Intraocular lenses (IOL's) are synthetic lenses that are used to replace the eye's natural lens after cataract surgery. In the past, the choice of which IOL to use was rather simple due to the fact that there were only standard IOLs. These standard IOL's allowed for vision at only a single distance. This meant that patents that had cataract surgery were forced to always were glasses as well (for reading etc). This also meant that the choice of which lens to use was 100% up to the doctor.

Over time, the traditional monofocal (standard) IOL's began to be replaced with Multifocal IOL's. These IOL's aimed to relieve the dependence on glasses by having various zones on the lens that offered the ability to view multiple distances. Much like bifocal glasses, these lenses were a great improvement over their standard counterparts.

Looking ahead, medical device companies are currently working on creating "accommodating IOL's." These lenses, unlike multifocal lenses, actually "accommodate" (change positions) to work like the eye's natural lens.

Accommodating IOL's are considered the "holy grail" of ophthalmology. This is because unlike other IOL's, these lenses aim to correct presbyopia. Presbyopia, a condition that nearly everyone will experience as they age, involves the eye losing its ability to focus on near objects.

Accommodating IOL's will also mark a drastic change in the way patients are involved with their surgery. In the days of standard lenses there was almost no choice to make. With the coming availability of multiple accommodating lenses patients will have a larger and larger part to play in choosing their lens. This in turn, will have a large effect on eye doctors practices. With the patient making more and more decisions, more and more time will be necessary in the office visit. This will cause doctors to see less patients. This places a lot greater responsibility on the device makers to inform patients about their lenses.

Accommodating IOL's will be the future of ophthalmology, if doctors and device makers play their cards right...