Advanced Technology Intraocular Lenses (IOL) in Cataract Surgery
Dominion Eye Care ophthalmologists, with offices located in Manassas and Warrenton, VA, specialize in “premium” lens cataract surgery procedures. Each patient’s eye is unique, as is their visual needs. The type of IOL used during surgery is selected based upon each patient’s specific need and situation. Our eye doctors have performed thousands of eye and Cataract surgeries and are well known for their expertise with advanced technology IOLs. Today, more and more patients are requesting premium IOLs to achieve the sharpest vision and freedom from glasses. Dominion Eye Care ophthalmologists will educate you about the various types of IOLs available to meet your specific needs.
What are Premium Intraocular Lenses?
Advanced Technology Intraocular Lenses (AT-IOLs) have more advanced features than the basic, single vision IOLs. Premium IOLs are not covered by insurance and only “basic” lenses are covered by commercial insurances and Medicare. They are mono-focal lenses designed to provide distance vision without glasses. However, patients still may require glasses after surgery for either nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
Toric IOLs are premium lenses that correct astigmatism. Multifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) IOLs, such as the Panoptix and Vivity, provide both enhanced distance and near vision without glasses. If you want to increase the quality and range of your vision, speak to your Dominion Eye Care ophthalmologist about Premium Intraocular Lenses.
Monofocal
With the standard single focus artificial lens implant (monofocal), you can select whether you would like to be focused for distance, intermediate, or reading. You must wear glasses if you want to see outside of this focus distance. You may also need to wear glasses for all focal ranges to help correct for astigmatism.
Multifocal
Multifocal lens implants are designed to produce a wide range of focus, meaning they can focus on more than one distance. With a multifocal lens implant, your eye will be focused from the distance to the intermediate and reading ranges. Having a multifocal lens implant can significantly reduce your dependance on glasses across all focal distances from distance to reading.
Extended Focus
Extended focus lens implants provide continuous focus over a range of distances. This lens implant is a good option for patients that want good natural focus without glasses when outdoors and indoors. These lenses provide excellent distance and intermediate vision and some focus into the reading range with a more natural blend of focus to reduce dependence on glasses.
Toric
If the shape of the cornea is imperfect, it creates a natural blur or misfocus called astigmatism. Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes blurry vision. For patients with astigmatism, astigmatism correction can be put into the lens implant instead. This is something easily incorporated into each of the three lens implant categories. Any lens containing astigmatism correction is called a toric lens.
For Cataract surgery and Advanced Intraocular Lenses (IOLs), call the ophthalmologists at Dominion Eye Care in Manassas or Warrenton today.
Multifocal Intraocular Lenses
Dominion Eye Care in Manassas and Warrenton, VA offers multifocal lenses to solve different types of eye vision corrective issues. Some multifocal lenses will help fix near, intermediate and distance vision.
Why Choose Multifocal Intraocular Lenses for Cataract Surgery
The purpose of your lens is to bend (refract) light rays that come into your eye to help you see. Your own lens should be clear, but with a Cataract it is cloudy. Having a Cataract can be like looking through a foggy or dusty car windshield. Things may look blurry, hazy or less colorful.
The only way to remove a Cataract is with surgery. Our board-certified surgeons offer a variety of cataract procedures using traditional IOL, toric and/or, multi-focal lenses, as well as Laser-Assisted Cataract surgeries to meet your goals, provide you with optimal vision, and reduce your dependency on glasses.
Cataract Surgery Using Multifocal IOLs
Multifocal IOLs are inserted into the eye during Cataract eye surgery to restore distance, intermediate and near focus vision. These IOLs do not rely on the ciliary body muscles in the eyes to focus. These lenses have concentric rings etched into the surface of the lens so imagery from a wide range of distance will be clearly focused on the retina. They may take some getting used to, and when the brain adapts to them, they work very well.
If you are planning to undergo Cataract surgery or a surgery which require lens removal and replacement, ask Dominion Eye Care ophthalmologists about Multifocal Intraocular Lenses.
What Might You Expect After You Have Cataract Surgery With a Multifocal IOL?
Multifocal IOLs are designed to deliver excellent vision over a range of distances and could reduce your need for glasses.
Please keep the following in mind:
- Do not evaluate your vision until you have had surgery in both eyes. It is very difficult for your brain to accept the difference in the vision between your two eyes until they can work together and adjust to your new vision.
- You are likely to see some glare and halos around lights after surgery. This usually improves within a few months.
- Typically, best reading will be achieved in high light conditions. You will likely need reading glasses in dim light.
- Your range of vision should be good and with time will adjust. Have patience.
- You may still need glasses after surgery, but you should need them less for most daily activities.
