TORIC Intraocular Lens

During cataract surgery, the eye’s clouded lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The visual outcome of the surgery depends on the type of implant that is inserted. Until recently, the standard monofocal IOLs were the only lenses used in cataract procedures, however, these lenses cannot correct astigmatism.

So what is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a common vision condition that may cause blurred vision.  Approximately 20 percent of patients who need cataract surgery have astigmatism. The distorted vision is usually due to the eye having an irregular shape, which may accompany nearsightedness or farsightedness.

In a normal eye, the cornea is perfectly round shaped, like a basketball, allowing light rays to focus exactly at one spot. With corneal astigmatism, the surface of the cornea has an irregular curvature resembling a football. This causes light rays to focus on multiple spots on the retina and your vision becomes blurred. 

Many people have astigmatism which can now be corrected with the Acrysof Toric IOL, allowing for very clear distance vision after cataract surgery. If your astigmatism is not corrected during cataract surgery, you may require glasses or contact lenses to achieve your personal best vision, both of which are not only inconvenient in terms of lifestyle but can also be expensive over your lifetime. A LASIK procedure or other corneal maneuver may be done to further correct your astigmatism if deemed necessary by your surgeon. 

The AcrySof® Toric lens gives the greatest chance of seeing good, clear distance vision, although it is a monofocal lens which means that your near vision will still be weak and will likely require you to use over-the-counter readers for reading and intermediate ranges, such as working on the computer.  

No surgeon can guarantee 20/20 vision because everyone’s eyes function differently; however, virtually everyone notices a significant improvement in their uncorrected vision after surgery.  Often, the patient may experience a trade off where they do become less dependent on glasses, but may lose the sharpness in their vision.  

With the AcrySof Toric lens, your distance vision can be clear and vibrant, all in just one step!  Your eyes are the only ones you'll every have. So, your choice of vision correction options are among the most important health decisions you'll ever make.