Getting cataract surgery is an excellent option for anyone with cataracts that have begun to affect their quality of life. It’s the only way to treat cataracts by completely removing them.
But to remove a cataract also involves removing the natural lens of the eye. The natural lens is where the cataract forms.
After removing the lens, it gets replaced with an intraocular lens or IOL. An IOL is an artificial, implantable lens designed to replace your natural lens.
Having an IOL allows you to see clearly after having cataracts. If you have cataracts and presbyopia, an IOL can help you see better, as most IOLs are designed to correct presbyopia. Presbyopia is a common condition in adults over the age of 40.
If you have presbyopia and are sick of struggling to see up close and wearing reading glasses, getting a premium IOL is something worth considering. Unlike standard monofocal lenses, premium IOLs provide you with sharper vision and often reduce or eliminate the need for glasses.
Keep reading to learn more about premium lenses and why they are the best choice!
Premium Lenses Compared to Monofocal Lenses
Multifocal IOLs have rings that alternate between two focal points. Your eye automatically looks through the part of the lens that is best suited for seeing.
What you see and how you see it will depend on the distance you’re looking at an object. Having this capability allows you to see much more clearly up close. It also reduces the need for reading glasses and enables you to see better both up close and at a distance.
Multifocal lenses are a stark contrast to monofocal IOLs, which are not premium lenses. Monofocal lenses are uniform and designed to help you see best at one set focal point.
When you get cataract surgery, you can choose monovision and opt for standard monofocal IOLs. With monovision, you’ll have a lens implanted in your eye for distance and another lens implanted in your other eye to see up close.
Your eyes continue to work together with monovision, and it may involve not ending up with the crisp, clear vision you were expecting after cataract surgery. Having monovision will help you see well between focal points, but you’ll likely still need reading glasses and may still struggle with your vision at varying distances.
At Sierra Nevada Eye Center, we offer several premium IOL options. They include the following:
ReStor
ReStor is a multifocal lens. The ReStor is a diffractive multifocal, which means it has divided rings that don’t have any transitions. With the ReStor, patients can see with a full range of vision, from near to far away.
They can also reduce their dependence on reading glasses. Diffractive multifocal IOLs are the most common multifocal lenses, but we also offer a non-diffractive multifocal.
Vivity
The Vivity IOL is the only non-diffractive extended depth of focus (EDOF) lens. It alternates between two refractive powers in a series of rings like a diffractive multifocal.
But the transition between the rings is blended rather than abrupt. This design allows the user to see more clearly at a middle distance while maintaining good up-close vision.
Thanks to Vivity IOL’s proprietary X-WAVE technology, it shifts light and stretches it without splitting it. For patients, this means that they can see an expanded visual field, no matter what distance they are looking at an object.
Tecnis Multifocal
The Tecnis multifocal is another kind of multifocal lens. But it’s unique because of the material it’s made from.
The composition of the lens lowers the risk of visual aberrations after cataract surgery. In particular, premium and multifocal lenses carry a slight chance of minor visual aberrations, especially at night.
The visual aberrations are due to imperfections in the lens itself. The Tecnis multifocal IOL lowers this small risk due to its composition. With multiple focal points, you can see well at various distances, no matter what kind of lighting condition you may be in.
Tecnis Symfony
The Tecnis Symfony is an extended range of vision IOL. This means that instead of just having one focal point or alternating rings like the multifocal lens, it has an extended focal point.
Instead of having your clearest vision at a set distance, you can see clearly through an entire range. Having the ability to see at greater distances allows patients to have the vision they want.
PanOptix Trifocal IOL
The PanOptix trifocal IOL has alternating rings. But instead of only switching between two focal points, it switches between three.
Switching between three focal points allows the user to see very clearly up close, far away, and at a middle distance. One advantage of the PanOptix IOL is that it’s great for patients who use electronics frequently.
Because many IOLs allow patients to see best up close, it can lead to eye strain from sitting too close to a screen or holding it too close to your face. It’s best to view screens at a slight distance, so many patients have chosen monovision over a premium IOL to have optimal middle vision while sacrificing clear near vision.
But with the trifocal IOL, you can see clearly at a middle distance and up close. You’ll be able to complete focused tasks like reading and use a computer at the correct distance, all with clear vision.
Do you want to learn more about premium IOLs? Schedule a cataract screening at Sierra Nevada Eye Center in Reno, NV, to find out about premium IOLs and determine which one may be the best one for you!
A premium lens is a perfect solution if you’re looking to reduce your dependence on glasses after cataract surgery.