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There’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” intraocular lens. Together, you and your doctor will discuss which lens or combination of lenses best fits your lifestyle and your vision goals.
Monofocal Intraocular Lens (IOL)
NSES offers only the highest quality monofocal aspheric IOLs available. Monofocal aspheric IOLs are exclusively dedicated to quality distance vision and help minimize optical aberrations ensuring sharp contrast sensitivity. These IOLs provide the very highest quality distance vision available to patients with lower degrees of astigmatism.
Toric IOL
Many cataract patients also suffer from blurry vision caused by astigmatism. Toric lenses neutralize and eliminate corneal astigmatism when rotated appropriately inside the eye at the time of surgery. Toric IOLs provide the best quality distance vision available to patients with higher degrees of astigmatism.
Monovision and Blended Vision
Monovision and Blended Vision use monofocal and toric IOLs, setting the focus of each eye at a different distance – one eye focuses for near objects and the other eye focuses for distant objects. The brain then combines the two images to give good distance and reading vision and helps eliminate the need for readers, bifocals, or trifocals.
Monovision sets the near eye for up-close book reading vision (14-16 inches). This strategy has the potential to create a slight decrease in depth perception or blur effect when viewing objects in the distance. Occasional use of distance glasses can eliminate this effect when superior depth perception is required, such as driving at night.
Blended Vision sets the near eye for intermediate range (18-22 inches). This strategy maintains good depth perception and minimizes night vision symptoms while maintaining good distance and intermediate vision (computer range). Patients that find this more appealing are often independent of glasses for most distance, intermediate, and even near activities, but may find the occasional use of readers helpful with fine print.
Multifocal IOL
With a multifocal IOL, patients experience quality vision at several distances. Concentric circles built into the lens provide focus points for both distance and near – range vision out of each eye individually, reducing the need for bifocals or trifocals. Because light is simultaneously focused in the eye for both distance and near images, a small degree of reduced visual quality and halo effect around lights may be recognized compared with monofocal and toric IOLs.
Accommodating Lens
The Crystalens® is the only FDA approved accommodating IOL. Its unique hinged structure allows it to flex inside the eye, simulating the movement of the youthful lens as it was prior to age 40. At rest, the lens provides good quality, focused distance vision (vision for television, road signs, etc.). When focusing up close, the lens flexes forward, improving vision at an intermediate range (vision needed for the computer). Although it avoids the halo-like effect common with multifocal IOLs, patients will still often require the use of reading glasses for the fine print, which is common with monofocal and toric IOLs.
