For many patients and practitioners alike, the word “multifocal” can trigger a bit of hesitation. In my experience, concerns about chair time, adaptation issues, and inconsistent vision are rooted in outdated perceptions shaped by earlier generations of lenses and overshadow the many benefits that multifocal contact lenses can offer patients who have presbyopia.
Multifocal options have come a long way from where they started. As presbyopia becomes a reality for a growing number of our patients, there is more opportunity than ever to utilize new multifocal designs. By taking time to reset expectations for ourselves and our patients, multifocals can become one of the most rewarding contact lenses to fit, both clinically and from a practice-building standpoint.
Myth #1: Multifocal Lenses Take Too Much Chair TimeFitting multifocal contact lenses requires repeated rechecks and adjustments, leading to frustrated patients and inefficiencies for busy practices.
The reality: While it used to be that multifocal contact lenses would take several tries to get right, practitioners now have options that are much easier and reliable to fit when they use the fitting guides. With simple fitting guides or app-based tools available from manufacturers, even their staff can use it to select the initial lens for a patient. It reduces guesswork and streamlines the multifocal lens fitting process so they can get the correct fit within only 1 or 2 pairs of lenses.
Myth #2: If Multifocals Aren’t Immediately Loved, They Won’t Work.If patients don’t experience instant, single-vision-like clarity, multifocal lenses aren’t a viable solution.
The reality: In my practice, the most common reason for multifocal dropout is misaligned expectations. When patients expect multifocal lenses to feel and perform exactly like single-vision lenses from day 1, disappointment is almost inevitable.
Taking just a few extra minutes to explain how multifocal lenses work can dramatically improve success. I often explain that patients have spent their entire lives seeing through 1 power in each eye, and suddenly we’re asking their visual system to integrate multiple focal points at once. That adjustment takes time, and sometimes a bit of fine-tuning.
We use visuals to explain multifocal lens design. Seeing how near, intermediate, and distance optics are integrated into a single lens often creates an “a-ha” moment. Once patients understand what their eyes are being asked to do, adaptation feels far less intimidating.
Myth #3: Multifocal Lenses Are UncomfortableMultifocal lenses are inherently less comfortable than single-vision lenses, especially when it comes to all-day wear.
The reality: Comfort complaints with multifocal lenses today are far less common than they once were. Advances in materials and lens designs have significantly improved initial and all-day comfort. If a patient does experience discomfort, eyecare practitioners now have more flexibility than ever to pivot to different lenses within the category.
It’s also important to note that modality plays a major role—particularly when it comes to comfort and long-term satisfaction. In our practice, daily disposable lenses consistently have higher acceptance rates among patients, not only for multifocals but for spherical and toric lenses as well.
Myth #4: It Can Be “Too Early” to Discuss Multifocals Conversations with patients about multifocal contact lenses should wait until they are clearly presbyopic and already reliant on readers.
The reality: A commonly missed opportunity is waiting too long to introduce patients to multifocal contact lenses. Many emerging presbyopes are already noticing subtle changes like difficulty reading or eye strain at the computer. Some are already wearing readers over contact lenses and may not even realize there is a contact lens to address this.
Patients aren’t necessarily researching options on their own. They’re coming to their eyecare provider for answers. If we don’t initiate the conversation about multifocals, they may assume contact lenses are no longer an option and quietly drop out.
Earlier introductions to multifocal contact lenses can also lead to better outcomes. Lower add patients often adapt more easily, and early success builds confidence and loyalty over time. Proactively addressing presbyopia positions the practice as a long-term partner in a patient’s visual journey.
Myth #5: Getting Started (or Re-Started) Fitting Multifocals Is a ChallengeFor practitioners who have been out of the multifocal game, it can be difficult to learn to fit these lenses successfully.
The reality: This is the biggest myth of them all. Even if practitioners don’t have experience fitting multifocals—or they are out of practice fitting them—it’s now easy to jump right in. Lean on manufacturer education, use the fitting guides, and give yourself permission to relearn the category with a fresh perspective. With today’s lens designs and technologies, multifocal lenses can deliver consistent success, which is incredibly rewarding for both the patient and practitioner.
At the end of the day, helping patients see comfortably at all distances is one of the reasons they visit—and return to—our practices. Multifocal lenses give us the opportunity to do exactly that.
