Things to Know about Intraocular Lens Implants

by Eye Md Eye MD Monterey

One of the most common eye conditions people face as they age is cataracts. A cataract occurs when the lens of the eye, which is directly behind the pupil, clouds due to changing proteins with age. A cataract causes things to be either blurry or have a brownish tint. Fortunately, cataracts are generally easy to treat with Carmel eye surgery. One of the most common ways to surgically correct a cataract involves the use of intraocular lens implants, or IOLs. Here's what you need to know if you're considering an IOL eye surgery in Carmel.

Types of IOLs

IOLs are usually made of silicone or acrylic and have different focusing powers, similar to eyeglass or contact lenses. The type of IOL your eye doctor uses depends on the length of your eye and curve of the cornea to ensure you get the right focusing power. A monofocal IOL is set to focus for one distance only, like close, medium, or long-distance. Multifocal IOLs have zones of differing powers so that you learn to focus on near and far distances. An accommodative IOL actually moves or changes the shape of your eye so that you can focus at different distances. Those with an astigmatism, with means the cornea is unevenly curved, may require a toric lens to help correct this specific refractive error.

Need for IOLs

You may wonder why an artificial lens is needed during surgery for cataracts. An artificial lens is necessary when removing cataracts because the only way to fix a cataract is to remove the cloudy lens completely. Unfortunately, it's not possible to simply remove the cloudiness on the lens, so in order to see following the surgery, an artificial lens is placed in the eye. Luckily, there are actually additional benefits to an IOL beyond removing a cataract.

Additional Benefits of IOLs

IOLs can help reduce, and in some cases even eliminate dependency on corrective lenses like glasses or contacts. Another benefit of IOLs is that some lenses can help those who struggle with vision in dim light and even protect the retina from UV light.

IOL Surgery

Carmel eye surgery for cataracts using IOLs is usually done with local anesthesia while the patient is awake. Small incisions are created to access the lens for removal and then the IOL is placed. Stitches are rarely needed and after a short recovery period, often less than an hour, you can return home.