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Refractive Surgery — Other Procedures
Surgery for Presbyopia
No matter if you have a normal vision or suffer from nearsightedness, farsightedness with or without astigmatism - you will develop a condition called presbyopia typically beginning between the ages of 40 and 50. Presbyopia is the inability of the eye to focus at all distances, usually noticed when fine print starts to blur. Today's standard treatment for presbyopia are reading glasses or special multifocal lenses (bifocal or progressive).
After the development of surgical procedures to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, many researcher look for the ideal method for presbyopia correction. So far, none has been found. But there are a few prospects which may be suitable for some patients.
INTRACOR - A new laser procedure for presbyopia correction
The INTRACOR procedure uses a femotsecond laser to correct presbyopia without any corneal incision, therefore keeping the risk of infection close to zero. INTRACOR is a promising treatment option for presbyopic patients with normal distance vision or mild farsightedness (+0,5 to +1,0 dpt).
Multifocal intraocular lenses
Multifocal synthetic lenses, which are implanted into the eye, provide relief for presbyopia at the same time as for nearsightedness or for farsightedness. The multifocal lens replaces the eye’s natural lens (lens exchange). It has several points of refraction, hence the term “multifocal”. There are two main refractive points, namely the refractive point for close-up vision and the refractive point for distance vision.
Corneal implants and inlays
The Presbyopia-Implant AcuFocus™ ACI 7000 (made by AcuFocus, USA) can be used for patients with normal vision and at least 45 years of age. The implant is placed in the cornea of the non-dominant eye. The implant blocks out unfocused light and only allows focused light to reach the retina. This makes close objects clear. Currently, two VSDAR clinics participate in a FDA approved clinical trial to prove the safety and efficacy of the AcuFocus implant.
Monovision
Normally, both eyes work together equally when they look at an object to produce binocular vision. However, a dominant eye that the brain tends to favor are common. A technique called Monovision takes advantage of this "one-eye dominance" by fitting one eye for distance vision (typically the dominant eye) and one for near vision using LASIK.
Monovision can be achieved by purposely leaving the non-dominant eye slightly nearsighted (so that this eye can see up close without glasses) and correcting the other eye for perfect distant vision. But be caucious, not everyone can become accustomed to the absence of binocular vision. It's better to try monovision with contact lenses or trial lenses before having LASIK surgery.
