Is your vision foggy or blurry? Have you noticed that you can no longer see things as clearly as you once could?
As you age, it’s natural for your vision to worsen. This is due to various common eye conditions, but one of the most common ones is presbyopia.
Presbyopia occurs when the muscles that flex the eye’s natural lens weaken, making it harder to focus up close. If you depend on reading glasses for activities like reading the newspaper, looking at a menu while at a restaurant, or perusing your smartphone to see the news, you’re not alone.
Once you’re over 40, you’re more likely to develop presbyopia and need reading glasses for these tasks. But you can correct presbyopia without reading glasses with a premium intraocular lens (IOL).
Many premium IOLs correct both existing refractive errors and presbyopia at the same time, reducing your dependence on visual aids and providing you with better vision. Learn how to invest in your best self with premium lenses!
What are Intraocular Lenses?
An IOL is an artificial lens that replaces your natural lens to ensure you can see clearly. Two procedures involve replacing the eye’s natural lens with an IOL: cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange (RLE).
Cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange are almost identical procedures. However, the only difference is that patients have cataract surgery performed to remove their natural lenses when they need cataracts removed. Cataract surgery is the only way to treat cataracts and ensure patients can see clearly again.
Refractive lens exchange differs because you’ll have the natural lens removed and replaced with an IOL, but the only reason is to improve your vision. Patients who have refractive lens exchange do not have cataracts and are instead looking for visual improvements.
One of the most significant reasons patients choose refractive lens exchange is that they won’t have to worry about cataracts in the future. With the procedure, you can look forward to crisp, pristine vision for years while reducing your dependence on visual aids like reading glasses.
Nevertheless, if you want to achieve incredible vision, whether it’s during cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, the key is choosing the right intraocular lens. There are several kinds of IOLs to choose from, depending on your visual goals after improving your vision. However, only one kind of IOL is a standard IOL and is included in the cost of the procedure.
Standard IOLs
The standard IOL included in the cost of cataract surgery and often covered by insurance is the monofocal IOL. A monofocal IOL is a lens that’s uniform all over and can help you see clearly at one set distance, either up close or far away.
When you choose a monofocal IOL, you’ll still need glasses to see at the opposite distance. However, some patients may be able to get something called monovision.
Monovision isn’t as common, but it can give patients better vision. With monovision, you’ll have one monofocal IOL set for seeing up close and the other for seeing at a distance.
This combination provides decent vision between these two distances. But monovision doesn’t deliver the most precise vision at every distance and only works for some.
Premium IOLs
If you want clearer vision at a broader range of distances, the next option worth considering is premium IOLs. Although they require an out-of-pocket cost, premium IOLs fully correct your vision, giving you a better visual range.
They also significantly reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses, regular glasses, and contact lenses. These premium lenses correct refractive errors and presbyopia, ensuring you can see clearly at any distance, whether reading a book, hiking with friends, or watching your favorite show.
Dell Laser Consultants offers a few different types of premium lenses, including:
Multifocal Lens
The multifocal lens has alternating rings that switch between a refractive power set to see up close and one to see at a distance. Your eye automatically looks through the right part of the lens, which helps you best see and interpret what’s around you.
This lens can give you especially clear vision up close while allowing you to see well when looking at things at a distance, like watching your ball while golfing.
Extended Depth Of Focus (EDOF) Lens
We offer various EDOF lenses, including the Vivity, IC-8 Apthera, Synergy, and Tecnis Symfony OptiBlue. Extended depth of focus lenses help you see within a set range rather than between alternating focal points, providing clearer vision at longer distances.
Eyhance Monofocal Lens
The Eyhance monofocal lens is the perfect midpoint between a monofocal and premium lens. The design emulates monovision in each lens, with its edges set to see far away and the center set to see up close.
Light Adjustable Lens (LAL)
The Light Adjustable Lens is the only IOL that allows patients to fully customize their vision. Unlike all other IOLs, the Light Adjustable Lens is adjusted to your exact visual goals and desires after having cataract surgery.
As with any other IOL, it will be implanted during cataract surgery. Once you’ve healed, the lens will be adjusted with UV light to precisely customize your vision before being locked in and tailored to your exact specifications.
Choosing the Right Lens for You
There are so many options regarding premium lenses. But your eye doctor at Dell Laser Consultants can help you choose the best one by explaining each option in more detail so you can make an informed decision.
It’s hard to make a wrong choice when it comes to premium lenses, but your eye doctor will help you make the best one so you can invest in the best vision for you! When considering an IOL, especially a premium one, consider things like your lifestyle, visual goals, what you want to accomplish after improving your vision, and what your budget looks like.
One of the best ways to invest in yourself is by improving your vision, especially if you’ve always depended on visual aids. Wouldn’t you love to know what it’s like to stop relying on reading glasses? If this sounds like the kind of life you want, it’s time to consider a premium IOL.
The Best Vision for The Best You
When you choose a premium lens, you reduce your dependence on visual aids, giving yourself more freedom and better vision so you can do more.
Premium lenses can improve your life by enabling you to see well enough to pursue your favorite hobbies, stay active, be social, and have a better time both in and out of the home!
Is it time to learn how a premium lens could change your life? Take the next step by requesting your appointment at Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, TX! Haven’t you waited long enough to appreciate what better vision could be like?
