Cataract surgery is the corrective eye surgery where the lens of the eye is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens implant. This procedure is used to treat cataract, an eye condition where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy due to protein buildup. Laser assisted cataract surgery is an outpatient treatment which means patients get to go home after the procedure is finished. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most routine surgeries that has been perfected and has evolved over the course of decades of practice.
What are multifocal lens implants?
Multifocal lens implants are designed to help people see better and reduce their reliance on eyeglasses. They are more expensive than glasses, but the benefits to your vision are much greater than you would receive with a standard single lens implant. With a standard lens implant (single focus) a person can only see clearly at a fixed distance (close up or far away). With a multifocal IOL implant your vision will improve in a range of distances without eyeglasses.
How do they work?
With bifocal contact lenses, people look through the top part of the lens to see from far away and the bottom to read close up. Similar to 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. The lenses are specifically engineered to work in such a way that you can choose whether to focus on an object that is close up or further away.
There is a slight learning curve after getting the implant. It takes a little bit of time for the brain to get used to the IOL implants. People have to adjust to things just as a person with 20/20 vision would. For instance, you may have to experiment with things like finding the right distance to hold reading material at. Many people report that their dependence on glasses lessens the longer they have their multifocal implants.
The benefits of multifocal lenses
Multifocal lens implants give people the chance to rely less on their glasses, especially for reading. This is much more convenient than a single focus implant. Many times people with a single focus implant will still need reading glasses all the time even if they can see from a distance. Even people with adequate natural vision may use reading glasses. Multifocal lenses can reduce this need. There are all sorts of things you can do without the extra inconvenience of finding your reading glasses such as browse the internet, look at your phone, read a menu, check the newspaper, write a letter, check price tags, read receipts and much more. Getting multifocal implants can improve the quality of your life in many ways if you are having trouble seeing close up or far away.
Which Multifocal Lens Implant Is Right for You
Currently, there are two commonly used multifocal IOLs that are FDA approved and available for cataract surgery performed in the United States: AcrySof IQ ReSTOR and Tecnis Multifocal IOL.
