The new Alcon Acrysof® IQ Vivity™ lenses
Alcon Vivity San Diego
During cataract surgery, the eye’s damaged lens is removed and is replaced with an artificial lens. This is called an intraocular lens, or IOL. With basic IOLs (also known as monofocal IOLs), the patient will be able to see well at distance after surgery, but will still need reading glasses for good near vision. Although some patients are happy with this, others would like to be free of reading glasses after their surgery.
Here in our office, we offer a range of premium IOLs that can offer better outcomes after cataract surgery. One of the newest options is the Alcon Vivity. This new IOL, which was FDA approved in 2020, has helped many patients to experience better visual outcomes. Our eye doctors are excited about this new option, which greatly reduces many concerns that patients have had about previous generations of IOLs.
What is Alcon Vivity?
Alcon Vivity is an extended depth of focus (EDOF) IOL. This means that, instead of a single discrete focal point, the lens has a focal range. The lens achieves this using a proprietary technology known as X-WAVE™. Certain elements at the front of the lens act on the light that enters, bending some of it slightly so that not all the light enters in the same way. This shifts and spreads out the light, which creates the extended focal range.
While multifocal IOLs split the light into a few different streams, in order to create multiple discrete focal points, an EDOF IOL like Vivity spreads light out into a wider band, producing a wider range of focus.
What are patient outcomes like with this lens?
Patients with Alcon Vivity have been shown to have significantly improved outcomes. For distance vision, the average visual acuity is 20/20, which is similar to a monofocal lens. However, while patients with monofocal lenses usually don’t have very good intermediate and near vision, patients with Vivity lenses have a different experience.
The average for intermediate vision (about an arm’s length distance, which you would use for working on a computer, applying makeup, or shaving) is 20/25, which is very good and will allow patients to do almost all of their daily activities without needing glasses. Patients with Vivity lenses also have functional near vision – the average is 20/32, which is not perfect, but is good enough for most tasks.
Previous generations of EDOF lenses tended to create problems with positive dysphotopsias – starbursts, halos, and glare around lights. They also tended to provide lower contrast, especially at night. This could make activities like driving at night very difficult. The technology used to create the Alcon Vivity reduces this issue, with just 2% of patients reporting significant problems with starbursts, halos, or glare.
Alcon Vivity San Diego
If you’re considering having cataract surgery, then you might have started to think about your various IOL options. Here in our office, we offer a wide range of different possibilities, including the Alcon Vivity. We’re excited to be able to offer this IOL option to many patients, because it offers what many of our patients have been asking for – the ability to move from distance to near vision without corrective lenses, and without causing visual disturbances like halos and starbursts.
Different IOLs are right for different patients. We invite you to schedule an appointment here at our office to discuss your various options. After an eye exam and a discussion of your needs and goals for your vision, we will be able to make recommendations. We are happy to discuss the pros and cons of each option so that you feel empowered to make the right choice. Please contact our office to book your appointment.
