Lifestyle Lenses: Your Options for Clear Vision
During cataract surgery your eye’s natural lens is removed. This is necessary because the protein build-up on the lens cannot be separated from the lens. After the lens is removed, your cataract doctor will insert a new lens to restore clear vision. The good news is that the replacement lens options are amazing.
Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) are artificial lenses that provide clarity to your vision. In the past, cataract patients only had one option: monofocal lenses that provided clear vision for one distance only. Today there are a variety of Lifestyle Lenses that have advanced features for clear vision at multiple distances.
Lens Options
- Multifocal IOLs with multiple focusing points to allow for distance and up-close vision. We offer several brands of multifocal IOLs.
- RxSight™ Light Adjustable Lens, the first and only adjustable intraocular lens (IOL) that can be customized after cataract surgery. The Light Adjustable Lens is made of a special photosensitive material that can be adjusted in response to ultraviolet (UV) light. After your eye has healed from cataract surgery, your doctor can optimize your vision results using a series of 2-4 non-invasive light treatments over the course of 1-2 weeks. When you have reached your vision goals, a final light treatment is used to lock in the results.
- Exposure to indoor and outdoor sources of UV light can cause uncontrolled changes to the Light Adjustable Lens until all light treatments are completed. It is imperative that you wear special UV protective glasses provided during all waking hours (from time of lens implantation until 24 hours after the final lock in light treatment is completed).
- TECNIS Symfony® Extended Range of Vision IOL to address the problem of presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) while also correcting your cataract. The Symfony lens provides continuous, high-quality vision resulting in improved up-close reading vision, clear distance vision, seamless nighttime-to-daytime vision and low risk of glare and halos around lights.
- Alcon AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® Trifocal IOL which is clinically shown to deliver an exceptional combination of near, intermediate and distance vision while significantly reducing the need for glasses after surgery. Most patients who choose this lens are able to read text messages on their smart phones, work on a computer and even drive without the need for glasses. This is due, in part, to ENLIGHTEN® Optical Technology, a proprietary design that optimizes intermediate vision without compromising near and distance vision.
- Alcon AcrySof® IQ Vivity™Non-diffractiveExtended Depth of Focus IOL, the first and only non-diffractive extended depth of focus intraocular lens (IOL) that incorporates X-WAVE™ technology to stretch and shift light entering your eyes so you can obtain a continuous, extended range of vision. With the Vivity lens, you may not need glasses (even readers) to see clearly at all distances after cataract surgery. Vivity’s new non-diffractive technology may also provide:
- Sharper vision in bright and dim lighting
- Reduction of halos, starbursts or glare
- Better vision for nighttime driving
- Protection from damaging UV rays and blue light
- Toric IOLs to correct astigmatism as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness. Many lens types come in toric versions.
Lifestyle lenses can reduce or completely eliminate your need for reading glasses or bifocals after cataract surgery in Rapid City.
The Choice is Yours
You will make the decision about which IOL to choose during your consultations and exams with your doctor. The various pros and cons of each IOL will be discussed in detail, allowing you to make the best decision for your lifestyle, vision goals and budget. Your doctor can make recommendations for you, but ultimately the choice is yours.