When a patient has a modern Cataract operation once the cataract has been removed their vision is then corrected by implanting an intraocular lens (i.e. IOL) of appropriate power. The power of the IOL to be implanted into each individual eye is determined pre-operatively using a process known as Biometry. This enables accurate determination of the power required to produce a desiredrefractive outcome for that particular eye.
There are now many different types of IOL available to the refractive surgeon that enables them to offer a variety of refractive solutions to their patients. At the Ardfallen Eye Clinic we have available a wide variety of aspheric monofocal, multifocal and accommodative IOLs. Different types of IOL are appropriate in different individuals depending on certain factors such as their age, occupation, visual requirements or indeed their general medical condition.
The different types of monofocal IOLs used include the Lenstec Softec, the Alcon AcrySof and the AMO Tecnis. Some of the modern monofocal IOLs are aspheric and this offers an extra advantage in the quality of the vision post-operatively for the patient. Monofocal IOLs will correct patient's distance vision after their surgery and will generally reduce if not eliminate their dependency on a distance correction. They will require a reading correction after their surgery. This type of IOL may be indicated because of the health of the retina or else if the patient required only to be corrected for distance and was happy to wear a reading correction after their surgery.
The types of multifocal include the AMO Rezoom, AMO Array, AMO Tecnis Multifocal and the Alcon Restor. As multifocal IOLs work on the basis of diffractive optics they focus two images onto the retina. One is for distance and one is for near. This is achieved by the lens design which has different strength optical zones some of which are for near and some are for distance. Most of these IOLs are distance dominant. They give excellent distance and near acuity post-operatively with a slightly less good intermediate acuity. They work very well for certain types of occupations (e.g. sedentary occupations) and particular ranges of pre-operative refractive errors. In other ranges of refractive errors (e.g. low grade myopia) they are not the ideal type of implant to use.
Accommodating IOLs have recently become available and the Ardfallen Eye Clinic currently uses the Lenstec Tetraflex. This provides patients with excellent unaided distance acuity with good unaided social reading acuity and also provides good uncorrected intermediate acuity. This achieved by the central optic having a predetermined power and that the eyes own inherent ability to accommodate will then allow the optic to move forwards or backwards inside the eye thereby increasing and decreasing its effective power. As they do not have multiple optical zones these IOLs tend to result in less glare and haloes than there are with multifocal implants. They are very suitable for occupations that require good unaided acuity at most viewing distances. As they are available in a wide range of refractive powers they are a very useful option in Clear Lens Extraction and in PRELEX cases.
Please click on our link to Cataract surgery and corrective eye surgery (pdf) or on any of the other links to our Eye Library for further information on the topics highlighted.
Click here to review testimonials of some of Ardfallen Eye Clinic's previous patients who have had various IOLs mentioned above implanted.
For further information on Cataracts please refer to the following PDF download. (Cataract Information Leaflet)
