Intraocular Lens Implantation in Northern California
A Better Focus on Eye Surgery
Intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is a surgical procedure that involves inserting a plastic lens into the eye in order to provide a better focus of images on the retina. Kaiser Permanente's refractive surgeons perform two variations of this procedure: refractive lens exchange (RLE) and phakic IOL implantation.
What are accommodating IOLs?
The ability to focus at different distances is called "accommodation." As we get older, the lens of the eye becomes more rigid and our ability to accommodate diminishes. This inability to accommodate is called "presbyopia."
Aging also causes the lens to become more opaque, which creates cloudy vision. The opaque lens is called a "cataract." Typically, cataracts are replaced with an artificial monofocal lens. The standard monofocal IOL corrects vision for far distance, requiring patients to use glasses for near vision.
With advances in ophthalmologic technology, cataract patients now have the option to greatly reduce their dependence on glasses or contacts. Accommodative or pseudo-accommodative (multifocal) lenses have a special design, which allows the eye to retain some of its ability to shift focus. These lenses can provide good vision at various distances without the need for glasses.
