Eye Surgery - Multifocal intraocular Lenses
Austin, Texas

If you are suffering from cataracts or presbyopia, a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) is an excellent solution. Cataracts and presbyopia are two entirely different eye conditions, but they both involve the eye’s crystalline lens.

Cataracts are tiny opacities that form in the lens as we age, blocking some of the light from reaching the retina. This gives blurry vision at all distances since incomplete image information is being processed. Once cataracts start to form, they do not spontaneously go away but will get progressively worse and can cause severe visual impairment.
Presbyopia is blurry near vision that starts happening to everybody at some point after they reach the age of about 40. Reading glasses become necessary even though your eyes may still be 20/20. Age causes the lens to become stiffer and perhaps also causes the tiny lens (cilary) muscles to weaken. In a healthy eye, the lens changes its curvature as we change focus from far to intermediate to near objects. This is known as the eye’s accommodative ability, or accommodation. The stiffer lens in an aging eye loses this ability.

The Previous Monofocal IOLs

Before multifocal IOLs were developed, eye surgeons used monofocal IOLs. These were set to give clear vision at only one distance: near or far. If you had these IOLs implanted to give you clear distance vision, reading glasses were necessary. If you had the IOLs to give you clear near vision, glasses for distance vision were necessary.

Much research and experimentation was done to devise IOLs that could somehow give you clear vision at all distances. This work is still going on to improve the now-existing multifocal and accommodative IOLs. For example, in June, 2008, Bausch & Lomb gained FDA approval of their Crystalens HD™ IOL, the fourth version of their Crystalens® accommodative IOL.

How do Multifocal IOLs Work?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two multifocal IOLs for treating either cataracts or presbyopia. They do not use the same technology as the Crystalens®, which is attached to the same eye muscles that previously controlled the natural lens.

Instead, they have built-in concentric zones or steps that react to incoming light differently. They are designed to give clear vision at far, intermediate, and near distances in all lighting conditions, although they differ in how well they do that. You can read more about them on our ReZoom™ Intraocular Lenses page and ReSTOR® Intraocular Lenses page.

Lens Replacement Surgery

In an eye surgery sometimes called a Clear Lens Exchange, the eye’s natural lens is removed and one of the IOLs replaces it. The artificial lens is positioned in the same membrane pocket that previously held the natural lens.

Once the new lens is in place you do not feel its presence any more than you felt the presence of the natural lens. There is a short period of adjustment while you get familiar with the exact amount of clarity you now have in various lighting conditions and at different distances.

For more information, see Questions about Premium Multifocal Intraocular Lenses.

At Howerton Eye Clinic in Austin, Texas we offer multifocal IOLs. To learn more about them and which one would be the best option for you, please call or email our office to arrange a personal consultation. Your better vision is our commitment.