Cataract Lens Options in Massachusetts & Rhode Island

After a cataract is removed, an artificial lens (sometimes called an implant) will be inserted into the eye to replace the removed portion. These artificial replacements are called intraocular lenses (IOLs). IOLs are very small but highly advanced devices designed to duplicate your natural lens. The type of IOL that will be used during your surgery depends on your vision, eye health, and lifestyle. During your preoperative appointments, these types of details will be discussed and determined by a member of our experienced ophthalmology team.

While your actual surgery will be performed at our Dartmouth, MA location or the New Bedford Surgicenter, we offer preoperative consultation appointments at all of our facilities, including Taunton, Fall River, Fairhaven, and Dartmouth, MA and Middletown, RI. At Eye Health Vision Centers in the greater South Coast area, we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive care that helps you live your best life. If you have cataracts and are in search of a team of talented surgeons to help treat your condition, contact one of our facilities today.

Our practice offers three options for IOLs. Our team will help you determine which lens is the best option for you during a preoperative appointment.

• Monofocal implants help a patient focus on one main point. That could be near, far, or somewhere in the middle. While these lenses offer the sharpest possible vision for the distance chosen, patients often need some type of corrective lens for the remaining distances. Monofocal implants are most commonly set to focus at a distance with patients opting for reading glasses as needed.

• Multifocal implants allow patients to focus on objects at all distances by properly reflecting light as it enters the eye. The lenses are made of concentric circles that vary from the inner portion outward to provide stabilized vision at all distance. While the multifocal lens decreases a patients dependence on eyeglasses, it does not entirely eliminate the need for them.

• Toric lenses are reserved for cataract patients that have astigmatism. These specially designed lenses provide greater visual freedom by improving contrast in low-light situations and by improving the way that light reflects within the eye. Patients typically receive excellent distance vision and reduced dependence on glasses or contacts.

If your ophthalmologist has decided that you are a good candidate for cataract surgery, then you are likely a candidate for an IOL. Our team of qualified vision professionals will perform a series of eye exams to determine your overall eye health and decide which type of IOL is right for your procedure. These exams will include a refraction test, which will determine the level of your nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism so that the proper IOL is chosen for you.

Eye Health Vision Centers performs all surgical procedures at our Dartmouth, MA location or at the New Bedford Surgicenter. During your cataract surgery, the clouded lens (cataract) in your eye(s) will be removed and replaced with the IOL that was chosen for you based on the above-mentioned factors. The eye will likely be sewn together with self-healing stitches that will dissolve as the eye heals. Your eye will be covered with a bandage and an eye patch that must be worn as directed by your surgeon. An Eye Health Vision Centers team member will provide you with specific aftercare instructions, including how often to use your prescribed eye drops.

The surgeon that performs your surgery will tell you how long you must wait before returning to your normal daily activities. Be sure not to get soap or water into the eye in the days and weeks following surgery. This could lead to infection. The Eye Health Vision Centers team will schedule a series of follow-up appointments that we kindly request you attend. During each of these appointments, we will assess your healing and ensure that your recovery is going smoothly and without complications.

Suffering from impaired vision due to cataracts may seem unfair. But at Eye Health Vision Centers, you have options and the opportunity to take control over your cataracts. With the help of our skilled team of ophthalmologists, you can achieve clearer vision and a higher quality of life. If you are ready to seek treatment for your cataracts, our skilled staff is on hand to make the process a smooth one. Call one of our greater South Coast-area facilities today to schedule your consultation.