Lens Implant Choices

Lens Implants Tailored To You

Anyone who elects to have cataract surgery with a conventional, older-style lens implant will have their cloudy natural lens removed and replaced with a monofocal intraocular lens (“IOL”). Typically this lens implant will provide very good visual results, and clarity will be promptly restored.

The benefit of lifestyle IOLs is that, in addition to clarity achieved by removal of the cataract, they can correct pre-existing nearsightedness or farsightedness. Standard monofocal lens implants do not, however, correct for astigmatism or presbyopia. Therefore, it is very likely that glasses will be necessary after IOL care, both for optimum distance vision (if astigmatism is present), and very likely for reading. For many, a standard lens implant is a fine option — it’s nice to have clarity, and enhanced quality of life — even if glasses are still helpful for obtaining optimal sharpness at far and near.

Refractive Services

At LA Sight, we provide lifestyle IOLs in combination with other specialized care referred to as refractive services. This includes discussing your visual needs, interests, preferences and habits; then custom-tailoring a vision plan specifically for you. We do detailed surgical planning, take confirmatory measurements during surgery, and utilize techniques during surgery to reduce or eliminate astigmatism. We also are able to fine-tune the results if needed, by doing LASIK when warranted, to achieve a desired optical “target” and best visual results.

Combining Lifestyle IOLs with Refractive Services can correct virtually all optical imperfections including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Certain premium lenses can also dramatically reduce the need for reading glasses in a very high percentage of patients.

Our refractive services package allows us to confidently deliver a desired optical outcome with cataract and IOL care. We recognize that your vision is critical; and that cataract care is an important investment in your visual well-being. The portfolio of refractive services allows us to achieve extremely high-precision visual outcomes.

While PPO or traditional health insurance will cover some or most of the costs associated with cataract care, this does not extend to refractive services. Therefore, refractive services and the extra costs of Lifestyle IOLs are the responsibility of the patient.

In a perfect world, eye surgeons would be able to implant auto-focusing lenses so that everyone could see perfectly at every distance, near or far, under any lighting condition, day or night. To put it mildly, we’re not there, yet. However, with careful evaluation, discussion of available options, and tailoring of care to individual situations, we can create very functional visual solutions for the patients we serve.

If you’d like to take the next step, schedule a consultation with Dr. Moarefi.