Premium cataract lenses are worth the extra cost for patients who want to reduce their reliance on glasses. An EDOF or multifocal lens costs more per eye than a standard monofocal lens — Sapphire Eye Care lists monofocal cataract surgery from £2,900 and its premium lenses from £3,796 (EDOF) to £4,300 (multifocal) per eye — but gives functional vision at more than one distance, so most patients are glasses-free for everyday tasks. If you are content to wear reading glasses, a monofocal lens gives excellent distance vision for less. The lens is permanent, so the choice is worth making carefully with your consultant.
The premium-lens decision
Every cataract operation replaces your clouded natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL), and the lens you choose determines how well — and at what distances — you see for the rest of your life. A standard monofocal lens focuses at one distance (usually far), so you will still need reading glasses. Premium lenses build in more range. The extra cost buys spectacle independence, not better safety or a better cataract result — the operation itself is the same.
Lens options and what they cost
Sapphire Eye Care lists these cataract lens prices per eye, and says its surgical prices are all-inclusive:
Toric versions that also correct astigmatism are priced separately by each clinic — Sapphire Eye Care’s list does not name a toric line, so ask your clinic for the figure. Compare the two most popular routes on our monofocal vs multifocal IOL page, and read more about EDOF lenses and trifocal lenses.
Want help deciding which lens is worth it for you? A consultation includes the measurements and a frank discussion of the trade-offs.
Book a lens consultationWho benefits most from a premium lens?
- EDOF is worth it if you spend a lot of time on screens, dashboards and general daily tasks and want minimal night-time haloes.
- Multifocal/trifocal is worth it if reading without glasses matters most and you accept some haloes at night.
- Monofocal is the better value if you are happy wearing reading glasses, or have certain other eye conditions that make premium lenses less predictable.
See how a premium lens fits into the wider procedure on our cataract surgery page, and note that lens choice also applies to refractive lens exchange for those without a cataract.
Adapting to a premium lens
First days
Vision clears over the first few days. With multifocal lenses you may notice haloes around lights — this is expected early on.
Weeks 1–4
The brain adapts (neuroadaptation). Near and intermediate vision become more natural to use. Second eye treated where both are being done.
By 3 months
Most patients are settled and using their full range of vision. Any night haloes have usually faded into the background.
Is the extra cost justified?
Averaged over the many years an IOL lasts, the premium for an EDOF or multifocal lens per eye is a modest sum for daily glasses freedom — but only if that freedom matters to you. It is not worth paying for a premium lens you will not benefit from. For the full price list see our cataract surgery cost guide, and if you are treating both eyes, the second eye cost page. You can also weigh the wider trade-offs on our monofocal vs multifocal lenses guide.