Intraocular Lenses
At Catalina Eye Care, P.C., we offer the most advanced lens implants after cataract removal. These premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) give you the best possible vision. With premium IOLs, many people never need glasses after cataract surgery, or only wear them occasionally.
Your options include:
Standard (single-focus) IOLs
Multifocal and Accommodative IOL’s, Accommodative and Toric IOL’s and Accommodative Toric IOLs, for your best vision without glasses
How does an IOL work?
An intraocular lens (IOL) works by replacing the focusing power of your eye’s natural lens. Today’s IOL technology can give you better vision – often without glasses – than before cataract surgery.
Lynn Polonski, M.D. thoroughly evaluates your eyes before recommending an IOL. We’ll also talk about your work, hobbies and other activities to make sure your IOL fits your lifestyle.
Standard IOLs (Single Focus)
Standard IOLs give you sharp, clear focusing power at a single distance, either close up (near vision) or far away (distance vision). They are also called single-focus or monofocal IOLs. If you choose an IOL for near vision, you wear glasses to drive or see objects at a distance. If your IOL is designed for distance vision, you wear glasses for reading and other close-up activities. You might choose one IOL for near vision and one for distance. This is called monovision.
Multifocal IOLs
Multifocal IOLs eliminate or reduce your dependence on reading glasses compared to standard IOLs. They are designed to provide both distance (far away) and near (close up) focus at all times.
Multifocal IOLs work differently from bifocal eyeglasses. With bifocals, you look through the top part of the lens for distance and the bottom part for near vision. A multifocal IOL has concentric rings that help your brain select the right focus automatically. Like wearing bifocals, this can take time. Your vision without glasses usually improves gradually over the first year.
The rings of multifocal IOLs can create halos – a glow around lights at night. This depends partly on the size of your pupils, the area where light enters your eye. The amount of light affects halo size. With time, your brain gradually adapts, and most people with multifocal IOLs feel this effect is minor.
Crystalens and Trulign Lenses
The Crystalens and Trulign belong to a select category of high tech intraocular lenses commonly called presbyopia-correcting or “premium” IOLs.
The Trulign IOL is a toric version of Crystalens; it is the first of its kind to provide both accommodation and astigmatism correction.
All IOLs for cataract surgery replace the eye’s natural lens, which is removed during a procedure. But an accommodative IOL such as the Crystalens or the Trulign Toric shifts position with the action of eye muscles and movement to improve eyesight.
This type of cataract lens may be needed because, beginning at around middle-age, all people lose ability to see at multiple distances due to presbyopia. This condition develops when the eye’s natural lens focusing system grows more rigid and no longer can move or change shape sufficiently enough to enable sight at all distances.