The first intraocular lens implant (IOL) was placed in a patient’s eye after cataract surgery 75 years ago. Since then, both the implants and surgery have changed dramatically; enduring a two-hour operation and 10 days of immobilisation is no longer required. At Sarum Vision, cataract surgery takes around 10 minutes, patients normally go home within an hour of arrival, and vision is usually excellent the day after surgery.
IOL technology has evolved significantly over the last 20 years. Sarum Vision has the most accurate technology for measuring eyes before surgery and provides the full range of IOL types, allowing our patients to have crystal-clear focus without glasses both for distance and reading.
Examples of the types of IOLs we use to improve your distance and range of focus:
Toric lens implants
Astigmatism frequently accompanies near-sightedness or far-sightedness, causing images to be blurred, shadowed, and distorted. It is usually corrected with glasses. A toric IOL is used to correct astigmatism and give the greatest chance of being glasses free for distance.
Extended monovision (EMV)
EMV implants can extend your focus range to intermediate (arm’s length), ideal for using a computer, cooking, or helping to see the car dashboard. In addition, EMV implants were specifically designed for monovision, a popular surgical technique that can expand your range of focused vision by “off-setting” the focus of each eye. While giving excellent vision for distance and intermediate activities, glasses are still needed for finer print.
Extended depth of focus (EDoF)
Implants can give even more range in vision than EMV lenses, with both eyes completely balanced. Hand-held items like tablet computers and mobile phones are usually in good focus. There is minimal risk of additional side effects.
Multifocal lens implants
These enable patients to see at near, intermediate, and far distances without glasses. They use diffractive (light-splitting) technology to create three focal points, and your brain selects the image to use. Patients with multifocal IOLs frequently notice halos around lights at night, but these generally dissipate over time and do not usually cause patients to avoid night driving.
The range of IOLs is huge, and not every type of IOL is appropriate for every patient. Our expert surgeons are here to help you navigate through this important choice.
While a cataract sufferer will benefit from simply having their cloudy lens removed, bespoke cataract surgery provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to maximise your vision and freedom from glasses. For people with good vision, but frustration with wearing glasses or contact lenses, these IOLs can also be used to correct vision with little or no cataract present.
Now is the time to see the future.
