Toric IOLs for Astigmatism

Toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are specialized intraocular lenses designed to correct astigmatism during cataract surgery.

A cataract is a cloudy area in the normally clear lens of your eye, causing blurry vision. Astigmatism is a separate, common eye condition where the curve of your eye is slightly imperfect. Rays of light entering your eye aren’t focused in one spot on the back of the retina. Instead, they’re spread out and don’t quite hit the retina in the right spot. This irregularity results in blurred vision at all distances and challenges in seeing fine details.

By choosing a toric intraocular lens, you can effectively address the vision problems caused by cataracts and astigmatism simultaneously. During cataract surgery, Dr. Jong will not change the front of your eye to correct astigmatism. Instead, he implants a toric lens, which has a unique shape that compensates for the irregular curvature of the cornea. The result is crisp, sharp vision.

How Do Toric Lens Implants Work?

If Dr. Jong thinks you need a toric IOL, he will measure your eye and choose the lens accordingly. Before surgery, Dr. Jong takes precise measurements of your eye to determine the correct power and orientation of the toric lens implant needed to correct the astigmatism. Toric IOLS have different powers in different meridians to compensate for the irregular curvature of the cornea. Dr. Jong must understand your astigmatic axis and place the lens precisely along that meridian. Once the toric lens is in the correct position and orientation, it will refract light evenly onto the retina, resulting in sharper vision and reduced need for glasses after surgery.

Available Toric Lens Options

Toric IOLs come in several types and models. While the toric feature corrects for astigmatism only, it can be combined with different lens options, both basic and premium.

Monofocal Toric Lens

Basic monofocal lenses provide good vision correction at one fixed focal point after cataract surgery, which can be set to near or distance vision. While simple monofocal lenses are typically covered by insurance, toric monofocal lenses are not. However, they are a more affordable option than premium (multifocal) toric lenses.

Multifocal Toric Lens

Multifocal lenses provide clear vision at multiple focal points. The more advanced models have three focal points at near, intermediate and distance.

Cost

Because toric IOLS are more specialized than the standard lens options, they are not covered by regular insurance. This means that toric IOLS typically cost an additional $2,500 – $3,000 per eye.