A lens sized for use in a human eye comprising: a) a body formed of a polymeric optical material having a first refractive index and comprising a UV light absorber, the body having opposed anterior and posterior surfaces and an optical axis; b) a contiguous patterned refractive microstructure formed in a layer of the body using a modulo-2π phase wrapping technique, the contiguous patterned microstructure comprising a plurality of modified loci wherein each modified locus is: (a) created by exposure to focused laser light that results in a change of the refractive index of the optical material in the locus, (b) is right cylindrically shaped and has an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis, and (c) has an axial depth of at least 5 μm, wherein the amount of change in refractive index is altered for different locus positions such that the modified loci have a plurality of refractive indices that are different from the first refractive index; wherein the region of the body outside the contiguous patterned microstructure is not affected by the focused laser light, wherein each modified locus comprises at least one site and the amount of change in refractive index (Δn) of each modified locus is determined by at least one of the following: (i) the number of laser light pulses applied to each site, wherein each site is a spot on which laser light pulses from the laser are focused; (ii) the duration of each laser light pulse; and (iii) the energy of each laser light pulse wherein the UV light absorber interacts with the focused laser light, absorbing said laser light in a two photon absorption process to form modified loci, the UV light absorber reducing the amount of energy required for local permanent structural change, and wherein further the modulo-2π phase wrapping technique results in a contiguous patterned refractive microstructure of modified loci having a pattern of changes in the refractive index of the material that comprises a phase-shifting refractive optical structure, which adjusts one or more optical effects of the lens, said phase-shifting refractive optical structure comprising a plurality of full-wave, phase-wrapped zones that compensate for optical path length differences within an array of neighboring light rays, such that all contiguous neighboring light rays are in phase with each other. a) a body formed of a polymeric optical material having a first refractive index and comprising a UV light absorber, the body having opposed anterior and posterior surfaces and an optical axis; b) a contiguous patterned refractive microstructure formed in a layer of the body using a modulo-2π phase wrapping technique, the contiguous patterned microstructure comprising a plurality of modified loci wherein each modified locus is: (a) created by exposure to focused laser light that results in a change of the refractive index of the optical material in the locus, (b) is right cylindrically shaped and has an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis, and (c) has an axial depth of at least 5 μm, (a) created by exposure to focused laser light that results in a change of the refractive index of the optical material in the locus, (b) is right cylindrically shaped and has an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis, and (c) has an axial depth of at least 5 μm, (i) the number of laser light pulses applied to each site, wherein each site is a spot on which laser light pulses from the laser are focused; (ii) the duration of each laser light pulse; and (iii) the energy of each laser light pulse