Multifocal intraocular lenses- getting it right.

Multifocal intra-ocular lenses offer the opportunity to have cataract surgery and have great vision for distance, intermediate and near.  There are a few golden rules to follow to make sure you have a good outcome from this surgery:

1) Make sure there are no other eye diseases other than cataract (make sure the macular is normal and there is no glaucoma).

2) Treat dry eye: Dry eye can affect the pre-op measurements and post-op results so it’s vital to make sure the ocular surface is well lubricated and that any ocular surface disease is well controlled before and after surgery.

3) Understand what to expect: The vision is really great with these lenses, however, the vision will never be as good as it was when you were 20 years old, so expectations need to be realistic.

4) You will get halos at night: Everyone gets halos at night with these lenses. The ring design will always lead to halos. These will get better with time.

5) You will have glare: Glare is common and some patients need to wear sunglasses outdoors and indoors for sometime after the surgery. This also gets better with time.

6) Make sure you tell your Ophthalmologist that you want to have these lenses at the time of assessment so that the appropriate tests are done to ensure you get the best results.

Cataract surgery is fantastic surgery and it can be even better if you get a great result with multifocal lens implants.