Multifocal lenses are made to be surgically implanted into the eyes
Q: I know LASIK eye surgery improves vision by using a laser to remove tissue and reshape the cornea. How do multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implants work?
A: The multifocal IOL is surgically implanted into the eye to replace the natural human lens. It is made of clear, foldable acrylic and is about one-third the diameter of a dime.
I prefer multifocal lens surgery over LASIK because I’d much rather my patients have the vision they had at 30 years old instead of the vision they had at 60 or 70, before cataracts developed. People who have LASIK at age 40 or 45 will still need help to focus up close.
The majority of people who receive this type of implant are able to give up wearing glasses or contacts after surgery. The lenses can even correct astigmatism. And while cataracts are often the reason for corrective surgery, at Allied Eye we also do elective procedures for vision correction.
Traditional lenses used in cataract surgery were monofocal, meaning they only provided clear vision at one distance. That meant patients still needed to wear corrective lenses to correct astigmatism as well as intermediate and near vision.
As the name indicates, multifocal IOLs allow you to seamlessly focus at any distance, like the eye’s natural lens normally works, especially when you’re young.
One other very important advantage of the multifocal implant is that it eliminates the need for bifocal or progressive glasses, which can cause distortion when looking down. This may often cause seniors already having balance issues to trip on the curb, steps and other objects.