Cataract surgery involves the replacement of the natural lens of your eye with an artificial lens to improve your vision, clarity, and color contrast. These adjustments vary from every individual, especially when these lenses or intraocular lens implants are engineered with your lifestyle in mind.
These artificial lenses or IOLs are manufactured to address nearsightedness, farsightedness, and can even accommodate your unique visual needs.
Accommodating Lenses for Distance and Intermediate Vision
An accommodating lens like Crystalens utilizes a premium IOL to restore clear vision among close, far, and mid-range distances. The lens’ design adjusts the focusing power of the eye. This accommodation mimics the way the eye naturally switches focus between distances. For example, clear distances come into focus when your eye muscle relaxes, while far distances require your eye muscles to contract. The lens itself will flatten to adjust for clear distances or make micro movements for magnification when viewing at a distance. Due to the nature of the Crystalens, you can also gain clear night vision without facing halos or glare, which is ideal for late night drivers.
Multifocal Lenses for Clear Vision without Glasses
Multifocal premium IOLs like ReSTOR or Tecnis multifocal lenses offer the range of close, far, and intermediate distances without requiring extra pairs of glasses or contacts, and the brain eventually will learn to cope and focus as needed. While these premium lenses aren’t as advanced as an accommodating lens, they do offer similar benefits as well as clear vision in various lighting conditions.
Toric Lenses for Astigmatism Correction
Not everyone has the same shape of eyes, and those with astigmatism or abnormal curvature of the cornea, a toric IOL may be recommended. A toric IOL like AcrySof can correct astigmatism as part of your cataract surgery and correct your vision. While individuals will gain from the lens implant with greater clarity, reading glasses may still be required for performing close-up tasks.
