Premium Lens Replacement Surgery

What 'premium' means

A standard lens implant is monofocal: it focuses at one distance, usually far, and readers do the rest. A premium lens does more. Multifocal and trifocal lenses split light between distance, intermediate and near. Extended depth of focus lenses stretch a single focus into a range. Toric versions of any of these also correct astigmatism. The Light Adjustable Lens can be tuned to the exact result after the eye has healed. In lens replacement surgery for vision correction, a premium lens is almost always the point of the operation.

The operation

Lens replacement is cataract surgery without the cataract. Through a small incision at the edge of the cornea, the natural lens is removed with ultrasound and the folded implant is placed in the capsule that held it, where it unfolds and centers. It takes about 15 minutes per eye under light sedation, the timing between eyes is individualized, and most patients see well within a day or two. Where available and appropriate, laser assistance, image guidance or intraoperative aberrometry may be used to improve the precision of lens placement, and your surgeon discusses whether they help in your case.

Choosing the lens

We offer a broad range of the latest lens implant technologies and do not believe that one lens is best for every patient. We work closely with the major manufacturers and offer options including Alcon PanOptix and Vivity; Johnson & Johnson TECNIS Odyssey, PureSee and Eyhance; Bausch + Lomb enVista/Envy; and the RxSight Light Adjustable Lens, among others.

We customize the lens and treatment plan for each individual based on their visual goals, lifestyle, ocular health and clinical findings, rather than promoting one lens platform for everyone.

The evaluation matches a lens to your eye and your day:

• How you use your eyes: night driving, screens, reading, hobbies, and how much you mind glasses for any of them
• The health of the macula and the tear film, because multifocal optics need both to be good
• The regularity of the cornea, including any previous LASIK, which affects which lenses will perform
• The amount of astigmatism, which decides whether a toric version is needed
• Your tolerance for night halos, which trifocal lenses produce more of than EDOF lenses during adaptation

Your surgeon recommends a lens and explains plainly what it will and will not do for you. The most common choices are described on the pages for each lens type.

What to expect afterward

Vision is usually good within a day or two and continues to refine over weeks as the brain adapts to the new optics, a process called neuroadaptation that is most noticeable with multifocal lenses. Drops are used for a few weeks. Most patients with multifocal or EDOF lenses do their daily activities without glasses and keep light readers for fine print in dim light; toric monofocal patients use readers. Results vary from patient to patient, and the evaluation sets realistic expectations for your eyes.

Cost

Lens replacement is elective, so medical insurance does not cover it. You receive a written quote at your consultation covering the surgery, the lens and follow-up, and 0% interest financing for up to 24 months is available, depending on treatment cost. If a cataract is already forming, the operation becomes cataract surgery with a premium lens and insurance covers the surgical portion.