Before intraocular lenses were created, people had to wear extremely thick glasses or specialized contact lenses following cataract surgery. Now, with lens replacement surgery, there are several different choices presented to people who want to reduce or eliminate their need for glasses. The standard for lens replacement surgery are Monofocal Lenses, which give the patient the option of having their lenses set to either distance, intermediate, or near vision and wearing glasses to supplement the unaffected distance. Most patients choose to have their lens replacement surgery remedy their vision at a distance and then wear reading glasses for near vision activities.

Some people opt for a strategic lens replacement surgery called “monovision”, which means having one eye set for distance vision and one eye set for near vision. The brain adapts and synthesizes the information from both eyes to provide vision at intermediate distances. This usually reduces the need for reading glasses, which is why people who have a job that requires them to look at a computer screen or other digital devices find this option particularly beneficial. Regardless of what distance of vision you decide to have, this procedure is covered by most private insurance companies.