Hi Hugh,
I am currently in the position of having to consider intra-occular lenses as I now have cataracts in both eyes. So I have done a good deal of research into the intra-occular lenses available. I am now trying to make up my mind which to go for. As my eyes are not bad enough to justify treatment by the local PCT under the NHS, I shall have to pay for whatever lenses I have.
There are in fact five different kinds of lenses available, depending on which ones are most suitable for your requirements and how much you are prepared to spend. However, only a couple of the lenses available are acceptable to the CAA for flying purposes.
Since you seem to suffer only from Presbyopia, (i.e. the need for longer arms when reading,) my guess is that you would be ineligible for new lenses under the NHS anyway, and would have to pay for treatment yourself.
I also suspect that with the basic, single focus lenses you would still have to have new spectacles from time to time as advancing age continues to lengthen your eyeballs.
All together, these are the options: -
- basic single focus lenses
- accommodating lenses
- multi-focal lenses
- light adjustable lenses
- the Synchrony lens
My optician has advised me that he has heard too many stories about people having to have accommodating and multi-focal lenses removed and replaced by basic single focus lenses. So his advice was to stick to the basic lenses, both set at distance vision, and then wear vari-focal spectacles to give me my other focal distances. He also advised against having one lens set at distance and the other set at close vision, as I believe is common in the States.
The LAL (light adjustable) lens and the Synchrony lens are very new in the UK. They have only been introduced in the last year and only one surgeon at the London Eye Hospital (private) installs them.
LAL is totally unsuitable for anyone who flies or who drives at night. These cost £5,000 for EACH EYE!
The Synchrony is the 'bobby dazzler' as you don't need spectacles of any sort ever again, but it is still very new. When I saw the surgeon at London Eye Hospital, he told me that at that time he had so far only installed them for just six patients. The other problem is that they cost £4,500 for EACH EYE!
There is a vast amount of information available on the 'net. If you access NICE, you will see the advice of that august body to the NHS. If you access London Eye Hospital's website, you will see info about the new lenses. I suggest you do your homework very carefully before you choose any but the basic lenses and you should be prepared to pay for them yourself.