Premium cataract implants are a new trend in modern cataract surgery. Traditional cataract lenses leave the patient with a single range of vision. Often, this is completely acceptable and people are happy to wear reading glasses. Often however, people wish to be free of their glasses and contacts.

With a “premium implant” patients are sometimes able to completely eliminate their dependence on glasses. This is not guaranteed guaranteed, but it is a possibility. This is made possible because premium implants offer the ability to see at multiple distances. There are various methods of achieving this, but commonly they divide into two categories.

The first category of premium implants are lenses that have multiple zones to see through. These “Multifocal” lenses are often able to reduce dependence on glasses. Much like a bifocal lens, these lenses have zones for near, far and in between.

The second category of premium implants are lenses that accommodate and move like the natural lens does. Often called Accommodating Lenses, these lenses are still very new. There are a growing number of both multifocal and accommodating lenses currently under development.

A major factor in choosing to opt for a premium lens is the fact that currently, premium implants are not covered by most insurance plans or by Medicare. This means that the patient is required to pay, out of pocket, for the entire price of the lenses and often extra for the surgeons fee. Prices vary with lens type, but often premium lenses are considerably more expensive than the standard cataract lens.