The Vivity intraocular lens is an intraocular lens used to replace the cataract during cataract surgery. It is classified as an “Extended Range of Vision” lens, meaning that patients with this intraocular lens will be able to see a range of vision without glasses.
With a standard monofocal intraocular lens, patients are typically able to see clearly far away without glasses. The inability to also see intermediate distances or close objects clearly without bifocals or reading glasses is known as presbyopia.
Traditional multifocal intraocular lenses address presbyopia by using diffractive technology. This technology can be thought of as etching alternating rings of different focusing powers onto the lens surface. One set of rings focuses on images far away, and the other focuses on objects close up. Only these two distances are in focus and images in between remain blurry. At night, the near focus rings could potentially result in creating glare or halos around distant lights.
In contrast, the Vivity intraocular lens is a non-diffractive lens. Instead of rings, the Vivity lens uses a smooth surface pattern that creates an extended range of vision. The Vivity intraocular lens does not provide as much range as a multifocal intraocular lens, but does provide a seamless range of vision. It typically allows patients to see clearly from far away to intermediate distances, such as the computer screen.
For patients who prefer near vision, the Vivity intraocular lens can be used to provide a closer range of vision without glasses, such as from intermediate distances to near. In this situation, glasses would be needed to see far.
With respect to night vision side effects, because there are no rings, this lens performs like a standard monofocal lens, which is considered the gold standard in regards to the quality of night vision.
A significant advantage of the Vivity lens is that it is more forgiving with ocular pathology compared to multifocal lenses. If a patient has dry eyes or mild macular degeneration, a multifocal lens could potentially lead to worse vision, whereas the Vivity lens is more likely to perform better.
The Vivity intraocular lens also has a version that corrects for astigmatism a called the Vivity Toric intraocular lens.
When you come in for your cataract consultation here at the San Jose Eye Institute, we can discuss whether the Vivity lens is best suited for your individual needs.
Hi. I’m a negative 18 in my right eye with a successful detached retina surgery. Can this type of Vivity lens correct that?
Hi Loretta,
Possibly. The Vivity intraocular lens would work very well in your situation after a retinal detachment surgery. However, the specific Vivity lens power needed to remove your high degree of near-sightedness may not exist. You will have to see your ophthalmologist to get some measurements on your eye. Your doctor can then determine what lens power is needed and determine the best option for you.
George Yang, MD
I understand the panoptic allows you to see up close better than the vivity lens. That sometimes you need readers for up close with the vivity lens.
Hi Bebe,
You are correct. The PanOptix lens provides better up close vision than the Vivity lens. However, the Vivity lens is much less likely to have glare or halos at night compared to the PanOptix lens.
George Yang, MD
I am scheduled for cataract surgery very soon. My doctor believe the Vivity lens is best for my particular vision needs. I do have astigmatism in both eyes. I am not certain if my doctor is planning to use the Vivity Toric. I will double check that. My question is, have there been any negative reports from using this particular lens? I am hoping that vision is great at all distances but that seems a lot to ask. Any information to confirm the value in this lens is appreciated!
Hi Rita,
The Vivity lens is a great lens. The strength of the Vivity lens is that it provides a range of vision with very little chance of glare or halos at night. However, as a trade-off, the up close vision is not as good compared to other intraocular lenses, such as the PanOptix lens. With the Vivity lens, you will most likely be able to see far and computer ranges without glasses, but may still need reading glasses for up close work. You may want to discuss with your ophthalmologist if you desire a wider of range of vision without glasses.
George Yang, MD
I’ve had the Vivity lens since January and I still don’t see well at a distance. My goal for the surgery was to read the street signs before it was too late. My computer work is fine and reading 10 -12 pt print is okay. I struggle with blurriness too, which my doctor says is from my dry eye problem. I wish I had learned more about how the dry eye issue can affect vision after cataract surgery.
Hi Victoria,
It seems that you might be a little bit near-sighted after the cataract surgery. Even with the latest equipment to measure the eye before surgery, targeting a perfect zero prescription outcome is not an exact science. You should ask your ophthalmologist if new glasses would improve your distance vision. Importantly, your ability to see the computer and near work suggests that the Vivity lens is working in giving you a range of in-focus vision. With a standard mono-focal lens, you would typically only be able to see the computer or read up close, but not both. Lastly, any eye surgery can exacerbate pre-existing dry eye conditions. Treating the dry eyes should improve the quality of your vision.
George Yang, MD
My wife is due for cataract lens replacement. The doctor is going to choose between panoptix multifocal lens and vivity lens. My wife prefers to not have halos, starbursts or glare. She would like to have far, intermediate and near vision as much as possible. She is due for surgery on her left non-dominant eye first, then after few weeks, the right dominant eye. With vivity lens is it possible to give some refractive correction in the left eye more for reading and the right eye with the regular vivity lens? Or would you suggest the Panoptix lens and the halos are not much a problem?
Hi Chandra,
Yes, in order to achieve increased range of vision, the Vivity lens could be used in that fashion. This would create a situation where one eye would see distance and intermediate primarily and the other would see intermediate and near. Some patients do not tolerate this slight difference, but the majority of patients do quite well. One option would be to have surgery for the distance eye first and evaluate. If the near vision needs to be stronger, the second eye could be targeted appropriately. However, if the distance, intermediate and near vision are all satisfactory, targeting the second eye for distance would allow both eyes to work together in all ranges of vision. The PanOptix does provide for a greater range of vision compared to the Vivity lens, but there is an increased risk of seeing halos, which are usually mild and well-tolerated. If a patient has any aversion to seeing night disturbances, it would seem that the Vivity lens would be the better choice. There may be other factors that may influence the lens selection and your wife should discuss them with her ophthalmologist.
George Yang, MD