realize what I had been missing before my Crystalens surgery and I am very happy to continue to share my experiences,” said Ms. Henderson, whose yet untitled autobiography is slated for release this fall.

An estimated 20 million aging baby boomers and seniors have cataracts. Approximately three million cataract surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year. A cataract is a clouding on the normally clear lens in the eye. When one forms, the natural lens in the patient’s eye is surgically replaced by an IOL. Research indicates that only a small fraction of people realize that not all IOLs are the same. The research also indicates that a number of patients are willing to pay a little extra money in order to get the best quality vision.

Unlike the standard cataract replacement lenses, Crystalens is designed to not only eliminate the patient’s cataract but also to give the patient a more natural range of vision. Many Crystalens patients hardly, if ever, need their glasses or contacts again.

In addition to the advertising campaign, the company has a cataract education website (www.cataracteducation.com) to help aging baby boomers and seniors understand cataracts. It features Ms. Henderson and informs visitors about the causes of cataracts, describes how they are treated, provides valuable information that patients can use to speak with their doctor, and emphasizes the importance of seeing your eye doctor regularly.

For more information about Crystalens, please visit www.crystalens.com or call 1.877.7.SEEBETTER

About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs more than 10,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.

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