Traditional cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy natural lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) that corrected distance vision. Unfortunately, the artificial lenses used since the 1980’s only correct for distance vision, so patients continue to rely on bifocals or reading glasses to view near objects even after the cataract surgery. Millions of Americans have had these types of lenses implanted after cataracts are removed, and the great majority are exceptionally pleased with their vision after surgery. Despite the high satisfaction rate, researchers have been working for over a decade to develop lenses that will provide post-cataract patients with both near and far vision.

Another option for patients with traditional cataract surgery is to correct the patient’s vision for monovision – essentially one eye is corrected to see well in the distance, and the other eye is corrected to see near objects. While MEC surgeons have used the monovision approach for radial keratotomy and LASIK for a decade, this approach is rarely used in cataract surgery. The primary obstacle seems to be that patients need to be sure that they can adjust to monovision, and the typical way to do this – having patients wear contact lenses that mimic the near and far corrections – is complicated when patients have cataracts. In addition, many cataract surgery candidates are at an age where they suffer from dry eyes, and contact lens wear is difficult for these patients.