A revolutionary new eye surgery at Optilase, a leading Irish laser vision correction clinic, is eliminating the need for reading glasses for the over-40s suffering from presbyopia, the technical term for the loss of crispness of our near vision. Presbyopia is a natural process that happens to everyone, even those who have previously had laser vision correction. It is estimated that more than 1.7 billion people around the world experience presbyopia; it is simply part of the ageing process.
Until now the only solution was cumbersome reading glasses, but with reading glasses come numerous vision and lifestyle constraints. If you find yourself holding this article at arm’s length to read more clearly, then you will understand. Reading menus, price tags, and texting are equally tricky, even more so if you are unlucky enough to have forgotten your reading glasses.
“KAMRA Vision has been in development for over a decade and means life-changing benefits for those who are dependent on reading glasses,” said Dr Wayne Crewe Brown, surgeon and medical director at Optilase. “It restores vision of objects near the eye and reduces dependency on reading glasses, critically without compromising on distance vision. The result is long-lasting, clear vision; near, far, and in between.”
How presbyopia affects vision
The lens in the eye is stretchy and flexible. To create a sharp image, light rays pass through the lens in a cone shape that converges at a single point on the retina. Muscles surrounding the lens continually bend its shape so you can focus on objects near, far, and in-between.
As we get older the lens material stiffens. It cannot bend into the right shapes to make the focal point land on the retina and bring close objects into focus. To compensate, we end up moving objects and holding at arm’s length to better focus.
How the KAMRA inlay works
The KAMRA inlay is a tiny ring with an opening in the centre. It rests under the surface of your cornea over the centre of your pupil. The KAMRA inlay corrects presbyopia by narrowing the opening that permits light rays to enter the eye. It repositions the focal point back on the surface of the retina to achieve crisp, sharp, vision. The inlay is only 3.8 mm in diameter. It is smaller than a contact lens and weighs less than a grain of salt.
The actual procedure is painless and takes, on average, less than 10 minutes. Patients can resume most activities the next day, free of the dependency on reading glasses. The level of near vision improvement varies from individual to individual, but on average candidates can expect near vision to improve three lines or more. Implanting of the KAMRA inlay can be done alone or in combination with LASIK.
To find out if you are a suitable candidate and to learn more about the benefits, contact Optilase on 1890 301 302, email [email protected], or visit www.optilase.com
