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 usually be offered a monofocal IOL.
We’ve put together some frequently asked questions about lenses to help you understand more about how they work.
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.
At SpaMedica, we primarily use Bausch and Lomb’s Akreos Adapt AO lens for NHS patients.
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.
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 currently available on the NHS, including:
If you’re interested in learning more about private cataract surgery, you can visit our private patient website at Freedom Vision.