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Thanks to the enormous advances in technology and medicine, intraocular lenses are even more “powerful” today than they were a few years ago. Currently, cataract surgery offers the possibility of significantly improving the quality of vision – thanks to modern intraocular lenses.
2 in 1: Removal of visual defects during cataract surgery – how is it possible?
If you want to permanently abandon glasses or contact lenses, modern medicine can offer you several solutions, one of them is the implantation of an intraocular lens during cataract surgery or refractive lens replacement surgery.
The artificial lens was first implanted in 1949 by the British ophthalmologist Harold Ridley. What was then a medical sensation is now a widespread procedure – around 20 million cataract operations are performed worldwide each year. [1]
Intraocular lenses are high-quality medical implants that are placed in the eye and replace the natural lens of the eye that has become cloudy. Over time, the lenses have acquired an additional function, which is the correction of vision defects. This was made possible by new optical constructions that were used in intraocular lenses. A greater number of focal points, preferably three, provide three focus points for the light, ensuring good vision both near, far and at intermediate distances. Another recent development is the non-diffractive design with extended depth of field, which means that one focus provides good distance vision, intermediate distances and functional near vision. In addition, there are toric versions – with a construction that allows for the correction of astigmatism.
The implants are only a few millimeters in diameter, and thanks to their shape, they perfectly fit the eye. They are made of special materials, e.g. hydrophobic acrylic.
During cataract surgery, the eye’s natural lens is removed through a small incision in the limb of the cornea and replaced with an artificial lens. The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes and is completely painless thanks to the anesthetic eye drops.
Single vision, multifocal, toric – what are they?
The sharpness and quality of vision after cataract surgery and the further need to wear glasses depends largely on the type of lens chosen – so it is worth getting acquainted with all types and making the choice, together with your doctor, consciously – after all, such a lens can serve you throughout your life .
Today, there are different types of intraocular lenses that offer patients a vision improvement that goes beyond just a cataract solution. In general, there are two main types of lenses – standard single vision intraocular lenses and high tech, sometimes called premium lenses, multifocal lenses.
Single vision lenses
Single vision intraocular lenses are the most common and basic type of lens used in cataract surgery. They improve vision in one of two ranges – near or far. The decision to improve far or near vision performance depends on the patient’s lifestyle and vision needs. Most often, however, lenses with the power to ensure good distance vision are implanted, because it ensures better quality of everyday functioning.
Most patients who choose this option want to improve their distance vision in order to be able to drive a car and watch TV, among other things. Usually, however, they still need glasses for activities requiring close and intermediate vision, such as reading, cooking and computer work, and single vision lenses are normally implanted during cataract surgery, reimbursed by the National Health Fund, the cost is covered by the National Health Fund. knows.
Toric lenses
Intraocular lenses can also correct astigmatism, which is a vision defect most often resulting from asymmetry in the structure of the cornea. The so-called Toric lenses are available in both single vision, bi-, and trifocal, and non-diffractive versions. An example of such a lens is PanOptix® Toric from Alcon – a trifocal lens for astigmatism correction, made of hydrophobic AcrySof® material, with a UV filter and a blue light filter, extremely stable after implantation thanks to its unique design. Importantly, toric lenses are available at the National Health Fund for patients with astigmatism equal to and greater than 2 diopters.
If we decide to pay for the cataract surgery from our own pocket, we have the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits offered by multifocal and non-diffractive lenses with extended depth of field.
Trifocal lenses
Trifocal lenses are the choice for the demanding. They have three focal points that focus the light and enable sharp vision over the full range of distances: from near, through intermediate distances, to far. The biggest advantage of trifocal lenses is the ability to completely eliminate the need to wear glasses, e.g. reading, working with a computer or driving a car.
Trifocal lenses such as the AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® are the most modern type of multifocal lenses available today.
Some trifocal lenses are designed for an intermediate focal point at a distance of 80 cm, while the AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® trifocal lenses are optimized for the best vision of objects approximately 60 cm away. This distance has been shown to be a more natural distance that we look at in our daily activities, and it corresponds to the length of an average person’s arm. Glasses may be needed only for reading, e.g. very fine print.
Non-diffractive lenses with extended depth of field
Non-diffractive lenses with extended depth of field resemble single vision lenses. They only have one focus point of light. However, they are constructed in such a way that they allow for sharp and clear distance and intermediate vision as well as functional near vision. These lenses minimize the need for glasses, limiting it to the relatively rare daytime situations where it is necessary to read a very fine print. Importantly, the use of such lenses is associated with a very low risk of unwanted photo-optical effects – such as glare or halos around light sources. An example of such a lens is Alcon’s Acrysof IQ Vivity®
Regardless of whether we decide to undergo a reimbursed or paid procedure, it is worth checking whether the lens offered by our chosen center is the highest quality implant – minimizing the risk of postoperative complications and protecting eyesight after the surgery. The best quality intraocular lens:
- it is aspherical – this structure guarantees very good quality of vision after the surgery;
- it is hydrophobic – i.e. it is made of very good quality material, which determines the stability of the implanted lens and, importantly, minimizes the risk of the so-called secondary cataracts, i.e. clouding of the posterior capsule of the eye that must be removed by laser surgery;
- it has a UV filter that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation, what’s more: it is also important that it is a type of filter that will provide the highest possible level of protection against this radiation;
- has a blue light filter (then it has a characteristic yellow color) that protects the retina of the eye; however, it should not block blue light throughout its entire range.
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