Are you about to have cataract surgery? If so, you can look forward to finally regaining your vision by having your cataracts removed.
But to remove your cataracts, you have to have your natural lens where they formed taken out as well. When you have your natural lens removed, it’s replaced with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens or IOL.
Before you can have cataract surgery, you’ll have to choose from various IOL options. Choosing an IOL can be overwhelming, as there are a lot of premium IOLs to select from.
At Diagnostic Eye Center, we offer many premium IOLs, including the revolutionary Vivity IOL. The Vivity IOL is an advanced premium lens with many benefits.
Keep reading to learn about the benefits of the Vivity IOL and if it may be the right premium lens for you!
Premium IOLs
Insurance usually covers the procedure as it’s medically necessary to restore vision loss from cataracts. But insurance will only cover one kind of IOL: standard monofocal lenses.
Monofocal IOLs
Monofocal IOLs have uniform lenses set to one refractive power. With this IOL, you can see best at one single focal point. Most patients opt for both eyes set for distance, and they wear glasses for reading. Occasionally patients prefer both eyes set for near, and they wear glasses to see far away.
Sometimes, when a patient chooses a monofocal IOL, they end up with something called monovision. With monovision, you have one eye set for seeing up close and the other eye designated for seeing far away. Choosing monovision allows you to see well enough between these two focal points but not within an extensive range. You’ll also likely still need reading glasses to see clearly up close.
The Advantage of Premium IOLs
Premium IOLs, on the other hand, are an out-of-pocket cost. Although you will need to pay more for a premium IOL, it’s a cost that many patients find to be worth it.
If you struggle with presbyopia, premium lenses can better correct your vision and help you see at a wide range of distances. Presbyopia is a common age-related eye condition that occurs when the lens loses flexibility.
When this happens, it becomes more challenging to see things up close. Many premium IOLs reduce or even eliminate the need for reading glasses.
One popular kind of premium IOL is the multifocal lens. Multifocal IOLs have alternating rings that extend outward from the center of the lens.
These rings switch between two refractive powers and focal points. With a multifocal IOL, your eye automatically looks through the part of the lens best suited for seeing at whatever distance you’re viewing.
This lens allows for much clearer up-close vision and significantly reduces the need for reading glasses. For this reason, many patients choose multifocal IOLs.
However, multifocal IOLs and other premium lenses can have drawbacks. But the Vivity IOL minimizes many of these drawbacks.
The Vivity IOL
Most multifocal lenses are diffractive, meaning light splits over the lens. When light splits as it hits the lens, it can make your vision less clear at some distances.
But the Vivity IOL is a non-diffractive extended depth of focus (EDOF) IOL. It is the first and only non-diffractive EDOF IOL.
The design of the lens smooths out the transition between rings, which allows light to stretch over it without splitting, thanks to proprietary X-WAVE technology. The result is a much more comprehensive range of vision with fewer visual aberrations.
With X-WAVE technology, two smooth surface transition elements work simultaneously to stretch and move light without it splitting, resulting in a smoother range of vision.
Benefits that Set the Vivity IOL Apart
If you have presbyopia and want to see clearly at a broad range of distances, there’s a good chance that the Vivity IOL is a good fit for you. These premium lenses are great for seeing far away and intermediate ranges and many patients feel their up-close vision is quite clear as well.
That makes the Vivity IOL great for being active, social, and even just using your phone or computer. Unlike other premium IOLs, the Vivity lens helps patients see better up close and at intermediate distances.
Diffractive multifocal IOLs only tend to give you the best vision up close, which can be a problem for people who spend a lot of time on the computer or looking at screens. It’s always best to view screens at an intermediate distance.
It can be hard not to sit too close to the screen when your up-close vision is your best vision. Because the Vivity IOL lets you see clearly at a middle distance, it’s much better if you spend a lot of time in front of digital devices.
Reduce Visual Aberrations After Cataract Surgery
Furthermore, the Vivity IOL filters both UV light and blue light emitted by electronic screens and can be harmful to the eye. Some premium IOLs can also cause visual aberrations after cataract surgery due to imperfections in the lens.
While uncommon, the risk of these aberrations is reduced further by the Vivity IOL. The material and design of the Vivity IOL give it a much lower rate of post-surgical visual aberrations.
The Vivity IOL also comes in a toric model. If you have astigmatism, this means that you can choose the Vivity lens and correct presbyopia.
If you opt for the Vivity IOL, you can correct your presbyopia and astigmatism at the same time. Choosing a premium lens like the Vivity IOL means you may end up with the best eyesight you’ve ever had.
If you’re getting cataract surgery, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing the Vivity IOL. The vast majority of patients who choose the Vivity IOL see incredible visual improvement.
93% of patients with the Vivity IOL would recommend the lens to a friend or family member. With such a high satisfaction rate, you can be sure you’re getting the best when you get the Vivity IOL!
Ready to find out if the Vivity IOL is the best premium IOL for you? Schedule a cataract evaluation at Diagnostic Eye Center in Houston, TX, to learn more!
