Sponsored by SIFI
The days of intraocular lens (IOL) classification may be in the rearview mirror, and ophthalmologists and their patients are the beneficiaries.
On Day 2 of the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS 2025), three renowned women in ophthalmology gathered at SIFI’s ESCRS 2025 booth to tackle one of the field’s most pressing challenges: making sense of nebulous intraocular lens (IOL) nomenclature in an era where optical concepts no longer tell the whole story.
The session, Decoding SIFI IOLs Functionalities: Women Shaping the Future of Vision, was more than an industry presentation setting the record straight on SIFI’s lineup of IOLs—it was a look into how evidence-based thinking is revolutionizing the way surgeons select lenses and set patient expectations.
The classification revolution
ESCRS President Prof. Filomena Ribeiro (Portugal) kicked off the session by dismantling the ambiguities surrounding IOL classification that have long plagued IOL classification. The problem? The lack of clarity in current classification based on technology jeopardizes sound clinical decision making.
“We need to have evidence based outcomes that can provide a way to classify the IOLs in order for us to set the expectations to our patients,” Prof. Ribeiro said, explaining why so many premium IOL conversations go sideways. When classifications overlap and contradict each other, how can surgeons confidently promise outcomes?
The ESCRS functional classification she presented offers a radical departure from tradition. Instead of getting lost in optical design philosophies, it focuses on what actually matters: how patients see. The framework splits IOLs into two main groups—partial range of field (RoF; up to -2.3 D) and full range of field (over -2.3 D RoF)—based on real-world performance metrics rather than marketing categories.
These two categories are then split into three subcategories each: narrow, enhanced and extended for partial RoF; and continuous, smooth transition and steep transition for full RoF.
To achieve this more objective classification, Prof. Ribeiro emphasized a critical methodological point that many miss: “To have a better way to assess the IOL itself, fundamentally, we need to do monocular defocus curves. This defines the performance of the IOL, whereas with binocular assessment, we are defining the outcome of a procedure.”
This distinction isn’t academic hairsplitting, according to Prof. Ribeiro—it’s the difference between understanding the optic design versus what a surgical outcome achieves. And taking this into account is what makes the ESCRS Functional Vision Working Group’s classification truly rigorous.
SIFI’s innovation journey
So where do SIFI IOLs fit in? Enter Prof. Rita Mencucci (Italy), who started by taking delegates on a journey through SIFI’s technological evolution—a story that began with a single breakthrough in 2008 and has been building momentum ever since.
Prof. Mencucci highlighted that, while many companies continued to rely on geometric optics principles, SIFI has focused its innovation on a transformative approach: wavefront engineering.
“Wavefront technology can precisely modulate and stretch light like an elastance. Using spherical aberration, this is very important to ensure uninterrupted continuous visual range,” Prof. Mencucci explained.
The Mini WELL®, launched in 2014 as the world’s first EDoF lens, exemplifies this philosophy. Its non-diffractive design allows 99.5% of light to reach the retina while maintaining that crucial monofocal-like peripheral zone. The result? Depth of field up to 40 centimeters—”something more than enhanced monofocal,” she said.
The Mini WELL PROXA® emerged from this design to provide even more near vision. “The secret of the Mini WELL PROXA® is, even though the material and philosophy is the same, the different distribution between zones is not,” Prof. Mencucci explained. By expanding the active zone to 4.5 millimeters, SIFI pushed functional vision to 30-35 centimeters without sacrificing visual quality and experience.
The EVOLUX® represents SIFI’s approach to enhanced range of vision IOLs for broader patient populations, and Prof. Mencucci explained how it fits into her armamentarium.
“I believe in this lens because I work in a big public hospital, where it’s not always possible to offer a sophisticated kind of lens. With EVOLUX® you can keep things simpler while still offering a good range to these patients,” Prof. Mencucci explained. The lens delivers approximately 1.5 diopters of range—sufficient for the intermediate vision critical for modern-day tablet and phone distances.
SIFI IOLs and classification in the real world
Prof. Béatrice Cochener-Lamard (France) brought the discussion back to the real world, addressing the practical challenges cataract surgeons face in their daily practice.
Prof. Cochener-Lamard focused on the fundamental shift happening in ophthalmology that the ESCRS classification system represents: the move from opinion-based to evidence-based lens selection.
“Traditionally, there have been many gray zones, and we’ve needed to survive based on so-called ‘expert’ opinions,” she said. “And you know what expert opinion actually means. ‘I’ve implanted 100 lenses, my patients are very happy’. But this is just that—opinion,” she said.
The transition away from opinion isn’t just academic—it’s reshaping how surgeons evaluate and discuss premium IOLs with patients. Prof. Cochener-Lamard highlighted SIFI’s approach to building robust clinical evidence when discussing the company’s commitment to rigorous data collection.
Beyond research papers and classification systems lies a fundamental objective—one that these frameworks are ultimately designed to achieve: “We want to make patients happy, and to sleep well at night knowing this is our goal. We don’t want to spend life thinking about this optical concept or that marketing term. We want to achieve what we can promise the patient.”
For Prof. Cochener-Lamard, this patient-centered philosophy aligns perfectly with the new classification movement—both aim to move beyond marketing terminology toward measurable outcomes that patients can understand and surgeons can confidently deliver.
A complete vision ecosystem?
In the end, SIFI’s portfolio, anchored by consistent wavefront technology across a wide range of options—and now aligned with and validated by the ESCRS Functional Vision Working Group guidelines—offers surgeons something rare: predictable performance backed by standardized, functional classification.
From the technology point of view, the portfolio spans from monofocal to EDOF lenses, covering every patient need.
From a visual function point of view the portfolio offers all options, from narrow to full range of vision IOLs.
From EVOLUX®, the enhanced range of vision IOL, to the extended range of vision IOL like Mini WELL®, and further to innovative WELL Fusion optical system that combine IOLs strategically, SIFI demonstrates its commitment to advancing a patient-centered, function-driven approach to IOL selection. And SIFI’s more than 15-year commitment to wavefront mastery, positions them not just as participants in this evolution, but as architects of it.
Editor’s Note: The 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS 2025) is being held from 12-16 September in Copenhagen, Denmark. Reporting for this story took place during the event. This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.