 Before we talk about your lens implant choices, let's first take a look at what happens as we age and we lose the ability to focus our eyes at different distances, a process called presbyopia. In younger people, a tiny muscle inside the eye can make the flexible lens change shape. This change in shape allows us to see things up close. As we age, our lens becomes less flexible, so we lose this ability to focus up close. This is called presbyopia. Presbyopia is the reason why we need reading glasses or bifocals when we get older. The standard lens implant, which is included in the cost of your surgery, is made from a clear synthetic material and is chosen for you based on your biometry eye measurement. The lens focuses at only one distance, so it is called a monofocal lens. Most patients who choose the standard lens want the lens focused for far vision for things such as watching television and for driving. Patients with cataracts in both eyes usually choose to have each eye matched for far vision. This means that you will need to wear reading glasses for up close vision. Patients who have astigmatism will need glasses for both near and far vision with the standard lens implant. Astigmatism means that the cornea is oval shaped, more like a football than perfectly round. This results in blurry vision at all distances. Glasses and contact lenses are a common way of correcting for astigmatism. Now, there is a lens implant available for an additional fee that can correct astigmatism. It's called a Toric lens. Toric lenses are made from the same material as standard lenses but are shaped so that they can correct for astigmatism. If you have astigmatism, the Toric lens offers you the best chance of seeing clearly without glasses at a single distance. Now that you know about correcting your vision for distance, let's take a look at how you can correct for more than one distance at the same time. The first way to correct for more than one distance is using a technique that has been used for years in contact lens patients called monovision. For cataract surgery, one eye is corrected for far vision and the other eye is usually corrected at arm's length vision with a typical computer screen or a menu. This takes a little getting used to but in a few weeks, the brain is usually able to combine the two images together. However, not everyone will accept this difference between the eyes so this approach is generally reserved for patients who have tried it in the past with contact lenses. Also, because your depth perception will be somewhat affected, monovision is not the best solution for everyone. One way to correct for far and near vision is by implanting the multifocal lens available for an additional fee. It's a special lens that focuses some of the light rays coming into the eye for far tasks and some for near. Each eye receives this lens and each eye is able to focus at far and near. Multifocal lenses in both eyes offer more balanced vision than monovision. There are toric multifocal lenses available for both eyes and vision while also correcting mild astigmatism. Multifocal lenses aren't for everyone. It takes a few weeks after surgery in both eyes to get used to the multifocal lenses. Some patients experience mild symptoms of glare at night. If you require very precise vision, don't mind wearing glasses or have other eye disease, then these lenses may not be the best choice for you. No matter the lens choice, the lens free cannot be guaranteed. You may need a small prescription for glasses to get the sharpest vision. Depending on your needs and goals, your doctor can help you decide which lens may be the best choice for you. I hope we've been able to shed some light on what cataracts are and how they are treated. Remember, if at any time you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to seeing you in one of our clinics or operating rooms sometime soon.