Toric lens and multifocal lens implants in Turkey: what this page covers
In cataract surgery the cloudy natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens, an intraocular lens (IOL). The operation is the same whichever lens you choose; what changes is how you see afterwards. A standard monofocal lens gives sharp vision at one distance, usually far, and most people then wear reading glasses; a toric lens also corrects astigmatism. A multifocal lens implant splits light into two or three focal points so that distance, computer and reading vision can all work without glasses for most daily tasks — at the price of some night-time halos and glare and a higher cost.
This page is only about that choice of lens. For the full guide to the operation itself — prices, the trip, recovery, NHS waiting lists and risks — see cataract surgery in Turkey. If you have no cataract and want to stop wearing glasses, the same lenses are used in trifocal lens replacement (refractive lens exchange).
Many patients choose a multifocal lens implant in Turkey because the premium lens is where the price difference with the UK or the US is largest. The lens does not suit everyone, though, and a good surgeon will tell you so after the tests.
Monofocal, multifocal, EDOF and toric lenses compared
There are four main families of lens. A multifocal vs monofocal lens decision is the one most patients face, but EDOF and toric lenses matter just as much for the right eye.
| Lens type | What it does | Glasses afterwards | Night halos and glare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monofocal | Sharp focus at one distance (usually far) | Reading glasses for near work, often for computer too | Rare |
| Multifocal (bifocal or trifocal lens) | Splits light into two or three focal points: far, intermediate, near | Most people manage most tasks without glasses | Common at first; usually lessen over months |
| EDOF (extended depth of focus) | Stretches one focal point into a range from far to arm's length | Glasses for small print or long reading | Less than with a multifocal lens |
| Toric (monofocal, multifocal or EDOF) | Also corrects corneal astigmatism | Depends on the base lens | Depends on the base lens |
"Premium lens" is a commercial label, not a medical one: it usually means any lens that costs more than a standard monofocal — multifocal, trifocal, EDOF or toric. A toric lens is not a luxury when you have significant astigmatism: without it, distance vision stays blurred whatever else the lens does.
A fifth option uses two monofocal lenses: one eye set for distance and the other for near ("monovision"). It costs less than a multifocal lens, causes few halos, but reduces depth perception a little and is best tried first with contact lenses.
Multifocal vs monofocal lens: which should you choose?
The honest answer is that it depends on how you use your eyes and on how healthy they are apart from the cataract. A multifocal lens makes sense when being independent of glasses matters a lot to you, you read and use screens often, and your retina, optic nerve and cornea are healthy. A monofocal lens is the safer choice when you drive a lot at night for work, have glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease or an irregular cornea, or when you would be bothered by any loss of contrast.
Patients who are content to wear reading glasses rarely regret a monofocal lens. Patients who choose a multifocal lens mainly regret it when nobody explained the night-time effects beforehand. An EDOF lens sits in between: good distance and intermediate vision, fewer halos, but usually glasses for fine print.
Halos and glare: the honest trade-off
Because a multifocal lens divides incoming light between several focal points, every point is a little less contrasted, and bright lights at night can show rings (halos) or starbursts (glare). The American Academy of Ophthalmology lists halos, glare and reduced contrast as the main drawbacks of multifocal lenses, and they are the most common reason patients are unhappy with them. Most people notice them at first; in most they become less noticeable over three to six months as the brain adapts ("neuroadaptation"), but they rarely disappear completely.
What this means in practice: city night driving is usually fine, but long drives on unlit roads with oncoming headlights can be tiring. Dim light also reduces near vision with some lenses, so a reading lamp helps. In a small number of patients the symptoms remain disabling, and the lens can be exchanged for a monofocal one — a second operation that is easier in the first months than years later. Ask the surgeon how they handle that case and what it would cost.
Who is a good candidate for a multifocal lens?
- A cataract (or presbyopia, for lens replacement) and an otherwise healthy eye
- No significant macular disease, advanced glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy — these already reduce contrast
- A regular cornea; moderate astigmatism can be corrected with a toric multifocal lens
- Realistic expectations: few glasses for most tasks, not perfect vision at every distance in every light
- A personality that tolerates some visual compromise; very detail-oriented people sometimes prefer monofocal lenses
Previous laser eye surgery (LASIK, PRK) does not rule out a multifocal lens, but the lens calculation is less precise and the result less predictable. Bring your old laser records if you have them.
Tests that decide your lens
Lens choice is made on measurements, not on a brochure. Before surgery the clinic measures the length of the eye and the curvature of the cornea (optical biometry), maps the cornea (topography) to measure astigmatism, examines the retina and macula (often with an OCT scan), checks the pressure and the optic nerve, and counts or assesses the corneal endothelium when needed. The lens power is calculated from these numbers with current formulas.
These tests take two to three hours and are done in Turkey on the day before surgery. You can send recent results from home in advance, so the surgeon can tell you before you travel whether a multifocal lens implant is sensible for you. If the tests show a reason not to use one, a good clinic will recommend a monofocal or EDOF lens instead — and the price should change accordingly.
