Multifocal Intraocular Lenses

Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois

(IOLs) Premium Vision Lenses

The only possible treatment for cataracts is removing the clouded lens(es) of the eye(s) affected. During cataracts surgery, the removed lens is replaced with another one, an artificial lens which is immune to future clouding. However, the artificial lens is different in many ways from the natural lens of the eye.

One way in which the artificial lens is different from natural lens is that the natural lens is flexible while the artificial lens is rigid. With a natural lens, the eye focuses by flexing the lens to alter the focal distance to the retina and the refraction characteristics of the lens. Because artificial lenses are rigid, this meant that, up until a few years ago, all lens implants were fixed-focus lenses, so glasses were still necessary for many activities following cataract surgery.

Today, however, multifocal lenses, also known as Premium Vision Lenses, provide near, intermediate, and distance vision in a single lens. In fact, many patients who have received multifocal IOLs have reported complete independence from eyeglasses ever since their surgery.

Gailey Eye Clinic uses two different multifocal IOLs - the ReSTOR and ReZoom. While both of these lenses are fixed, rigid implants, they use advanced optical properties to simulate the focal properties of the natural lens. There is a brief period of adjustment, but once adjusted patients are impressed with their vision and can perform most or all of their daily tasks without glasses. In fact, the level of vision correction is so good that many people use multifocal IOLs for treatment of presbyopia, the decline of eyesight with age that normally forces people to wear reading glasses or bifocals.

Both implants are similar in many ways, each of them works slightly differently. Neither implant is the best choice for all patients. Our surgeons have extensive experience implanting both of these lenses, and take pride in helping each patient make an unbiased, informed decision on which IOL is right for them.

If you are interested in receiving multifocal IOLs to achieve the best possible vision following your cataract surgery, contact the Gailey Eye Clinic today for a consultation.