Multifocal Intraocular Lenses

In the past, cataract surgeons had few options to correct vision after cataract surgery. The options were to correct the eye for clear distance vision which necessitated reading glasses or to correct the eye for clear near vision, necessitating distance glasses. With the advent of multifocal intraocular lenses both distance and near vision can now be corrected simultaneously with one lens.  The new multifocal intraocular lenses that are used to replace the natural lens at the time of cataract surgery have different zones of focusing power in the same lens. In general, the zones closer to the center of the lens are in focus for near vision and the zone towards the periphery are in focus for distance vision. An example of such a lens is the Alcon Restor intraocular lens.

Another available option for achieving distance and near vision is the Crystalens. The Crystalens is different from the Restor lens in that rather than having multiple zones of different focusing power; the Crystalens actually changes its position in the eye similar to the behavior of the natural lens of the eye when reading.