Advanced Cataract Surgery and Lens Implant Specialist

What Options Do Patients Have For Their Lens Implants & Vision After Surgery?

With Modern Cataract Surgery most patients can choose how they want their vision to be after surgery, and they can customize their vision to their lifestyle to have independence from glasses. 

Let’s review each of these options in detail so you can make the best decision to suit your lifestyle:

1) Best Distance Vision in Both Eyes

Just like the name sounds… If you choose to have the “Best Distance Vision in Both Eyes”, then your surgeon will choose a modern lens implant and surgical plan to give you the best distance vision in both eyes!  Dr. Levine will use a single-focus (monofocal) lens and correct irregular focusing (astigmatism) with a laser or a customized lens implant.

This means that you should expect to be free from glasses for distance vision activities like driving, watching television, seeing faces across the room, seeing a golf ball far away, and other outdoor activities.

However, you should expect to need reading glasses for your near range activities… but these will typically only need to be inexpensive, over-the-counter, reading glasses (a.k.a. “cheaters”). The activities you may need them for include reading books or a cell phone, and possibly using a desktop computer may require a weak pair of “computer glasses”.

If your doctor is able to get you great distance vision and freedom from prescription glasses, this can often be for the rest of your life, saving you thousands of dollars on expensive bifocals and trifocals that end up having to be replaced every 2-3 years.

2) “Monovision” or “Blended Vision”

With “Monovision” or “Blended Vision” patients can expect to have independence from glasses for both distance and intermediate range vision.

In this option, one eye is set for distance vision, and the other is set for a intermediate range vision. Even though one eye is better for distance, and the other for near… when both eyes are open… your brain will blend the two eyes together to give patients a range of vision.

Many patients get used to this over the years with contact lenses or LASIK, and know they like it before cataract surgery. But many patients experience blended vision for the first time after cataract surgery, and enjoy a life free from glasses for a larger range of activities.

This is a great option for many patients to achieve freedom from both distance and reading glasses.  

3) Multifocal Vision

Full-range “Multifocal Vision” means that both of your eyes are able to see clearly at distance and near ranges. This comes closest to restoring the natural vision you had at an earlier age. This is achieved by your surgeon implanting a lens implant that acts like a bifocal or trifocal inside your eyes. With this type of lens implant both of your eyes should have excellent distance vision without glasses… AND… both of your eyes should have excellent near vision without glasses.

Sounds like the best option… right?

While these lenses are outstanding… they’re not perfect.

To achieve “Multifocal Vision” your surgeon will use a “Multifocal Implant”. There are many different brands and types of Multifocal Implants on the market, and they all function slightly different from one another.

Some provide better near vision, while others provide better intermediate range vision. Some of these lenses can cause mild temporary symptoms such as glare and halos after surgery and are not suitable for all patients, especially those with other eye conditions such as advanced glaucoma or macular degeneration.

These are amazing lenses when used in patients who are good candidates for them in the hands of experienced surgeons… If you’re a good candidate, they can help you achieve excellent glasses-free vision at all ranges. If you’re considering “Multifocal Vision” it’s even more important for you to choose an expert surgeon who has experience with these lenses.