Cataract surgery is a procedure that a patient may choose to undergo when clouded vision inhibits quality of life. Just when that happens is up to each individual. There is no requirement related to when you undergo cataract surgery. This is great news because your quality of life matters. One way that cataract surgery improves the quality of life is by removing the clouded lens. Another way is by inserting an artificial lens that can accommodate near and far vision nearly as well as the natural eye once did. To achieve this, many of our patients choose a multifocal IOL, or intraocular lens.
Intraocular lenses were first developed in the 1980s. Early models were monofocal, meaning that vision was optimized at one distance. With that, patients usually needed to wear eyeglasses for whichever distance was not corrected with surgery. Luckily, they could choose; did they want to wear reading glasses only or did they prefer to wear eyeglasses when driving? The choice was up to them, but it was the only choice they had. Now, we’ve got a much wider variety of IOL options categorized as multifocal lenses.
As they sound, multifocal IOLs are made to enable a person to see well up close and also farther away. The intent is to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for eyeglasses. By choosing a multifocal IOL, a patient receives benefits such as a wider range of vision, the ability to read or perform up-close tasks without glasses, and better vision in high or low light.
In addition to accommodating better vision, multifocal lenses may be enhanced in other ways, such as:
- HD lenses are made to distribute light across multiple focal points to provide a clearer field of vision overall (near, intermediate, and distance.)
- Toric IOLs have been developed to correct astigmatism, something that was previously impossible with an intraocular lens. A toric lens contains varying magnifying powers in the different meridians of the tiny surface. These varying powers offset the irregular shape of the cornea.
Your Cataract Surgery is Customized to Your Needs
At Central Florida Eye Institute, patients receive information regarding IOL options during their consultation for cataract removal. To learn more about this procedure and how it can help you see clearly again, call (352) 237-8400.