Do you have cataracts that make it more challenging to do the things you love? It may be time to consider cataract surgery.
If you’re about to get cataract surgery, one of the things you need to do to prepare is to pick out your IOL. An IOL, or intraocular lens, is an artificial lens that replaces your natural lens.
You’ll have the natural lens removed during cataract surgery to remove the cataract that’s formed inside it. There are what can feel like endless options when it comes to choosing an IOL because there are so many different kinds available!
Many of these are premium lenses, meaning they enhance your vision beyond cataract removal and can reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and other visual aids.
One of the most advanced lenses on the market is the Vivity IOL. The Vivity IOL is a revolutionary premium lens, but what sets it apart from other IOLs?
There are a few things that make the Vivity IOL unique. To better understand how it works, though, it’s helpful to know how other premium IOLs work. Keep reading to learn more about what sets the Vivity IOL apart from other IOLs and if you may be a good candidate for it!
Monofocal Lenses Compared to Premium IOLs
When you have cataract surgery, insurance usually covers only one kind of IOL: monofocal lenses. Monofocal lenses function in a way that’s similar to a monofocal lens in your glasses.
A monofocal IOL is a uniform lens with one refractive power to help you see up close or far away. Some patients, though it’s more uncommon, choose monovision, where they have one eye set for seeing up close and the other for seeing far away.
Monovision allows patients to see well enough between the two distances. However, you’ll still need reading glasses to see up close. After cataract surgery, you’ll still need to depend on glasses and contacts.
Premium lenses are more advanced. One common kind of premium lens is called a multifocal lens. The multifocal lens is composed of rings that alternate between two refractive powers.
The first is for seeing things up close, and the second is for seeing far away. Your eye automatically looks through the part of the lens that best helps you see what you need to focus on.
A multifocal lens can provide you with excellent up-close vision, but it comes with its drawbacks. It doesn’t offer a wide range of vision.
Additionally, multifocal IOLs and other premium IOLs can cause visual aberrations, especially at night. But there is a premium IOL with a much lower chance of causing visual abnormalities. This is where the Vivity IOL comes into play.
What is the Vivity IOL?
The Vivity IOL is a multifocal lens but it has some distinctly unique design elements. Other multifocal lenses are diffractive, meaning light splits over the surface of the lens.
A multifocal lens’s diffractive nature can cause some visual aberrations. The Vivity IOL is non-diffractive, so light bends around the lens rather than splitting.
The transition between the alternating sections of the lens is smoothed using proprietary X-WAVE technology. X-WAVE technology blends the transition between different refractive powers to make it possible for patients to see clearly up close, far away, and between those distances.
X-WAVE technology allows the Vivity IOL to be the first and only non-diffractive, Extended Depth of Vision (EDOF) lens. It may sound technical, but the advanced technology used to make the Vivity IOL translates to some easy-to-understand patient benefits.
Advantages of the Vivity IOL
One of the main benefits of the Vivity IOL is that it causes fewer visual aberrations than other premium IOLs. Some patients are hesitant to choose a premium lens and get the most out of having cataract surgery because there is a chance they can experience vision problems.
These include glare and halos, which can have a detrimental effect on your night vision. But the Vivity IOL is an excellent alternative to other premium lenses because these visual aberrations are much less common.
The Vivity IOL also offers a broad range of vision, with much better vision at a middle distance than other premium lenses. If you’re physically active and love golfing, sailing, or hiking, the Vivity IOL could be perfect for you.
It’s also a fantastic choice for patients that spend a lot of time using electronics. Having good middle-distance vision allows you to see clearly at a safe distance from computers and TV screens.
While patients who choose the Vivity IOL sometimes still need reading glasses to read small print, it reduces the need to depend on glasses and contacts after cataract surgery. The Vivity IOL also comes in a toric lens, which can correct mild astigmatism, reducing the need for other visual aids.
If you want to get the most out of cataract surgery and see well at almost every distance, the Vivity IOL may be the perfect choice for you to consider!
Vivity IOL Candidates
The Vivity IOL is well-suited for most patients. If you need to have cataract surgery and want to see your best while reducing your dependence on glasses, it’s worth considering. You may still need to use reading glasses to look at prescription bottles or small print like a newspaper, but it’s an excellent tradeoff for incredible vision and fewer visual aberrations.
Whether you’re active, social, or a homebody who works on the computer, the Vivity IOL can work for you and your lifestyle needs after cataract surgery.
Are you ready for cataract surgery? Schedule a cataract consultation at Loden Vision Centers in Nashville, TN, and take control of your vision!
