Cataract surgery has undergone dramatic improvements, rehabilitation is
quick, the complication rate is decreasing, IOL material and calculations have
improved, and excellent uncorrected distance visual acuity can be expected in most
cases where the eye is healthy. Currently, one of the major challenges of cataract
surgery is presbyopia correction. Patients expect excellent distance vision, as well as
spectacle freedom for near vision. Multifocal IOLs, better termed bifocal IOLs, and
recently trifocal IOLs, create 2 or 3 foci. These IOLs have improved in recent years and
can provide a good solution for those who seek to reduce spectacle dependency.
However, the downside to these IOLs includes halo, glare and reduced distance vision
contrast sensitivity. In this chapter, we will review the basic principles of multifocal
IOLs and their clinical results. It is worthy to note that currently only the Alcon
AcrySof ReSTOR (Fort Worth, TX, USA) MIOL and the Tecnis ZMB00 (Abbott
Laboratories, Inc., Abbott Park, IL, USA) MIOL have FDA approval and a large
database of detailed clinical results.
Keywords: Presbyopia, near vision, intermediate vision, multifocal IOL, bifocal
IOL, trifocal IOL, range of vision, complication, halo, glare.