What Kind of IOL is Best for Astigmatism?
December 8, 2023
Do you use visual aids like glasses and contact lenses to see? Visual aids correct refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Astigmatism is a refractive error that makes your vision blurry at all distances. With IOLs and cataracts, it can feel challenging to understand what kind of IOL is best to treat astigmatism so that you can see clearly after cataract surgery. Keep reading to learn about what kind of IOL is best for astigmatism!
What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is one of several refractive errors. Refractive errors occur when light cannot refract (or bend) as it should when it hits your eyes.
Eyes without refractive errors will focus the light onto a single point of the retina, a sheet of light-sensitive tissue. If the light does not focus on exactly the right spot, it affects your vision negatively.
For example, if the light comes into focus before it reaches the retina, you will be nearsighted. If it focuses behind the eye, you will be farsighted.
Astigmatism is a Bit More Complicated
Although your eye is misshapen with all refractive errors, with astigmatism, it's more unevenly shaped. The eye should be spherical, like a baseball.
But if you have astigmatism, the shape of your eye is closer to that of a football or an egg. The irregularity of the shape of the eye causes light to refract poorly. That means if you have astigmatism, looking at things up close and far away will appear blurry to you.
The only way to know if you have astigmatism is to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates. If you have a refractive error like astigmatism, they will likely recommend wearing glasses or contact lenses to help you see more clearly.
What are IOLs?
Cataracts are part of life and something everyone will eventually develop, usually due to aging. However, the only way to effectively treat cataracts is by having cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures, making it low-risk and highly effective. Cataract surgery involves removing the natural lens and replacing it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens.
The cataract forms on the natural lens, causing it to become cloudy and impair your ability to see clearly. The intraocular lens (IOL) replaces your natural lens and restores your ability to see clearly after cataract surgery.
IOLs are made from acrylic or silicone material and are incredibly durable, as they are meant to stay in your eye for the rest of your life.
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There are Many Different Kinds of IOLs to Choose From
Picking the right IOL is a critical decision. Luckily, your cataract surgeon at Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates will recommend the best one for you based on your lifestyle, visual goals, and needs after cataract surgery.
If you're concerned with how much the IOL you choose will cost you, consider the standard and most basic IOL option, which is a monofocal IOL. Monofocal IOLs provide good enough vision, but they only correct for one distance.
You will need to rely on glasses for the rest of your life if you choose this option. They are the only way you'll be able to see at other distances that your monofocal IOL did not correct.
If you value great vision and can afford to pay out of pocket, there are premium IOLs worth considering. Premium IOLs can help you achieve fantastic eyesight at all ranges, including up close, at a distance, and everything in between at intermediate ranges.
You may even find that you no longer have to rely on visual aids after cataract surgery if you choose a premium lens. Even if you have struggled with poor eyesight your entire life, premium IOLs may help make your vision dreams come true.
Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates offers top-of-the-line IOLs to best suit your visual needs. Talk to your ophthalmologist at Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates to get a recommendation for the best premium IOL that fits your needs after cataract surgery.
What is a Toric IOL?
Many IOLs are limited in their ability to treat and correct astigmatism effectively. Because astigmatism functions differently due to how the eye is shaped, it calls for a different kind of IOL.
Only toric IOLs are specifically designed to treat astigmatism. Normal IOLs are spherical, meaning they are perfectly rounded.
But toric IOLs are modeled after a slightly more complex shape called a "torus." To picture this shape, imagine a doughnut. If you take a slice off the end of that doughnut, you will have a more oblong, oval shape. That is a torus.
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A Torus More Closely Fits Your Astigmatic Eye
Rather than having an equal curvature, the curvature is more extended in some places than others. A longer curvature also means that toric IOLs are not "one size fits all." You will need to have your toric IOLs customized to fit your astigmatism.
Toric IOLs can deliver better vision to people with moderate to high astigmatism. However, if you choose distance toric IOLs, you may still need glasses for close-up vision. Many premium IOLs come in toric models as well, meaning you can enjoy the crisp, clear vision you want while also correcting your astigmatism during cataract surgery.
Are you ready to treat your astigmatism and cataracts? Schedule your cataract consultation at Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates in McLean, VA, and Chevy Chase, MD, to learn more! Better vision is out there, so why not take it?