Choosing the Right Cataract Lens Option for Surgery

There are many cataract lens options to choose from when planning your cataract surgery. It’s important to weigh your options and discuss your choices with a doctor. Factors to consider include your vision, lifestyle, and budget.

A cataract is a cloudy area that can develop on the lens of your eye. Cataracts are very common and can occur as a result of age, injury, or exposure to toxic substances. A cataract can make your vision blurry, and you may find it difficult to focus.

Cataract surgery involves replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). When considering your cataract lens options, it’s important to take your time.

There are several types of cataract lenses, and each has unique advantages and disadvantages.

Learn more about your cataract lens options below.

Monofocal lens

This is the most common cataract lens option and the type that’s usually covered by insurance. A monofocal lens has one focusing distance, though some people may choose a different focal distance for each eye.

Advantages

• This lens type has a low cost.
• It’s often covered by insurance.

Disadvantages

• It corrects for only one distance (near or far).
• You’ll likely still need glasses after surgery.
• It can take time to adapt if you’re using monovision ( one eye focused for distance vision and one for near vision)

Multifocal lens

A multifocal lens has several focal areas built into it, similar to the lenses of bifocal or trifocal glasses.

Advantages

• This lens may reduce your need for glasses.
• It allows you to see both near and far objects.

Disadvantages

• Adapting to this lens may take some time.
• Side effects, such as glare or halos around light, may occur when you drive at night.
• This lens type can be expensive since it’s not covered by insurance .

Extended depth of focus (EDOF)

Like monofocal lenses, EDOF lenses have only one focal zone. However, this zone is expanded to allow for distance vision and intermediate vision.

Advantages

• This lens type offers great distance vision.
• It allows for midrange vision improvements.
• It may eliminate halo effects in some cases.

Disadvantages

• You may still need glasses for close tasks such as reading.
• This type of lens is not recommended for people with eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
• If you have significant ocular disease , you cannot use premium lenses.

Accommodative lens

Accommodative lenses are designed to use the natural contractions of your eye muscles to change focus.

Advantages

• This lens type may reduce your dependence on glasses.
• It can offer various focal depths.

Disadvantages

• This lens may not have a large enough range of focal shifts.

Toric

These lenses are helpful for people with astigmatism (curvature of the eye that can cause vision problems) and may reduce the need for glasses. They are available in monofocal, multifocal, and accommodative styles.

Advantages

• A toric lens can be helpful if you have astigmatism.
• It can reduce glare and halo effects (b ut there may still be glare issues if you choose a multifocal IOL with astigmatism correction ).
• This lens type can reduce your need for glasses.

Disadvantages

• Lens rotation could cause blurry vision.
• This lens may not be suitable for all people with astigmatism.

Light-adjustable lens (LAL)

This is a monofocal IOL that can be customized through UV light treatments after surgery.

Advantages

• An LAL can be customized to your specific vision needs.
• Postsurgery adjustment allows for healing time.
• This lens type can also be used with some astigmatisms.

Disadvantages

• You may still need glasses after surgery.
• This lens type may require multiple adjustments , which can be quite time consuming, and it’s the most expensive option .
• This lens type has sun exposure limitations.

How to determine which lens is right for me

Choosing the right type of lens after cataract surgery is important. Because cataract surgery is not usually an emergency procedure, you often have enough time to make a careful decision.

Questions that can be helpful to ask yourself when deciding on a cataract lens option include:

• Which lens types will be best for my lifestyle?
• What kind of vision do I need for my work?
• What is my budget?
• Do I want to depend on glasses for my hobbies or activities?
• Do I often drive at night?
• Do I have astigmatism or other eye conditions?

Are all cataract lenses covered by insurance?

Medicare and most major insurance companies will usually fully cover the cost of monofocal lenses.

Other IOLs are not usually covered by insurance, and you may need to cover all or part of the cost. The out-of-pocket costs for specialty IOLs can vary but could be more than $1,000 per eye .

Is cataract surgery right for me?

Cataract surgery is a safe and effective procedure that can improve vision in 97% of cases , according to a 2022 study. It’s rarely an emergency surgery and can usually be scheduled at your convenience.

Cataract surgery might be right for you if you:

• have difficulty with daily activities (driving, walking, reading) because of your vision
• have blurry vision
• see halos around lights
• have double vision
• can’t see well at night
• have a sensitivity to bright lights

It can be helpful to discuss your cataract surgery options with a doctor. Examples of questions you may want to ask include:

• What kind of surgery is right for me?
• What type of lens should I go with?
• Will I still need glasses after surgery?
• How much will the surgery cost me or my insurance?
• How should I prepare for surgery?
• How long is recovery?
• Are there any side effects?

Frequently asked questions

What lens do most people choose for cataract surgery?

Most people tend to choose monofocal lenses for cataract surgery.

What are the four types of cataract lenses?

The four main types of cataract lenses are monofocal lenses, multifocal lenses, extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses, and astigmatism-correcting toric lenses.

What is the downside of multifocal cataract lenses?

The downsides of multifocal cataract lenses can include side effects such as glares or halos in your vision while driving at night. Additionally, this type of lens may take some time to adapt to.

Takeaway

There are many lens options to consider when having a cataract surgery. It can be helpful to weigh your options with a doctor and discuss your priorities.

Monofocal lenses are the most common type of cataract lenses and are usually covered by insurance. Other cataract lens options, such as multifocal, accommodative, and extended depth of focus lenses, can have multiple focal ranges but may be costly. Other lens types might be better for people with astigmatism or other eye conditions.

It can be helpful to consider your vision type and budget when deciding which cataract lens option will work best for you.