AcrSof Lens

[Norm1150]

What is the Alcon ACR Sof IQ, Model SN60WF lens used for.  Distance vision, multi-distance, reading, etc.  Thanks.

[JodieJ]

This is Alcon's aspheric monofocal lens.  It can be used for distance, intermediate or near vision, depending on your target.  If this lens is implanted in both eyes with a different focus in each, the combination might provide very good vision at distance/intermediate or intermediate/near ("blended" vision) or functional vision at distance, intermediate and near (monovision).

[Norm1150]

Thanks for your reply.  Are you saying that one lens can be used for the three different distances?  So in effect, it's similar to a bifocal or trifocal lens in a pair of glasses?

[JodieJ]

A monofocal lens has only one focus.  It can be set for distance OR intermediate OR near, depending on which one you choose.  However, you can set a different focus for each eye, such as distance in the dominant eye and intermediate in the non-dominant eye (i.e., "blended" vision).  This is NOT the same as a bifocal/trifocal spectacle lens, which has more than one focus in the lens.

[John C Hagan]

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[Norm1150]

Thanks again.  My Doc is out of town so it's good to be able to find some answers.  My lens implant calls for a "power 11.0 D" for the right eye, and an "9.0 D" for the left.  Could it be that one of these is for "reading vision" or is it because one eye needs a different correction for distance?  I searched Google for some answers about the range of the powers, but didn't find anything helpful.  Thanks in advance.

[John C Hagan]

If your glasses prescription has been about the same and your eyes are about the same length then the bigger number would give better near vision and the smaller number better distance vision. There is no way to tell for sure without all the other parameters that go into the calculation:  length of eye, radius of curviture of the cornea, A constant for the IOL and K constant for the surgeon and the formula used to figure it all out.

JCH III MD

[jojokiki]

In your comment on 11/14 you noted that very good vision might be provided  with distance in one eye and intermediate in the other eye yet if intermediate and near are a goal for the 2nd eye,  the outcome might not be as clear?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

I did not comment on 11/14/07 that was JodieJ

JCH III MD

[jojokiki]

In your comment on 11/14 you noted that "very good" vision might be provided with distance in one eye and intermediate in the other eye.  Are you saying that if intermediate and near are a goal for the 2nd eye, the vision might not be as clear (obtaining only "functional vision")?
Thanks JodieJ

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Maybe I help explain. A monofocal IOL has only one power. It will not change focus like the normal eye or like a multifocal IOL. Distance (greater than 20 feet), intermediate (3 to 6 feet) and near vision (20 to 30 inches) are distinctly different focal points. You can have one but not the other two with a monofical IOL.  So if one eye is distance, one intermediate neither will be clear for near but of the two the least blurred with be the intermediate IOL.

To balance the two eyes and also to pick up distances like typical for TV viewing (6-10 feet) a no line progressive pair of glasses will be needed.

JCH III MD

[JodieJ]

When I did monovision with contact lenses, I had what I'd consider "functional" vision at distance, intermediate and near.  I had glasses that I sometimes wore over my contacts to improve my distance vision for night driving.  My intermediate and near vision with my contacts seemed to be very good without extra help.  It seemed as if my range of focus was continuous.

What I meant is that monovision or "blended vision" are not quite as good as vision using both eyes for distance, intermediate and near.  But they can certainly be "good enough" in many cases.  I know several people who have monovision with contacts or through surgery (Lasik or cataract surgery) who never wear glasses.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

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