Simultaneous lenses bring distant and near objects into focus at the same time. The center of the lens corrects distance vision; the outer part corrects near vision. * Segmented lenses correct distance vision in the top half and near vision in the bottom half.Monovision An alternative to bifocal contacts, monovision lenses correct distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other. Modified monovision allows wearers to put a bifocal lens in one eye and a single-vision lens in the other.Implants Designed for mild nearsightedness, KeraVision Intacs are placed in the periphery of the cornea by an ophthalmic surgeon. Made of polymer, a type of hard plastic, they require no maintenance and can be surgically removed. The outpatient procedure has a 97-percent success rate of 20/40 vision or better.

Simultaneous lenses bring distant and near objects into focus at the same time. The center of the lens corrects distance vision; the outer part corrects near vision. * Segmented lenses correct distance vision in the top half and near vision in the bottom half.Monovision An alternative to bifocal contacts, monovision lenses correct distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other. Modified monovision allows wearers to put a bifocal lens in one eye and a single-vision lens in the other.Implants Designed for mild nearsightedness, KeraVision Intacs are placed in the periphery of the cornea by an ophthalmic surgeon. Made of polymer, a type of hard plastic, they require no maintenance and can be surgically removed. The outpatient procedure has a 97-percent success rate of 20/40 vision or better.

Glass was the first material to be used for lenses lenses, and was used for several hundred years before plastic was introduced. The crown glass used for lenses lenses has an index of refraction of 1.52.Optical-quality acrylic was introduced for lenses use in the early 1940s, but because it was easily scratched, brittle, and discolored rapidly, it did not supplant glass as the material of choice. Furthermore, it had a relatively low index of refraction, so it wasn''t suitable for people with large refractive errors. A plastic called CR-39, introduced in the 1960s, was more suitable. Today, lenses wearers can also choose between polycarbonate, which is the most impact-resistant material available for eyewear, and polyurethane, which has exceptional optical qualities and an index of refraction of up to 1.66, much higher than the conventional plastics used for lenses, and even higher than glass. Patients with high prescriptions should ask about high index material options for their lenses. Aspheric lenses are also useful for high prescriptions.