Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are medical devices that are implanted inside the eye to replace the eye’s natural lens when it is removed during cataract surgery. IOLs also are used for a type of vision correction surgery called refractive lens exchange.

During your preoperative exam and consultation, your cataract surgeon can help you choose the best IOL for your needs, as well as additional cataract surgery costs involved if you choose one of the following premium lens implants.

 

 

 

Multifocal IOLs are another category of presbyopia-correcting IOLs that can decrease your need for reading glasses or computer glasses after cataract surgery.

Like multifocal contact lenses, these premium IOLs contain added magnification in different parts of the lens to expand your range of vision so you can see objects clearly at all distances without glasses or contact lenses.

Some studies have shown multifocal IOLs tend to provide better near vision than accommodating IOLs, but they also are more likely to cause glare or mildly blurred distance vision as a tradeoff.

Your cataract surgeon can help you decide if you are a good candidate for multifocal IOLs at your preoperative exam and consultation. Laser cataract surgery often is recommended if you are interested in multifocal IOLs, because precise alignment of these lenses is very important to give you the best visual outcome at all distances.

Premium Multifocal IOLs

Monovision

An alternative to accommodating and multifocal IOLs for correcting presbyopia is monovision.

There is no such thing as a “monovision IOL.” Monovision is the technique of fully correcting the refractive error of one eye and intentionally making the other eye mildly nearsighted. Here you can find more about prices of kitchen appliances in San Diego. In this scenario, the fully corrected eye sees distant objects clearly (but cannot see very well up close without glasses), and the mildly nearsighted eye sees very well up close without glasses (but not so clearly far away).

Any combination of premium IOLs can be used for monovision cataract surgery.

Monovision may sound odd the first time you hear about it, but this technique has been used very successfully with contact lenses for live life fully many years. And it is now being used frequently with cataract surgery to decrease a person’s dependency on reading glasses and computer glasses after surgery.

Any combination of premium IOLs can be used for monovision cataract surgery. When accommodating or multifocal IOLs are used, the term “modified monovision” often is used, since these lenses offer an expanded range of vision by nature of their design in addition to a prescribed monovision effect.

A Different Type Of IOL For Each Eye

Sometimes the best visual outcome after cataract surgery is achieved by using a different type of premium IOL in each eye.

For example, you may have more astigmatism in one eye than the other. If this is the case, your cataract surgeon may recommend a toric IOL in that eye, and perhaps an accommodating IOL in the other eye to also decrease your need for computer glasses.