Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens within the eye and replacing it with an artificial new lens. Cataract surgery becomes necessary when the cloudy lens begins creating problems for the patient vision, often causing blurry vision. The artificial les that is put in after cataract surgery is called an intra-ocular lens or IOL or short. There are many types of IOL’s, but not all IOL’s are “Lifestyle IOL’s.”

A lifestyle lens is a cataract surgery lens that allows for viewing at all distances, and thus is suited for any lifestyle. In the past, cataract surgery lenses were monofocal, meaning that patients could only see near or far with any clarity. Monofocal lenses left patients dependent on glasses and contact lenses to do certain lifestyle activities. Monofocal lenses are still very common today.

Following monofocal lenses came multifocal lenses. Like their name would suggest, multi-focal lenses allow for multiple viewing distances. These new lenses are often not covered by insurance and are also called “premium lenses” because patients often pay out of pocket in order to receive these lenses. The terms “Premium Lenses” and “Lifestyle Lenses” are basically interchangeable, although technically “premium” simply refers to the pricing, while “lifestyle” refers to their performance. This distinction is often overlooked, even by surgeons who speak of them.

There are currently two types (as opposed to brands) of Lifestyle Lenses: multi-focal iol’s and accommodating iol’s. While both types of lifestyle lens (iol) are premium, multi-focal and accommodating lenses are very different. While both categories of lens aim to reduce glasses dependence, they do it in very different ways. Multi-focal lenses are like bifocal glasses, they have multiple viewing regions. Accommodating lenses “accommodate” to allow for viewing multiple distances. This “accommodation” often involves the lens moving or bending to change shape.

There are many types of both multi-focal and accommodating lenses. All would be considered both lifestyle lenses and premium iol’s. In the future, given the growing numbers of people that will need cataract surgery, the field of Lifestyle Lenses is sure to increase. Lifestyle lenses are sure to be the standard lens used in cataract surgery in the very near future.