Is a multifocal IOL not truly multifocal?
Posted , 9 users are following.
This is part of an email I received from my cataract surgeon's office pre-surgery. I am trying to decide between monovision and Symfony (actually an extended depth of focus lens I think).-
"No matter what target or lens we choose, there's no perfect solution and glasses are the solution for further fine tuning of vision afterwards. With either monovision or multifocal, there will be some compromise between very near vision and intermediate vision because we realistically have 2 focal points to work with and roughly 3 major zones of vision."
So is he saying it's actually bifocal, not trifocal or multifocal?
0 likes, 48 replies
susan44499
Posted
My sister was told to take a supplement- ARED 2?- to slow progression. My optometrist takes MacuHealth as a preventive but I'm not positive it's been shown to help. It has lutein and others.
susan44499
Posted
On the issue of Macular Degeneration-
"It is true that multifocal lenses have an extended depth of field which is achieved by spreading out the light, whereas monofocal lenses focus all of the light at a single point. Dr. XXX does not typically recommend multifocal or Symfony lenses for people with AMD.
The complex optics of a multifocal lens do not work well in patients with vision limitations from other eye conditions (like AMD, glaucoma, etc). "
susan44499
Posted
With mini-monovision (not true monovision) you will still need reading glasses for close work and reading.
I think I’d prefer true monovision then, which is what my contacts are now, even though it means less good depth perception.
at201 susan44499
Posted
Yes. The statement that "With mini-monovision (not true monovision) you will still need reading glasses for close work and reading" is correct.
The fact that you have had monovision with contacts gives you a good idea of the vision you will have 2 monofocal lenses. However, please remember that while you may have some focus adjustment left in you natural eyes, you won't have any adjustment in the monofocal lenses. Thus, assuming that you get one eye set for -0.25D and the other one at -2.25 D, your vision may be less clear between about 26 inches to 53 inches range. One can live with that (I lived with that for many years with my contact lenses set for monovision), but just be aware of that.
Just as a side note, In my case, the only practical situation where I really wished that I had better vision in that range was trying to read captions next to displays in a museum setting where one can't stand 18-20 inches from the wall. However, depending on your life style, you may have other situations, where having good vision in that range is important.
susan44499 at201
Posted
It isn’t for my husband but reading on these forums, not everybody has as good a result is he did.
As much as I would like a Symfony, I’m going with monovision since it’s a known entity for me , my doctor recommended it, there’s two now in my family with macular degeneration and it’ll save $5000