If you’re having cataract surgery, you know that you need to decide what kind of IOL to get. When you have cataract surgery, the surgeon will remove your natural lens to get rid of your cataract.
Your natural lens needs a replacement, and that’s where the IOL— or intraocular lens— comes into play. An IOL is an artificial lens.
But unlike your natural lens, it can help correct your vision if you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism. There are several different kinds of IOLs to choose from, so how do you know which one to get?
Keep reading these handy tips from New England Eye Center in Boston to find out!
Talk To Your Doctor
The first step should be consulting your eye doctor. They can give you recommendations and tell you what’s available for your surgery. Your eye doctor can also let you know if any IOLs are covered by insurance.
They can also tell you what might work best with your eyes. Ultimately, choosing an IOL is your decision to make. When making your decision, take your lifestyle, budget, and needs into consideration.
Determine How Much You Can Spend
All IOLs besides the standard monofocal lenses are “premium” lenses. As premium lenses, these IOLs are not covered by insurance, along with the cost of surgery. This means you’ll have to pay a little extra unless you go for the monofocal lens.
Monofocals mean that each eye focuses differently, giving you monovision. One eye adjusts for focusing up close, and the other focuses for distance vision. Monofocal IOLs allow you to see well, but you’ll likely still need reading glasses for seeing up close.
Think About What You Need
When picking an IOL, you should keep in mind what you need to see every day. What do you do for a living? Is it active or do you spend most of your time at a desk?
If you read or write a lot and need to see up close, you may want to go with with a multifocal or accommodating IOL. These IOLs allow you to see well up close and far away.
Multifocal and accommodating IOLs let you see better without glasses than with monovision. If you have astigmatism, you may want a premium IOL that’s known as a toric lens.
A toric IOL corrects the football shaped cornea, which causes blurred vision. The cornea becomes spherical, and fixes the curvature of the lens in the eye.
Decide If You’re Okay With Glasses
With so many premium IOL choices, you may want to pick one that allows you freedom from glasses. If you’re okay with wearing glasses after cataract surgery, a monofocal IOL may be the right choice.
If you want to be able to see without glasses after cataract surgery, you may want to go for a premium lens. Price can be an important factor when it comes to IOLs, but your eyes are the only ones you have. Make sure you’re investing in their health and well-being when you make your choice!
Ready to make your IOL decision? Schedule a cataract screening with one of New England Eye Center’s talented doctors in Wellesley today!