Contact Lens Update

Multifocal lenses are designed for patients with low to moderate presbyopia. Each pair of lenses contain one eyes optimized for near viewing, and the other optimized for distance viewing. Typically, the dominant eye will be wearing the distance-optimized lens, and the other eye will wear the near-optimized lens. Each lens will have “zones” for both distance and near viewing, and the arrangement of these “zones” depends on the manufacturer. Since the patient is viewing simultaneously through both near and distance correction, patient must be able to tolerate a slight compromise in distance and near acuity. Numerous other factors must also be taken into account, such as the severity of presbyopia, lighting conditions, pupil size, specific task, the patient’s binocularity status, and the patient’s ability to tolerate blur.