# Cataract Lens Types in the UK: Monofocal, Toric, EDOF and Multifocal URL: https://mohamedmohyudin.co.uk/eye-health/intraocular-lens-types-cataract-uk/ Last reviewed: 2026-08-13 ## Quick answer After cataract surgery the cloudy natural lens is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL). A standard monofocal IOL, the NHS default, gives one clear distance and you still need reading glasses. Toric, EDOF and multifocal lenses are private options that can reduce glasses use, with optical trade-offs. No lens guarantees life without spectacles. At Spire Elland with Mr Mohyudin, monofocal packages start from £3,000 per eye (checked July 2026). ## Key facts - NHS cataract surgery in this region funds a standard monofocal IOL - Toric IOLs correct astigmatism; they are not routine NHS implants here - EDOF aims for distance plus intermediate; multifocal adds near with more glare risk - Spire Elland with Mr Mohyudin: monofocal from £3,000 per eye (July 2026) - Premium lenses need extra biometry and a discussion of night-driving trade-offs - The lens is chosen at consultation, not from a website quiz alone ## Introduction Private cataract websites in the UK compete on lens packages. Optegra publishes Standard, Enhanced and Advanced bands. Newmedica publishes a lens-type table from a standard monofocal upwards. What patients actually need is not another brand name: it is a decision. Which focal distance matters, what you will still need glasses for, and who should stay on a standard monofocal. This guide is written by Mr Mohamed Mohyudin, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon (GMC 7039600) at Spire Elland Hospital, West Yorkshire. Prices below are his published self-pay starting packages, last checked July 2026 — not a personal quote. ## What is an intraocular lens, and why does the type matter? An intraocular lens is the clear implant that replaces the cloudy natural lens once it has been removed. The surgery — phacoemulsification through a small incision — is the same class of operation on the NHS and privately. The implant is what changes afterwards. A monofocal IOL has one planned focal point, almost always distance. Anything closer (a dashboard, a book, a phone) still needs glasses unless you choose a premium design that splits or stretches focus. That stretch is physics, not marketing: extra range almost always costs some contrast, some night halos, or both. On the NHS in West Yorkshire a standard monofocal is the funded implant. Toric, extended-depth-of-focus (EDOF) and multifocal lenses are private choices. They are appropriate for some eyes and the wrong answer for others. Mr Mohyudin will not recommend a premium IOL if the macula, cornea or tear film will waste the extra optics. ## Which IOL types are used in UK cataract surgery? Four families cover almost every private discussion in 2026. The table uses Mr Mohyudin’s Spire Elland starting packages (July 2026). Clinic chains publish different floors because their facility fees differ — see the sourced comparison in the choosing-a-surgeon guide. ## Who should choose a standard monofocal lens? Choose a monofocal if you want the optically simplest image, you already wear reading glasses happily, or you do a lot of night driving and dislike glare. It is also the honest default if the other eye has macular degeneration, advanced glaucoma, or an irregular cornea. NHS lists use this lens because it is reliable. Private care does not make it obsolete. Many of Mr Mohyudin’s private patients still pick a monofocal once they hear the trade-offs. That is a successful consultation, not a failed upsell. ## When is a toric lens worth the extra cost? A toric IOL has built-in astigmatism correction aligned to your cornea. If your optometrist has long prescribed a cylinder, or biometry shows meaningful corneal astigmatism, a non-toric implant leaves that blur in place. Toric lenses are not routinely funded on local NHS lists. They still need glasses for near. They are a poor buy if astigmatism is trivial, or if the cornea is irregular (keratoconus, scars) so a standard toric cannot land cleanly. Alignment in theatre matters; this is consultant-planned surgery, not a catalogue add-on. ## What is an EDOF lens, and who should skip a multifocal? EDOF (extended depth of focus) lenses stretch one focal zone so distance and intermediate are usable, with less splitting of light than a classic trifocal. Most people still want readers for small print. Night halos are usually milder than with multifocals, which is why EDOF is often the better private choice for regular night drivers who