If you’re wanting cataract or lens replacement surgery, you may wonder: “how long will my intraocular lens (IOL) last, what is it made of, and will I ever need to replace it?” The good news is that IOLs are designed to last a lifetime.
The lenses are usually made from materials like acrylic, also known as Perspex; a type of plastic made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Perspex is a brand of acrylic known for its quality and high manufacturing standards.
These acrylic lenses are implanted in your eye to replace the natural lens when the natural lens doesn’t work to focus your vision anymore. This happens as we age, our natural lenses harden, can’t flex to adjust the focus of our eyes and we need glasses more and more. But the IOLs don’t age, they’re made to stay put and work well for decades without wearing out.
The idea for acrylic IOLs came from a fascinating story. During World War II, eye surgeon Sir Harold Ridley noticed that Royal Air Force Spitfire pilots who had bits of acrylic from shattered airplane canopies in their eyes didn’t have any bad reactions. That inspired him to create the first intraocular lens using a similar material—and it worked.
Today’s IOLs are a far cry from those early models. There are many fantastic designs to give you the best possible vision nearby or in the distance to rejuvenate your vision, so you don’t have to wear glasses anymore. These include multifocal, extended depth of focus (EDOF), extended monofocal & monofocal lenses with names like Clearview, Galaxy, Odyssey, Vivity Clareon PanOptix.
But in principle, the answer remains the same to the question: “how long will my intraocular lens (IOL) last, what is it made of, and will I ever need to replace it?” The answer is that these long-lasting intraocular lenses, made of acrylic don’t need to be replaced.
