Cataract surgery involves removing the body’s natural lens which becomes less clear with age and replacing it with an artificial lens called a lens implant. Everyone gets a lens implant. Patients have a choice on which implant goes into the eye. Standard implants are covered by insurance, but they only give you clear vision at one distance, usually far away but occasionally at near. Patients still need glasses to read or see their phones or computer screens (if distance is corrected) or to drive (if near is corrected), but they will need glasses for some activities.
Multifocal implants are not covered by insurance but have variable focal lengths to give clear vision at both distance and near without the help of glasses. These implants reduce, and often, eliminate the need for glasses. PanOptix implants have rings in the implant with different strengths giving clear vision at different focal lengths – some of those rings provide near vision and some provide distance vision. PanOptix gives great near and distance vision, but some patients can see the rings (“haloes”) at night while driving, which usually goes away with brain adaptation over a period of a few months. PanOptix has been available since August 2019. A second multifocal implant called Vivity was just released in January 2021. This implant has no rings but rather a small central diffractive area within the implant that stretches the focal length to give distance and near vision without the halo effect. Vivity lens implant gives great distance and computer/phone vision. For reading small print, weak readers may be needed. Our office has been involved in the clinical trials for Vivity recently launched by Alcon to be able to offer these to our patients with the latest innovative technology.
Dr. Englert along with the staff at Southern Indiana Eye Associates are trained to educate you on these lens options in addition to toric implants to treat astigmatism. Not all patients are good candidates for the various implants, so we don’t recommend the multifocal implants to all patients, depending on their various eye conditions. If you don’t like the eyes you have, this may be your chance to change them. However, we can’t give you eyes that are 20 years old!
We look forward to working with you to provide the best possible option for your situation. Thank you for trusting us with your eye care needs.
Judy Englert, MD
