Lens - what type of lens will be used during my cataract surgery?

During cataract surgery, your eye’s natural lens is removed and replaced with a new lens implant (called an intraocular lens, or IOL for short). Your new intraocular lens implant will be chosen specifically to match the prescription required for each eye and can help correct long or short-sighted vision where required.

With the NHS, you will be offered a monofocal IOL.

We’ve put together some frequently asked questions about lenses to help you understand more about how they work.

What is a monofocal IOL?

Monofocal IOLs are lenses with a single point of focus. This means the IOL will be fixed to give you good near or distance vision, but not both.

If your lens is set for near vision, it means you will be able to see objects that are close-up clearly after surgery, but you may still need glasses to see objects that are further away (e.g. for watching TV or driving).

If your lens is set for distance vision, it means you will be able to see objects that are far away clearly after surgery, but you may still need glasses to see objects that are close-up (e.g. for reading, writing or looking at your mobile phone).

It’s unlikely that you will be completely glasses-free after cataract surgery, although your near/distance vision will still be much improved depending on what point of focus your lens has.

Our specialist team will be able to advise you which kind of lens is right for you.

What type of monofocal IOL does SpaMedica use?

At SpaMedica, we primarily use Bausch and Lomb’s Akreos Adapt AO lens for NHS patients.

What material is the intraocular lens made of?

The Adapt AO lens is made of acrylic and is designed to last a lifetime, so you won’t need to have it replaced at a later date.

Can I choose a different type of lens?

If you opt to have cataract surgery on the NHS, monofocal lenses are usually the only option available to you, and this will be the case regardless of which hospital or clinic you choose to have your treatment at.

However, if you would rather ‘go private’ and pay for your cataract surgery, you’ll be able to choose lens options that aren’t usually available on the NHS, including:

• Enhanced monofocal lenses, which give you a greater range and depth of vision than standard monofocal lenses
• Toric lenses, which are especially designed to correct astigmatism (curvature of the cornea that requires additional correction, separate to correcting long or short sightedness)
• Multifocal lenses, which allow the eye to focus on near, intermediate and distant objects and therefore increase your chances of being glasses-free after cataract surgery.

If you’re interested in learning more about private cataract surgery, you can visit our private patient website at Freedom Vision.