Patient Procedures at Mountain View Eye Center

Multifocal IOLs

What Is A Multifocal IOL?

A multifocal intra-ocular lens (IOL) is a lens inserted into the eye during cataract surgery. Unlike monofocal lenses, which are the standard lenses covered by most major insurance payers as part of cataract surgery, multifocal IOLs can allow you to see clearly both at a distance and up close without a glasses prescription. As with all IOLs and all cataract surgeries, however, this is not an exact science. You may find that you still need glasses, but with a multifocal lens, you should be able to greatly reduce your prescription and dependency on glasses.

Multifocal lenses do come with one downside. Because the lenses aren’t smooth, they can cause glare and halos to appear in your vision. MVEC offers IOLs that help reduce this effect.

Types Of Multifocal IOLs

Multifocal lenses come in two varieties: standard multifocal and Extended Depth-of-Focus (EDF). Standard multifocal lenses may have some blur in the middle ranges of your vision, while EDF lenses usually grant clear vision at near, medium, and distant ranges.

Multifocals and EDFs also come in a toric variety, so you can correct your astigmatism and have a multifocal lens. We call that a win-win!

Is A Multifocal IOL A Good Idea For Me?

Only you and your surgeon can make that decision. If you have existing eye disease that will significantly affect your vision after cataract surgery, such as diabetic retinopathy or advanced corneal scarring, a multifocal lens may not be right for you.

What Multifocal IOL Does Mountain View Offer Here In Fairbanks?

Alaska is a unique place. We have snow, snow, and more snow, and when we don’t have snow reflecting glare, we have a low-hanging sun that never quite goes down! Because of this, we are very selective about the Multifocal IOLs we offer to our local patients. If you’re interested in a multifocal that will fit your lifestyle here in Fairbanks, we recommend AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® and AcrySof® IQ Vivity™. Their unique design helps to reduce the need for glasses after surgery, while minimizing glare and halos. Click here to see the surgery options we offer that include these lenses, and watch the video below to learn more about your IOL options!