If you’ve been told you need cataract surgery, one of the biggest decisions you’ll face is which intraocular lens (IOL) to choose. These artificial lenses replace your natural, clouded lens after cataract removal. The type of lens implanted can make a real difference in your long-term vision and quality of life.
Medicontur is one of the names you may have come across during your research. Unlike bigger companies like Alcon, Zeiss or Johnson & Johnson, Medicontur is a European brand that’s less of a household name but increasingly recognised in eye care circles. The question many patients ask is: are Medicontur lenses actually any good?
In this article, we’ll look at Medicontur’s key lens models — the Liberty, Bi-Flex and 877 series — and explore their design, outcomes, strengths, and limitations. We’ll also compare them with other global brands so you can better understand where they stand in today’s cataract surgery market.
Who Are Medicontur?
Medicontur is a European company headquartered in Hungary. Established in the early 1990s, it specialises in manufacturing intraocular lenses. Over the years, the company has expanded its reach and now supplies lenses to more than 70 countries worldwide. Its focus has always been on precision optics, surgeon-friendly designs, and patient comfort.
The company is not as big as global players like Alcon or Bausch + Lomb, but it has carved out a space in the market by offering innovative lenses that compete strongly in terms of clarity, contrast, and comfort. Many surgeons in Europe appreciate the balance Medicontur achieves between high-quality design and affordability.
Unlike budget brands that compromise on materials, Medicontur positions itself as a premium provider with lenses designed to meet the needs of modern cataract patients — from those who want simple clear distance vision to those seeking spectacle independence.
What Sets Medicontur Apart?
There are a few principles that Medicontur seems to prioritise when designing lenses:
- Optical clarity – Their lenses often have high Abbe numbers, meaning less chromatic aberration and sharper vision.
- Material choice – They use hydrophilic acrylic with hydrophobic surface properties to improve biocompatibility and reduce unwanted glistenings (tiny microvacuoles that can appear inside some IOLs).
- Surgeon-friendly design – Their injector systems and haptics are engineered for stable placement and reduced surgical complications.
- Range of options – From standard monofocal lenses to trifocal and extended depth of focus (EDoF) models, Medicontur offers a full spectrum to suit different patient needs.
These features place Medicontur in the category of advanced lens manufacturers, competing not just on cost but on outcomes.
The Liberty Trifocal Lens
The Liberty is Medicontur’s flagship trifocal lens. It is designed for patients who want to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses after cataract surgery, offering vision across distance, intermediate, and near ranges.
Design Features
- Uses a combination of refractive and diffractive optics.
- Has only seven diffractive rings concentrated in the central optical zone, helping to reduce glare and haloes.
- Provides addition powers of +1.75D for intermediate vision and +3.50D for near.
- Made from hydrophilic acrylic with a blue light filter and UV protection.
- Has a square-edged design to reduce the risk of posterior capsule opacification (PCO).
Visual Outcomes
Clinical studies have shown that patients achieve strong spectacle independence with the Liberty, particularly for reading and distance tasks. Intermediate vision (such as for computer use) is good but may not always be quite as strong as some competitor trifocal lenses. That said, most patients adapt very well, and binocular vision usually balances out any small differences.
Strengths and Limitations
The Liberty lens is particularly valued for minimising visual side-effects like haloes and glare, which are more common with some trifocal designs. Its hydrophilic material with high Abbe number also contributes to clear, sharp images. The trade-off is that some patients may notice slightly weaker intermediate performance compared to certain other trifocals, but overall satisfaction is high.
The Bi-Flex Family
The Bi-Flex is Medicontur’s workhorse lens platform, used across monofocal, toric, and extended depth of focus (EDoF) designs.
Design Features
- Flexible haptics designed for stable positioning in the capsular bag.
- Hydrophilic acrylic material with low glistening rates.
- Available in toric versions for patients with corneal astigmatism.
- EDoF variants (such as the Bi-Flex ELON) extend depth of focus to improve intermediate vision without compromising contrast.
Visual Outcomes
Bi-Flex lenses are reported to provide excellent stability and predictable refractive results. The EDoF models in particular are aimed at patients who want better intermediate vision (for tasks like driving or computer work) but don’t necessarily need full spectacle independence for near reading.
Strengths and Limitations
The big advantage of Bi-Flex is versatility. Surgeons can use it for a wide range of patient profiles, from those with simple cataracts to those with higher astigmatism. Compared to global competitors, Bi-Flex performs strongly, though it doesn’t quite have the same worldwide dataset of published outcomes as the likes of Alcon’s AcrySof or Zeiss’s AT LISA.
The 877 Series
The 877 series represents Medicontur’s classic monofocal and enhanced monofocal IOL range.
Design Features
- Monofocal lens aimed at delivering crisp distance vision.
- Some variants include enhanced designs for slightly improved depth of focus.
- Made with hydrophilic acrylic, biocompatible, with UV filtering.
