A: The main classifications of implants are standard aspheric, toric, and multifocal.
The standard implant is covered by Saskatchewan’s Medical Services Branch (MSB).
- The standard aspheric implant is an advancement over the traditional implant because it reduces aberrations and improves contrast sensitivity. Most patients with the implant will need glasses to fine-tune sight. In Saskatchewan, the majority of lenses implanted are aspheric.
MSB does not cover other implants but they are available for private purchase. These include:
- Toric implants reduce spherical aberration and enhances vision quality. They also reduce astigmatism, making them the best choice for higher degree astigmatism patients. The implant is rotated to a specific orientation in the eye, increasing astigmatism correction.
- Multifocal implants improve both distance and near vision without glasses. Multifocal implants are also available in toric corrections to correct astigmatism at all distances. This type of implant may cause glare and/or halos but these symptoms tend to diminish with time.