Choosing between Monofocal, Bifocal and Toric Lenses

* With laser treatment, if necessary

The basic decision you have to make is whether you would like to enjoy greater freedom from eyeglasses after your cataract surgery.

If you don't mind wearing glasses, then a standard monofocal lens could be all that you need. However, we encourage you to carefully consider your decision, as you only have one chance to make it. At first, some patients tend to think they are OK with glasses, only to find out later from friends who have chosen a premium lens that it really is nice not to need them so much.

If you want to maximize your freedom from glasses, then a bifocal IOL is the lens of choice, as 80 to 90% of patients who have a bifocal IOL in each eye never wear eyeglasses at all. And, of those who still need glasses, most only wear them occasionally.

While bifocal IOL patients are typically delighted from day one, some take a while to get used to their new vision. In fact, the vision tends to improve more and more with time and it becomes better still if a bifocal IOL is placed in the other eye so that both eyes can work together. Sometimes, too, a laser treatment such as PRK or LASIK is necessary to fine-tune the vision.

The visual freedom that bifocal lenses provide is a dream come true for many. However, the lenses are not perfect. Some patients are bothered by glare and halos at night or reduced visual contrast. Others don't qualify for a bifocal lens because their eyes are not sufficiently healthy. And, all patients who choose a bifocal lens incur some out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered by insurance. Overall though, patient satisfaction is very high, and up to 94% of patients would choose the same lens again.

Toric IOLs are also premium lenses. The difference between a toric IOL and a standard IOL is that the toric corrects for astigmatism. This can dramatically reduce the distortion in your vision and increase the likelihood that you can enjoy activities such as driving, TV and golf without glasses. Though toric lenses do not eliminate reading glasses, they provide a very high quality of distance vision and we recommend them with confidence for our patients with astigmatism, even though they carry a modest out-of-pocket expense.