still want fewer glasses. Skip multifocal IOLs if you are a professional driver, you already hate glare, you have a macular problem, or you expect perfect night vision and perfect near vision with zero compromise. Skip EDOF too if you insist on unaided newspaper print — that is a multifocal conversation, with its own costs. ## How do chain ‘standard / enhanced / advanced’ packages map to real lenses? Optegra’s public 2026 bands (Standard from £2,895, Enhanced from £3,595, Advanced from £3,995 per eye — captured 13 August 2026 from optegra.com/cataract-surgery/costs/) are product names, not clinical types. Newmedica’s public table (standard monofocal from £2,295, then premium monofocal, toric, multifocal and EDOF up to £3,595 — captured the same day from newmedica.co.uk/private-patients/private-eye-treatment-prices/) is closer to clinical language. Mr Mohyudin’s Spire Elland packages start higher than a clinic-floor monofocal because they are hospital-based, named-consultant packages, not a claim that the implant plastic is magically better. Compare what is included (biometry, surgeon, theatre, lens, follow-up) and who operates, not the marketing adjective. ## Can you mix lens types, or treat only one eye? Yes. Some people have a monofocal in the first eye, then choose a toric or EDOF in the second once they know how they live with the result. UK practice does not operate both eyes on the same day. Mixing a multifocal in one eye and a monofocal in the other is sometimes planned (mini-monovision) and sometimes a mess — it needs a consultant plan, not an internet rule. If only one cataract is visually significant, we treat that eye. The second waits until it earns an operation. ## How does Mr Mohyudin choose a lens at Spire Elland? Consultation includes refraction, slit-lamp exam, dilated retinal view, and biometry. If the macula or cornea is not fit for a premium optic, he will say so. There is no fee for changing your mind from multifocal to monofocal before the list is booked; after the implant is in, the decision is surgical, not a returns policy. YAG laser for later capsule haze is quoted separately (from £500 per eye at Spire Elland) and is not a reason to pick a cheaper lens. ## How do you book a lens discussion in Yorkshire? Self-pay: call Spire Elland on 01422 324000. No GP referral. Appointments are typically within one to two weeks; surgery, if you proceed, within a few weeks after measurements. Insured patients need pre-authorisation — most policies fund a monofocal and treat premium optics as a top-up. Bring a recent glasses prescription if you have one. Use the free lens helper on this site only as a conversation starter, then let the examination overrule it. ## FAQs ### Will I still need glasses after cataract surgery? Usually yes for something. A monofocal IOL is planned for one distance, typically driving, so reading glasses remain. Toric lenses do the same plus astigmatism. EDOF and multifocal lenses reduce glasses use for many people but do not guarantee spectacle independence, and they can add glare. The honest answer is chosen at consultation, not from a headline price. ### Are premium lenses better than NHS lenses? They are different, not universally better. The NHS monofocal is an excellent distance lens. Premium designs add range or astigmatism correction that local NHS lists do not routinely fund, in exchange for cost and possible optical side effects. If glasses for near do not bother you, the NHS or a private monofocal is often the right implant. ### How much extra is a multifocal lens in Yorkshire? With Mr Mohyudin at Spire Elland Hospital, a premium multifocal package starts from £4,000 per eye versus £3,000 for a standard monofocal (July 2026 starting packages, inclusive of surgeon, theatre, anaesthetic, lens and routine follow-up). Other providers publish different floors. Always ask what the quote includes. ### Can I have a toric or multifocal lens on the NHS in West Yorkshire? Not as a routine funded option on local NHS cataract lists. NHS surgery here uses a standard monofocal IOL. If you need astigmatism correction or want reduced glasses dependence, that is a private discussion. NHS surgery remains the right path if you are coping and do not want those extras. ### Who should not have a multifocal IOL? People who need pristine night driving, who already struggle with glare, who have macular disease, irregular corneas, or unrealistic expectations of perfect unaided vision at every distance. Mr Mohyudin will advise against a multifocal when the eye or the lifestyle does not fit — that is part of the job.