Modern cataract surgery offers patients a wide variety of options, including the possibility of providing people with excellent vision without the help of eyeglasses.
Cataract surgical procedure
During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens inside the eye is removed and an intraocular lens implant is put in its place. This implant replaces your natural lens and focuses the light rays so you can see clearly without the aid of very thick eyeglasses.
Lens replacement options
Lens implants fall into three categories: standard monofocal implants, toric implants, and presbyopia-correcting implants:
Standard monofocal lens implants have been available for nearly 60 years. For most patients, they correct only one range of vision (far or near), but not both. As a result, glasses are still necessary for some activities after cataract surgery with a monofocal implant. Patients who have their vision fixed for distance will require glasses to read. Patients who have their vision fixed for reading will require glasses for seeing in the distance. Monofocal lenses provide excellent vision and are a good choice for patients who will not mind needing glasses after surgery for certain activities. Monofocal lenses do not correct astigmatism, which is discussed below.
Toric intraocular lens implants also provide vision correction for only one range of vision. Unlike monofocal lens implants, the toric lens implant will correct for astigmatism. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea, the clear tissue in front of the pupil, has an oval rather than a rounded shape, which itself causes blurred vision at near or far distances. Pre-operative testing determines if you require significant astigmatism in your eyeglass correction.
Presbyopia-correcting lens implants offer the greatest range of clear vision. As we age the flexibility of the lens diminishes. This is called presbyopia and it results in the inability to see things clearly at close range. Unlike the other lens implants, a presbyopia-correcting lens implant gives patients the opportunity to regain a continuous range of vision, from near (reading) to far (driving) and everything in between (computer), with little or no use of eyeglasses, even for reading.
Typically, the cost of the cataract surgery, the anesthesia and a standard monofocal lens implant is covered by insurance. If you choose to upgrade your lens implant to either a toric or presbyopia-correcting lens, there is an out-of-pocket expense to cover the higher cost of the lens implant, as well as additional pre-operative testing necessary to achieve optimal results.
The eye surgeons at University Eye Specialists are all trained to implant these lenses and would be happy to discuss the options that are best for you.