In years past, people who had cataract surgery had to use thick, heavy lenses to provide focusing power. But intraocular – or implantable – lenses give eye surgeons the ability to replace the eye’s clouded natural lens with a crystal-clear artificial lens. The two types of cataract replacement lens are:
- Standard monofocal lenses – this lens provides single-vision focusing power for distance vision. Patients who opt for this lens will have good, clear distance vision but still require reading glasses or bifocals for close-up vision.
- Advanced multifocal lenses – these implants make it possible to focus on objects at varying distances with less dependency on reading glasses or bifocals.
Before deciding on which lens to use, think about how important it is to have clear distance vision without glasses or how important it is to free from glasses for daily activities.