The lens implanted during cataract surgery shapes how you'll see for years to come. We'll help you choose the one that fits your goals.
During cataract surgery, your clouded natural lens is replaced with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). Today’s premium lenses can do more than restore clarity — some reduce your dependence on glasses for distance, intermediate, and near vision. Here are the options we most often discuss.
A monofocal lens provides clear vision at a single distance — usually distance vision — with glasses typically used for reading. It is the standard lens covered by most insurance plans.
For patients with astigmatism, a toric lens corrects the corneal shape at the same time as the cataract, sharpening distance vision without the need for astigmatism-correcting glasses.
Multifocal lenses provide clear vision at multiple distances, reducing the need for glasses for both near and far tasks.
The Vivity lens uses non-diffractive extended-depth-of-focus technology to deliver a continuous range of vision — distance through intermediate and functional near — with minimal glare and halos.
A lens implant or intraocular lens (IOL) is an implanted synthetic lens that replaces the eye’s natural lens. Due to the amazing advancements in IOL technology, a patient can achieve excellent vision quality from a lens implant.
Depending on the type selected, an IOL can also correct the eye’s existing refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism).
Monofocal IOLs are the ‘standard’ or conventional type of IOL. By definition, a monofocal IOL provides good vision correction for one distance only. The power of the lens is pre-calculated for each individual, generally for far vision.
However, some patients, with the recommendation of their doctor, may choose to correct for near vision.
If corrected for far vision, glasses for reading will still be needed, and patients with astigmatism may still require glasses to sharpen their distance vision.
Toric IOLs are specifically designed to correct astigmatism. The shape of the lens offsets the imbalance created by the irregular shape of the cornea, similar to technology used in contact lenses.
These lenses allow a higher quality of vision and more freedom from glasses in patients with astigmatism.
Multifocal IOLs provide vision correction at all distances. Multifocal IOLs are more costly and generally not fully covered by insurance, but they are frequently preferred over monofocal IOLs because they can markedly reduce the need for glasses.
Call (614) 488-8000 or request a cataract evaluation online.