Multifocal and toric lens implant in Turkey: cost compared with abroad
In private cataract surgery the operation costs the same; the lens adds to it. The figures below are approximate, per eye, and are confirmed in a written quote after your tests. Live prices from hospitals on our site are on the trifocal lens replacement and cataract surgery pages.
| Country | Cataract surgery with a monofocal lens (per eye) | With a multifocal or trifocal lens (per eye) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €900–€1,600 | about €1,500–€2,800 |
| United Kingdom (private) | about £2,000–£3,500 | about £3,500–£6,000 |
| United States | about $3,000–$6,000 self-pay | plus about $1,500–$4,000 out of pocket for the lens upgrade |
| Germany | covered by statutory insurance; about €1,500–€3,000 self-pay | surcharge of about €1,000–€2,500 for a multifocal lens |
All figures approximate, confirmed in a written quote. The multifocal lens cost depends mainly on the lens brand and model, whether it is toric, whether a femtosecond laser is used, and how many follow-up visits are included. Ask for the exact lens model in writing; it lets you compare quotes and is needed by your optician at home. Where the NHS performs your cataract operation it fits a monofocal lens; it does not normally offer multifocal lenses, and you cannot usually pay just for the lens upgrade within NHS treatment.
How multifocal lens replacement is done
The operation is the same as standard cataract surgery: phacoemulsification under local anaesthetic drops, through a cut of about 2–3 mm, and it takes about 15–30 minutes per eye. The cloudy lens is broken up with ultrasound, removed, and the folded multifocal lens is placed in the lens capsule. With a toric lens the surgeon aligns it to the axis of your astigmatism, which is marked before surgery. See phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation for the technique.
Multifocal lenses work best when both eyes have one, so the second eye is usually done one to a few days after the first. Doing both eyes on one trip is covered on the cataract surgery on both eyes page. The trip, aftercare and flying home are the same as for any cataract operation and are explained in the main cataract guide.
Living with a multifocal lens
Distance vision usually clears in a few days; near and intermediate vision often take a few weeks to settle, especially once the second eye is done. Small residual errors of focus are common and matter more with a multifocal lens than with a monofocal one; they can be corrected with glasses for specific tasks or, when the eye is stable, with a laser touch-up. A cloudy membrane behind the lens (posterior capsule opacification) can develop months or years later and blurs vision more noticeably with a multifocal lens; a quick YAG laser treatment, which can be done at home, clears it.
Tell every future eye doctor and optician which lens you have. Keep the lens card the hospital gives you.
Questions to ask before you choose a lens
- Which exact lens model do you recommend for my eyes, and why that one rather than an EDOF or monofocal lens?
- Do my test results show anything (macula, cornea, astigmatism) that makes a multifocal lens less suitable?
- How many multifocal lenses do you implant, and what do you do if halos and glare do not settle?
- Is a laser touch-up or lens exchange included, and at what cost if not?
- Which follow-up visits are included, and what can be done by my optician at home?
The hospitals that perform this operation are listed on this page with their prices, and you can compare eye surgery hospitals or read how our free quote works.
Hospitals with Eye Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
It is worth it for people who want to be largely free of glasses and have otherwise healthy eyes, and who accept some night-time halos. If you do not mind reading glasses, drive a lot at night or have other eye conditions, a monofocal lens is usually the better value.
A monofocal lens focuses at one distance, usually far, so you need reading glasses. A multifocal lens has two or three focal points so you can see far, at arm's length and close up without glasses for most tasks, with more halos and glare at night.
A trifocal lens adds an intermediate focus for computer screens and dashboards, which bifocal multifocal lenses lack. Most multifocal lenses implanted today are trifocal or EDOF designs.
An extended depth of focus lens stretches the focus from distance to arm's length. It causes fewer halos than a multifocal lens but most people need glasses for small print.
You need a toric lens if your cornea has significant astigmatism; otherwise distance vision stays blurred even with a multifocal lens. Corneal topography before surgery shows whether you do.
In most people they become much less noticeable over three to six months as the brain adapts, but they rarely disappear completely. If they remain disabling the lens can be exchanged for a monofocal one.
Most people can, once the eyes have settled and the vision meets the driving standard. Long drives on unlit roads with oncoming headlights are where halos and glare are most noticeable.
Approximately €1,500–€2,800 per eye including the operation, depending on the lens model, whether it is toric and what follow-up is included. The exact price is confirmed in a written quote after your tests.
The NHS fits monofocal lenses in cataract surgery. Multifocal and other premium lenses are generally only available privately in the UK.
Often yes, but the lens power is harder to calculate after laser surgery, so the result is less predictable. Bring your previous laser records and pre-laser prescription if you can.
Yes. A lens exchange is possible, and it is technically easier in the first months after surgery than years later. Ask the surgeon in advance how this would be handled and paid for.
An intraocular lens is designed to stay in the eye for life and does not wear out. A cloudy membrane behind it can form later and is cleared with a quick YAG laser treatment.