What Kind of Lenses Will You Replace Your Cataracts with?

Cataracts are a very common condition affecting people over the age of 60. This clouding of the lenses of our eyes occurs when proteins build up over time. There isn’t any cure for cataracts, but surgery removes the cataract-clouded lens and replaces it with what is called an intraocular lens. These lenses keep getting better and better offering not only cataract-free sight but improved overall sight.

At Central Valley Eye Medical Group, cataract care is a big part of our service for our patients. Here’s some more information on the lenses that are available today.

What Causes Cataracts to Develop?

There are many factors that can cause a patient to develop cataracts, where the lens, found behind the iris and the pupil, becomes clouded: aging, eye trauma, excessive sun exposure, disease inside the eye, family history, smoking, diabetes, and poor nutrition. No matter the underlying cause, it is important to have the clouded natural lenses removed and replaced with new implanted artificial lenses.

Cataracts most commonly develop in people over the age of sixty. People often don’t realize they have cataracts as their vision deteriorates very slowly. But at a certain point, the clouding begins to really impact the vision. It’s as if the person is looking out through a dirty window all the time. This is the time to have your cataracts removed and replaced by the experienced surgeons at Central Valley Eye Medical Group.

Lens Choices for Cataract Replacement

Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. An artificial lens, or an intraocular lens implant (IOL), will replace the clouded lens. At Central Valley, we keep expanding the options our patients have for their IOLs. Here are the various types of lenses, but you can ready about individual lens models on other pages of our website.

• Monofocal lens implants – These lenses were originally the only option for IOLs. These lenses only offer vision at one distance — far, intermediate, or near. The wearer will need glasses either for up close or distance vision. The focal distance can be at whichever the distance the patient prefers. It can be set for both eyes to either see at a distance, such as for driving or watching TV; or for near vision, such as reading and using a computer. Or, one eye can receive an IOL that provides near vision and the other eye an IOL that provides distance vision. Most people can adjust to this seemingly disjointed arrangement, as the brain adjusts and filters the incoming stimuli according to the vision needed.
• Multifocal lens implants – These newer lenses allow the patient to see well at more than one distance, without glasses. They are “premium” lenses because of the extra benefits that are unavailable in monovision IOLs.
• Accommodating lens implants – Accommodating implants shift with the action of the eye muscles to increase focusing ability. These lenses offer excellent vision at all distances.
• Toric lens implants – These lenses not only replace cataract-clouded lenses, but also correct astigmatism. There are various options depending on the amount of correction a patient needs. Plus, in 2013 the first accommodating toric IOL was approved by the FDA.

If your vision has become cloudy, there’s no reason to live with it. Cataract surgery is incredibly successful and today’s new IOL choices are awesome. Call us at Central Valley Eye Medical Group, (800) 244-9907, and schedule a cataract surgery consultation.

Posted in: Cataracts