The Tecnis multifocal is an intraocular lens that is implanted during cataract surgery after the cataract has been removed. In contrast to a standard monofocal lens, the Tecnis multifocal allows patients to see both far and near in focus at the same time.
This lens comes in three different options which vary in how close the near vision is away from the patient’s face. Patients can chose the near vision to be at an intermediate rage (useful for seeing the computer screen), a little closer (useful for reading the newspaper on a table), or up close (useful for near-work activities).
The lens achieves this multifocal effect by having alternating rings of near and far vision. These alternating rings extend throughout the entire lens. This means that regardless of pupil size, the far and near light is evenly distributed (as opposed to the ReSTOR Multifocal intraocular lens). The importance of this is that with this lens, patients are able to see far and near in both bright lights and in dimly lit environments, such as in a restaurant.
The trade-off, however, of having good vision in all lighting is that the near vision rings potentially could lead to glare or halos around lights at night. The lenses with the closer near vision are more likely to have the glare and halos compared to the lenses with the more intermediate near vision. Fortunately, these symptoms are generally well-tolerated and typically become less symptomatic with time.
When you come in for a cataract consultation, we can discuss whether this lens or another lens is best-suited for your particular day-to-day needs or lifestyle.