How Does the Vivity IOL Work?
November 22nd, 2022
Are you looking for a premium IOL to replace your natural lens during cataract surgery? The Alcon Vivity IOL with X-Wave™ technology can give you extended depth of focus for uninterrupted clear vision, and it avoids some of the side effects of other multifocal lenses.
It’s important to gather as much information as possible about choosing IOLs and the Vivity lens prior to making your choice. Keep reading to learn how the Vivity IOL works!
What Are Standard IOLs?
A cataract occurs when your eye’s natural lens clouds with age. When the cataract is removed from your eye, your natural lens is replaced by an intraocular lens implant, known as an IOL.
A standard IOL provides clear vision within a single focal range, which is why it’s called a monofocal lens. It’s designed for distance viewing.
So if you’re driving a car, you’ll see oncoming traffic and street signs clearly, but objects inside the car, like the dashboard odometer and speedometer, will appear blurry. Those who choose a monofocal lens will need to wear glasses to see objects clearly or perform specific tasks like typing on a computer or looking at their cell phone at intermediate or close range.
How Are Multifocal Lenses Different From Monofocal Lenses?
Multifocal lenses offer patients clear vision for distance and intermediate viewing. Multifocal lenses also provide functional viewing for up-close objects, such as reading a menu in a well-lit restaurant.
When light enters the eye, multifocal IOLs divide the light wavefront into multiple zones of vision. These zones are points for the lens to focus, enabling the eye to focus on an object in the far distance, then adjust and refocus on an object at an intermediate distance.
Splitting light can have side effects that impact vision. Many patients report that they see glare, halos, and starbursts.
These side effects can make certain activities, such as driving at night or in rainy conditions, difficult. For this reason, some patients choose a monofocal lens and accept that they’ll have to wear glasses for intermediate or up-close work.
What is the Vivity lens and How Does it Work?
The Vivity lens is a multifocal, extended depth of focus (EDOF) lens that provides sharp vision at a variety of distances. It provides high-quality distance and intermediate vision, as well as functional close-up vision.
The Vivity IOL uses a new, non-diffractive technology known as X-Wave. Exclusive to the Vivity IOL, X-Wave creates a continuous, extended range of vision.
The glare, halo, and starburst side effects of other multifocal lenses are not a problem with the Vivity IOL. That’s because X-Wave technology is a step forward.
It doesn’t split the wavefront but instead bends it, stretching the focal range of the IOL. By taking a single point of focus and elongating it into a line by bending light, the lens permits you to see at multiple distances.
Because it’s a non-diffractive lens, it has fewer side effects caused by diffracted light. For many, this means clearer vision at a broader range of distances.
How Vivity Can Reduce Your Dependence on Glasses
With the Vivity IOL, you’ll see clearly at both far and intermediate distances and have functional vision when viewing objects up close. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in early 2021, the Vivity lens is the latest cataract lens technology and will restore clear vision.
You’ll be delighted to set your glasses aside for most activities after you recover from surgery. Once you experience the extended depth of focus that Vivity IOLs offer, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.
Do you want to learn more about the Vivity IOL or determine if it is right for you? Schedule an appointment at Laser Eye Center in Huntsville, AL, today!
