The FDA just approved a new refractive lens implant for use in cataract surgery to improve vision at near, intermediate, and far distances without glasses, bifocals, reading glasses, or contacts. This new lens is the Tecnis Symphony IOL (intraocular lens) and it already has been approved in 50 other countries. It aims to offer superior results to other multi-focal lens implants which emphasis two distinct points of focus — near and far — by offering a more continuous range of focus. The Tecnis Symphony also could be used in patients without cataracts in a procedure called “refractive lens exchange” (RLE) in which the lens (without a cataract) is removed and the Tecnis Symphony is placed inside the eye instead. While this could be used in younger patients, RLE carries a higher element of risk than LASIK or PRK since RLE is an intra-ocular surgery (meaning the surgery is inside the eye) whereas LASIK and PRK are extra-ocular surgeries because they do not enter inside the eye, but rather simply reshape the surface of the eye (cornea). Other options for improving both near and far vision without glasses, reading glasses, or contacts include monovision and blended vision, both of which can be achieved either with LASIK, PRK, or RLE.