Is your vision blurry, or does it seem like you’re looking at the world through a dirty window? These could be signs of cataracts.
If you have cataracts that have begun to affect your quality of life, the only way to restore your vision and see clearly is by having cataract surgery. Cataract surgery restores your vision by removing your natural lens and cataracts.
In the past, cataract surgery patients had to wear very thick glasses to see at all after surgery because the procedure removes the eye’s natural lens. But these days, the natural lens is replaced with an artificial one called an intraocular lens, or IOL.
IOLs are essential to the procedure that can help you see normally after cataract surgery. But they can also reduce your dependence on visual aids like reading glasses.
Before having cataract surgery, you must choose what kind of IOL you’ll have. Depending on what sort of IOL you choose, you may be able to reduce your dependence on visual aids like glasses and contact lenses after cataract surgery.
Keep reading to learn more about IOLs and why certain IOLs may mean no longer needing glasses after cataract surgery!
How Cataract Surgery Works
Cataracts form inside your natural lens. The natural lens is supposed to be clear and transparent, allowing you to see through it.
But when you develop a cataract, the lens becomes cloudy and impairs your ability to see. There is no way to make a cloudy lens clear again.
The only way to treat cataracts is to remove the entire lens, which is what cataract surgery achieves. When you have cataract surgery, a small incision is made in the eye to access your lens.
After making the incision and accessing the natural lens, the lens is broken into smaller pieces and removed. Before the invention of IOLs, this left patients without any lenses in their eyes.
But now, cataract surgery includes inserting an IOL into the eye to replace the natural lens. With advanced medical technology, you can get a premium IOL to help you see better than ever after cataract surgery. There are a lot of intraocular lenses available, making it essential to choose the IOL that best fits your lifestyle and visual needs.
Standard vs. Premium IOLs
Cataract surgery is a medically necessary procedure because it prevents or reverses blindness. Health insurance covers it for this reason.
However, the procedure and only the most basic intraocular lens, a monofocal IOL, is usually covered by health insurance. But this is the only IOL that insurance covers because others are considered premium lenses.
With a monofocal IOL, the lens is uniform all over, and it’s set to one refractive power. You can see up close or far away, but you’ll need glasses or contacts to see at uncorrected distances.
Although rarer, some patients get monovision. With monovision, you’ll have a monofocal IOL put in one eye for seeing up close and then a monofocal IOL put in the other for seeing things at a distance.
The result is good enough vision between the two distances. However, monovision doesn’t work for everyone, and even when it does, patients often still need reading glasses to see well up close.
Premium IOLs
Premium IOLs are designed to help you see better and reduce your dependence on visual aids. As most cataract patients suffer from some degree of presbyopia, premium IOLs correct presbyopia by assisting patients with seeing more clearly up close.
They also allow patients to see at a distance without switching between reading glasses and prescription glasses. However, there are different kinds of premium IOLs. Some are better at reducing the need for glasses and contact lenses.
Premium IOL Options
We offer several kinds of premium IOLs at New England Eye Center, including the following:
Multifocal Lenses
Multifocal IOLs allow patients to easily switch between seeing up close and far away. The center of the lens helps you see up close, and the outer part enables you to see at a distance.
Choosing a multifocal IOL trains your eyes to look through the right part of the lens for the best vision for whatever you’re looking at.
Trifocal Lenses
Trifocal IOLs are similar to multifocals, but the lenses are divided into three sections rather than two. One helps you see up close, enables you to see far away, and permits you to see at a middle distance.
These lenses allow you to switch more easily between distances without any gaps in vision since they enable you to see at an intermediate distance clearly.
EDOF Lenses
Non-Diffractive Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) IOLs offer good middle-distance vision and decent vision up close. The lenses are made using X-Wave technology, which makes the lenses non-diffractive.
Being non-diffractive means light bends around the lens without splitting, minimizing the visual disturbances associated with some diffractive IOLs, like halos, glare, and starbursts.
Choosing the Right IOL for You
When choosing an IOL, you first need to consider your budget. If you don’t mind wearing glasses, standard monofocal lenses may be fine.
But if you want to reduce your dependence on glasses, you should consider a premium IOL. All of our premium IOLs can reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Some may even eliminate the need for visual aids.
To figure out which premium IOL is suitable for you, consult with your cataract surgeon. They can explain your options in-depth and make recommendations based on your unique needs.
If you’re still looking for a good cataract surgeon, schedule a consultation at New England Eye Center in Boston, MA. Our experienced surgeons can help you choose the perfect IOL and ensure you have a successful surgery.
Aren’t you ready to experience the world without cataracts? Take the first step!