Monofocal IOLs

Basic monofocal IOLs allow patients to see at distance, but not at near. Patients who have a monofocal lens implanted will still have to utilize reading glasses and/or contact lenses after surgery. However, many monofocal lenses are foldable acrylic or silicone material which allows implantation through a very small incision.

While most insurance companies will pay for a basic monofocal intraocular lens implant, these lenses are no longer the best available. In May of 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a ruling allowing Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery to choose, at an added fee, a presbyopia-correcting IOL that provides distance, intermediate and near vision with reduced spectacle dependence. Premium multifocal and accommodating lenses qualify under this ruling.

Aspheric IOLs

Traditional IOLs are spherical which means the front surface of the the lens is uniformly curved. Aspheric IOLs are slightly flatter in the periphery and designed to provide better contrast sensitivity such as the Tecnis Aspheric IOL™, Akreos AO Aspheric, and Softec HD lenses.

Some cataract surgeons have debated the benefits of aspheric IOLs, because the contrast sensitivity benefit may not last in older patients. After the period of cloudy, blurred vision that most cataract patients must endure before their surgery, improved contrast sensitivity may be perceived as a advantage. But since the ganglion cells of the retina are a major determinant of contrast sensitivity and we gradually lose these cells as we age, over time contrast sensitivity will decrease as  well.

However, younger people are undergoing cataract surgery now, and this group is likely to have more and healthier ganglion cells. So they  would be able to enjoy the better contrast sensitivity for a longer  time.

Multifocal IOLs

Multifocal lenses such as the Tecnis Multifocal™, ReZOOM™ and ReSTOR™ lenses are designed to correct a full range of vision, near through distance. In clinical trials 80% of patients who had the ReSTOR™ lens implanted never used glasses for any activities following their surgery. Combined with an astigmatism correcting procedure at the time of surgery, 95% of patients can expect never to need glasses again.

Accommodating IOLs

The Crystalens™ is the first intraocular lens, for patients with cataracts that provides true accommodation. The Crystalens™ is designed with flexible hinges that allow a natural movement back and forth to focus on objects near, far, and intermediate (or middle).