What are the advantages and disadvantages of the refractive multifocal IOL?
The refractive multifocal lens implant provides excellent intermediate and distance vision. The near vision is typically adequate but may not be sufficient to see very small print, such as stock quotes, phonebook entries or medicine labels. In addition, patients who read for prolonged periods of time or in poor lighting may experience eye fatigue. One can always get a pair of near vision spectacles for those near tasks that are difficult. In addition, 25% of patients note glare and haloes around lights at night with the refractive multifocal IOL, a feature that is inherent to multifocal lenses. These effects may interfere with your ability to drive comfortably at night. However, most patients find that they get used to this phenomenon with time and the glare and haloes become less obvious. Night driving spectacles may assist in reducing this phenomenon. You should know that approximately 7-8% of patients implanted with standard monofocal lenses also notice glare and halos.
