Cataract surgery options
The cost of your cataract surgery is fully insured and covered by AHIP.
However, there are value added services or products that are optional and not AHIP covered. Your private insurance coverage may pay for this.
You will be given information about lens choice before booking your surgery to think it over and the staff will help you if you have any additional questions.
Implant options
- STANDARD LENS – (AHCIP Covered)
- ASTIGMATISM CORRECED LENS– TORIC
- EYHANCE LENS
- PURESEE LENS
- MULTIFOCAL LENS
STANDARD LENS-If you do not have astigmatism:
- This lens gives good vision at a single distance of focus: either distance or reading vision, but not both.
- Most often this is used to make objects at a distance clear such as for driving; however, you will need reading and intermediate vision glasses after cataract surgery.
- Some patients prefer not to wear reading glasses. If you choose this option, you will need distance glasses all the time. Please let our surgical coordinator know if you prefer this option.
- These are the lenses covered by AHCIP.
STANDARD LENS-If you have astigmatism and you choose the standard lens:
- You will need glasses all the time for all distances: far, intermediate and near.
- Your vision will be blurry at all distances if you have astigmatism and choose the standard lens after cataract surgery without glasses. Once you have glasses done 6 weeks later after surgery, you will be able to see well. However, you might NOT be able to drive for 6 weeks until you get new pair of glasses to correct astigmatism. Depending on the amount of astigmatism, your vision may be more blurry than before the surgery without glasses.
ASTIGMATISM CORRECED LENS– TORIC
- Astigmatism mainly affects the shape of the cornea, front of the eye, resulting in a curvature that is not uniformly round and thus resulting in blurred or ghosting vision. You might compare the astigmatism as a football shape (astigmatism) versus a soccer ball shape (normal).
- The implantable lens placed in the eye may be specially selected and rotated to correct most of this astigmatism and result in clearer vision that would normally not be corrected with a standard lens type.
- This lens gives good vision at a single distance of focus: either distance or reading vision, but not both.
- Most often this is used to make objects at a distance clear such as for driving; however, you will need reading and intermediate vision glasses after cataract surgery.
EYHANCE LENS
- These lenses offer distance and intermediate vision (intermediate vision is at 66 cm). You still need reading glasses.
- Patients can enjoy the following activities (without glasses):
- Driving, including night-driving
- Reading price tags when shopping
- Watching TV, including reading subtitles
- Cooking and eating, playing cards
- Reading at a computer, playing piano and other instruments
- Feeling more confident while walking, particularly when going downstairs or walking on uneven surfaces
PURESEE
- These lenses offer distance and intermediate vision, while providing you with functional near vision.
- Functional near vision reduces your need for glasses when performing up-close tasks such as using your smartphone, putting makeup or reading a menu in adequate light, compared to a standard intraocular lens. You can see objects clearly at 45 cm, while you need glasses to see objects closer than 45cm.
- Puresee lenses can be used for patients who are not candidate for Multifocal lenses (please see below).
- Puresee gives the same glare and halos profile compared as the standard lens.
MULTIFOCALS
- These lenses offer distance, intermediate AND NEAR VISION.
- These lenses offer a range of vision rather than a single focus point. The distance vision is clear, but the patient will gain much more intermediate and near vision with this choice.
- It is an intraocular lens that helps the patient to see optimally for both near and far viewing, without using reading glasses or bifocals after cataract surgery. In clinical trials, after having a Multifocal lens implanted in both eyes, 80-90% of patients reported no need for glasses.
- Not all patients are good candidates for this type of lens. Patients that are NOT good candidates for Multifocal lenses:
- Have a high prescription strength in their glasses,
- Are occupational night drivers,
- Have had previous refractive surgery,
- Have other eye pathology e.g. glaucoma, trauma, retinal detachment, age macular degeneration
- Are a type A personality (very detailed orientated)
What problems can a Multifocal lens cause?
As with any kind of intraocular lens, a Multifocal lens is not perfect.
- The biggest problem that a multifocal lens can cause is halos and starbursts around the lights at night. The severity of the halos can range from mild to severe, severe halos being found in 6% of patients. Halos can interfere with night driving. Therefore, the Multifocal lens is not recommended for occupational night drivers or people who like to drive at night.
- You will need extra light to read at night.
- You will still need reading glasses for very small print like the print on the bottles.
- You will need two to six months for your brain to adapt to the Multifocal lens and have a good vision for all distances.
- There is no guarantee that you will not require glasses after the surgery, but we will do the best to minimize the need.
NOTE: Eyhance, Puresee and Multifocal lenses are coming with astigmatism correction.