Visual Outcomes
Patients implanted with 877 series lenses typically enjoy excellent distance vision with low rates of complications. The lens design is straightforward, surgeon-friendly, and considered reliable.
Strengths and Limitations
As with any monofocal lens, patients will usually need reading glasses after implantation unless monovision is chosen. The strength here is predictability and clarity, making it an excellent option for those who prioritise quality distance vision over spectacle independence.
How Medicontur Compares with Other Brands
When placed alongside the “big names” in cataract lenses, Medicontur holds its own in several respects.
- Against Alcon: Alcon’s AcrySof platform is renowned for long-term data and global surgeon familiarity. Medicontur can’t quite match the decades of worldwide evidence but does rival in terms of material clarity and modern trifocal/EDoF designs.
- Against Zeiss: Zeiss is known for exceptional optics and premium pricing. Medicontur Liberty is a genuine competitor in the trifocal category, though Zeiss lenses may still edge out slightly in intermediate clarity.
- Against Johnson & Johnson (TECNIS): TECNIS lenses are praised for contrast sensitivity. Medicontur’s designs also focus on high Abbe values to minimise chromatic aberration, so they perform well here.
- Against Bausch + Lomb and HOYA: Medicontur offers similar options and can be more cost-effective, though once again, the global recognition and long-term dataset are more limited.
In summary, Medicontur is not a budget or “cheap” lens. It is a premium lens option that competes seriously with global brands, especially in Europe. The main difference is visibility and the amount of published long-term data.
Patient Satisfaction and Safety
Patient satisfaction with Medicontur lenses is generally high. Studies have reported:
- High levels of spectacle independence with Liberty trifocals.
- Stable refractive outcomes and low complication rates with Bi-Flex lenses.
- Good clarity and comfort with the 877 monofocals.
Safety is also reassuring. The lenses use proven biocompatible materials, and the injector systems are designed to minimise intraoperative risks. The risk of posterior capsule opacification is reduced with their square-edged designs, although as with any lens, PCO can still occur.
Limitations to Be Aware Of
While Medicontur lenses are very good, it’s important to be realistic:
- They don’t yet have the sheer volume of published long-term outcome data that the larger companies possess.
- Availability may be more limited depending on your country or your surgeon’s supplier relationships.
- Like all premium lenses, patient selection is crucial — not everyone is an ideal candidate for trifocal or EDoF lenses.
Final Thoughts
So, are Medicontur cataract lenses good? The answer is yes — they are high-quality, well-engineered lenses with strong clinical outcomes. The Liberty trifocal is a serious option for those seeking spectacle independence. The Bi-Flex family provides versatility across patient types, and the 877 monofocals deliver excellent clarity for those who simply want reliable distance vision.
While Medicontur doesn’t yet have the global reach of Alcon or Zeiss, its designs demonstrate that it belongs in the conversation about premium IOLs. If your surgeon recommends a Medicontur lens, it’s worth taking seriously as a strong option for your cataract surgery.
At London Cataract Centre, our team works with a range of leading lens brands, including Medicontur, to ensure patients get the option best suited to their lifestyle and visual needs. If you’re considering cataract surgery and want to explore whether a Medicontur IOL could be right for you, we can provide expert guidance tailored to your eyes.
References
- Segura-Duch, G., Oliver-Gutierrez, D., Arans, M., Duch-Tuesta, S., Carpena-Torres, C., Carracedo, G. & Andreu-Andreu, D., 2025. Comparison of Visual Performance Between Two Diffractive Trifocal Intraocular Lenses: Bi-Flex Liberty 677MY (Medicontur) vs. FineVision POD F. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(9), p.3128. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/9/3128 [Accessed 14 October 2025].
- Gil, J.F., Munteanu, M., Mehdorn, E., Moraru, O. & Khoramnia, R., 2024. Visual, Refractive, Functional, and Patient Satisfaction Outcomes with the Bi-Flex POB-MA 877PEY EDoF IOL (Medicontur). PMC. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11662917/ [Accessed 14 October 2025].
- Győry, J.F., Németh, G. & Pesztenlehrer, N., 2025. Assessing the clinical outcomes of a novel EDOF intraocular lens: a functional classification approach for the 877PEY ELON IOL (Medicontur). BMC Ophthalmology, 25:293. Available at: https://bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-025-04114-8 [Accessed 14 October 2025].
- “Extended Depth of Focus with the Bi-Flex ELON IOL (Medicontur)”, 2022. EuroTimes Supplement, September 2022. Available at: https://www.escrs.org/media/2alfrfbq/eurotimessupplement_sept2022_medicontur.pdf [Accessed 14 October 2025].
- “Premium IOL Solutions – EuroTimes Supplement”, 2023. Medicontur-sponsored supplement describing Medicontur’s premium technologies and clinical insights. Available at: https://medicontur.com/professionals/news/premium-iol-solutions-eurotimes-supplement-september-2023 [Accessed 14 October 2025].