Lens Implant Options at Swedberg Eye Care

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Successful cataract surgery requires that the replacement intraocular lens (IOL) is a precise fit. Each eye is defined by specific dimensions, including length, corneal curvature and other variables. These elements must be accurately measured and the eye must have a healthy cornea and tear film in order to provide the sharpest vision possible post-surgery. 

At your preoperative appointment we will take measurements and assist you with determining which lens implant will work best for you.     

How do I decide which implant to have?  Which type of implant is best for you depends on your vision, lifestyle, eye anatomy, surgeon’s recommendations, expectations and budget. Your surgeon or the surgical coordinator will help you choose the type of IOL to best match these factors. 

Choose an intraocular lens that meets your needs. All surgeons have their preferences in terms of what lens they’re most comfortable with. But you now have the basic information necessary and you can find more online through more research as to which lens would best meet your needs and only you know what your needs are. For example, somebody who doesn’t drive at night much a multifocal lens could be a very good option for but if you’re an airline pilot that’s probably not going to be a great choice since a multifocal is known for creating haloes.

A basic lens implant is designed to offer improved vision at one point of focus (usually for distance).

Basic lens implants will help you see objects more clearly at a distance, for example when driving or watching sports, but you will also likely need bifocals or some form of reading glasses for near vision tasks, such as reading or intermediate vision tasks, such as using your smartphone, laptop computer and for sports and hobbies. It is the ideal choice for people looking for clearer distance vision and who don’t mind wearing glasses for most of their daily activities.

If you have corneal astigmatism, a basic lens implant without astigmatism correction will not fully improve your vision and you will likely need to wear eyeglasses for both distance vision and for close up activities.

For people with a moderate to significant amount of corneal astigmatism who desire to see clearly at a distance, a toric lens implant may be a good choice.

Astigmatism is a common condition that results when a person’s eye has a more oblong curve (like a football) instead of a spherical curve. This longer curve results in blurry or distorted vision due to how the curve affects the eye’s ability to focus properly.

For people with blurry vision due to astigmatism, a toric lens may be the best choice. It will adjust the curve of the cornea, fixing the astigmatism at the same time as fixing your cataract. Prior to the development of this advanced lens, patients suffering from astigmatism would require an additional procedure or glasses to achieve clearer distance vision. While this lens implant is designed to correct your astigmatism and improve your distance vision, reading glasses may still be required for near and intermediate vision tasks.

For those who want to have the most freedom from glasses or contacts, the PanOptix lens is the solution for you.

One common reason for choosing to receive a multifocal IOL is presbyopia. Presbyopia occurs naturally as people age. Over time, the natural “flexing” and movement of the lens by the eye muscles is reduced. Once the eye is no longer able to adjust the lens properly, we lose the ability to focus on near vision objects (such as reading). For many people, presbyopia begins occurring naturally between the ages of 40-50 and continues to get worse over time. Glasses are usually required by people suffering from presbyopia.

The PanOptix lens is truly game-changing technology. 

Talk to your surgeon about whether PanOptix is right for you. Many people tell us they rarely or never need to use their glasses!