IOL
An intraocular lens (IOL) is an artificial transparent lens implanted into the eye. It is mainly used to replace the cloudy natural lens that has been removed during cataract surgery, and it can also be used in refractive surgeries (such as correcting high myopia or presbyopia)
Main functions and effects
• Refractive focusing: Replaces the natural lens to regulate and refract light, ensuring that light is accurately focused on the retina.
• Vision restoration: Solves the blurred vision and glare caused by cataracts, and can correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or presbyopia as needed.
Common types
• Monofocal Intraocular Lens: Can only provide clear vision at one distance (usually for long distances), and reading vision usually still requires the use of reading glasses.
• Multifocal/Extended Depth of Field Intraocular Lens: Can meet the vision needs at different distances (far, middle, and near), reducing reliance on glasses.
• Astigmatism Correction (Toric) Intraocular Lens: Specifically designed for patients with corneal astigmatism, it can simultaneously correct cataracts and astigmatism.
The shape of an intraocular lens is typically composed of a circular optical part (optic) and the surrounding support loops (haptic). The diameter of the optical part is generally around 5.5-6mm. This is because, at night or in dim light, a person's pupil will dilate and its diameter can reach around 6mm. However, overly large intraocular lenses present certain difficulties during manufacturing or surgery, so major manufacturers usually use a diameter of 5.5-6mm for the optical part. The function of the support loops is to fix the intraocular lens. There are many different shapes, and the basic ones can be two C-shaped wire-supported loops.
