A cataract is not a disease but an aging process similar to graying hair. As the eye ages, the normal lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and the light rays cannot pass easily through it, and the image becomes blurry. It can be compared to a window that is frosted or “fogged” with steam.
The only treatment for cataracts is to remove the clouded natural crystalline lens (cataract) and replace it with a lens implant to restore lost vision. At Florida Eye Health, our goal is to provide the right cataract treatment for each of our patient’s individual lifestyle and eye health. Our patients now have several options when selecting an intraocular lens implant (IOL) for their visual outcome following cataract surgery, including:
1. CustomLens Multifocal Implants: With these new technology lens implants, cataract treatment has moved beyond simply restoring vision loss. Today patients have lens implant options that can provide the vision to read a book, drive a car, and play golf or tennis with increased freedom from glasses. Among the CustomLens IOLs used most often at Florida Eye Health are ReSTOR and Crystalens.
2. Conventional Monofocal Lens Implant: If choosing a monofocal (single vision) lens implant, both eyes can be corrected for distance vision and you will need to wear reading glasses for near vision or have both eyes corrected for near vision and wear prescription glasses or contact lenses for distance vision. A third option is monovision for people over 40 who want to reduce their need for reading glasses. With monovision, your dominant eye is corrected for distance vision, while your non-dominant eye is corrected for near vision. With monovision, you may not need reading or distance glasses.
3. Monofocal Toric IOL: If you have astigmatism, a Toric IOL makes it possible to treat the cataract and correct the corneal astigmatism at the same time. If you have both a cataract and a corneal astigmatism, you will not regain high-quality distance vision after surgery to remove the cataract unless the astigmatism is also corrected. The unique design of this lens provides significantly improved distance vision and may reduce the need for corrective lenses.
Medicare and most private insurances cover cataract surgery. However, if choosing a CustomLens implant, you are responsible for payment of that portion of the charge for the premium lens and associated services that exceed the charge for a conventional monofocal lens.
