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A Guide To
Cataract Lenses
Choose a lens for the way you want to see the world. Cataract surgery replaces your cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial lens. Your eye health, daily activities, and vision goals help determine which option may best fit you.
What Are Cataract Surgery Lenses?
To fix cataracts, eye doctors have to remove the natural lens of your eyes and replace it with an artificial one, called an intraocular lens (IOL). An IOL can be made from silicone, acrylic, or other plastics. These lenses provide clear vision and are often coated in a special material to protect you from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
There are a variety of IOLs available for cataract surgery. Some are designed to provide vision at different distances, while others help fix vision problems like astigmatism. The best option for one patient may not be the best for another, so it’s essential to carefully consider your options.
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1
Most Personalized Option: Light Adjustable Lens
- Highlight: Offers the highest possible precision tailored to your specific needs
- Vision range: A custom range of vision that can be refined after the eye heals
- Corrects astigmatism
- Significantly reduces the need for glasses after surgery
2
Multifocal & Trifocal
- Highlight: Splits light into two or three distinct, separate focal points.
- Vision range: Improves intermediate and near vision
- Corrects astigmatism
- Reduces the need for glasses after surgery
3
Extended Depth of Focus
- Highlight: Divides light into multiple focal points
- Vision range: Improves intermediate vision. Functional near vision
- Corrects astigmatism
- You may still need mild reading glasses for very small print.
4
Toric
- Highlight: Neutralizes high corneal astigmatism to sharpen vision
- Vision range: Low for distance vision. One range of focus.
- Corrects astigmatism
- You will still need standard reading glasses for close-up tasks
5
Monofocal
- Highlight: basic technology = typically covered by insurance
- Vision range: One range of focus.
- Does not correct astigmatism
- You will need glasses if you have astigmatism
How to Choose the Right Lens for Cataract Surgery
Lifestyle
If you typically spend your time doing either near or distance tasks, or you don’t mind wearing glasses, monofocal lenses can be a good option. But if glasses are inconvenient to you or you frequently switch between near and distance viewing, you may want to consider a presbyopia-correcting option.
Night Driving
Presbyopia-correcting lenses, especially multifocal or EDOF lenses, are more likely to cause halos and rings around lights. If you drive a lot at night, it’s a good idea to avoid these types of lenses.
Astigmatism
If you don’t have astigmatism or a very mild form, paying extra for toric lenses may not be worth it. However, those with moderate to high astigmatism may benefit significantly from these lenses.
Insurance Coverage
Cost is one factor to consider, but it should be weighed alongside your vision goals, eye health, and expectations.
Other Eye Conditions
Multifocal and EDOF lenses are not a good option for those with certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. These lenses reduce the amount of light to the eye, which can make vision worse.
If you’re still not sure which option is right for you, the experts at Barnet Dulaney Perkins can help. We use a state-of-the-art device, called an Optiwave Refractive Analyzer (ORA), to get real-time, highly accurate measurements during surgery and determine which lens option will offer you the best possible vision.
If you typically spend your time doing either near or distance tasks, or you don’t mind wearing glasses, monofocal lenses can be a good option. But if glasses are inconvenient to you or you frequently switch between near and distance viewing, you may want to consider a presbyopia-correcting option.
Presbyopia-correcting lenses, especially multifocal or EDOF lenses, are more likely to cause halos and rings around lights. If you drive a lot at night, it’s a good idea to avoid these types of lenses.
If you don’t have astigmatism or a very mild form, paying extra for toric lenses may not be worth it. However, those with moderate to high astigmatism may benefit significantly from these lenses.
Cost is one factor to consider, but it should be weighed alongside your vision goals, eye health, and expectations.
Multifocal and EDOF lenses are not a good option for those with certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. These lenses reduce the amount of light to the eye, which can make vision worse.
If you’re still not sure which option is right for you, the experts at Barnet Dulaney Perkins can help. We use a state-of-the-art device, called an Optiwave Refractive Analyzer (ORA), to get real-time, highly accurate measurements during surgery and determine which lens option will offer you the best possible vision.
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Start Seeing Clearly
Cataract surgery can immensely improve your vision, but it is important to choose the right lenses for your needs. Barnet Dulaney Perkins has provided state-of-the-art medical and surgical eye care in Arizona for over 30 years. Contact us today to learn how we can help you choose the right cataract surgery lenses and clarify your vision.