You are putting *what* in my eye?

During cataract surgery, we remove the natural lens of the eye. The lens of the eye is a part of the eye that focuses light and is located inside the eyeball (“behind” the colored part of the eye, the iris). The natural lens is replaced by an intraocular lens implant during the surgery. Recently, I’ve received many questions from patients about what the lens is made of, i.e the lens material. Broadly speaking, the lens is made of plastic. Not all lens implants are made of plastic, but the ones that I use most commonly are. Specifically, the lenses are made of acrylic polymer plastics. We prefer hydrophobic acrylic material, which is material that “avoids” or is “not mixable” with water. In the US, this is the most commonly used material, and it is not thought to have visually significant changes over time. So, if we put an acrylic polymer plastic lens in your eye, we expect it to stay in and function well forever!