The Tecnis Intraocular lens is the first intraocular lens (IOL) based on the wavefront data that has increased the accuracy of LASIK procedures. Tecnis is a multifocal lens, an advanced technology IOL designed to give you better vision after cataract surgery.
The first lenses used in cataract surgery were monofocal lenses, which generally only gave good distance vision. Most people wear reading glasses or bifocals after cataract surgery, but Tecnis and other multifocal lenses are designed to free you from glasses after cataract surgery. In addition, Tecnis has been shown in clinical studies to give you better vision for driving and low-light situations compared to monofocal lenses.
How Tecnis Works
Your natural lens is flexible and allows you to focus on objects at different distances by changing shape, a process called accommodation. Tecnis does not change shape, it uses a different process to let you see objects at varying distances. Tecnis is a multifocal lens, which means it focuses light from different distances on the retina simultaneously. The light hitting the retina creates images of different focal clarities. When you choose to look at an object, the brain picks the clearest image of that object. It’s the sort of visual trick your brain does all the time. It may take a while to adjust, but most people have no difficulty sorting out the different images.
What Makes Tecnis Different
Tecnis is different from other multifocal IOLs. It is designed to reduce spherical aberrations and give good up-close vision and distance vision. Wavefront data showed vision is sharpest when spherical aberrations are at their minimum, typically when patients were about age 19. The Tecnis intraocular lens was designed to restore this minimum spherical aberration and give patients clearer, more youthful vision.
There are two main strategies for using multifocal lenses to give good near and far vision. Some lenses, like the ReZoom multifocal IOL, use set focal zones, each dedicated to seeing a particular distance. Tecnis, on the other hand, uses numerous tiny focal zones to provide a smooth transition from near to far focus, with the intent of giving the user clear vision that doesn’t change with light levels. The mixed-focus approach also allows for Tecnis users to have functional intermediate vision.
For more information on cataracts and their treatment, you can see Questions About Cataracts and Cataract Surgery and our blog.
To learn more about Tecnis or other advanced IOLs, please contact us to talk to an experienced ophthalmologist in your area.