Presbyopia is like having ‘long arm syndrome’, i.e. having to hold things further away from the eyes to be able to see them clearly. It commonly starts in the 40’s and gets worse and worse in the 50’s and 60’s.
Presbyopia Causes
Presbyopia is actually caused by a loss of elasticity (flexibility) in the natural lens in the eye rather than weakening muscles. The easiest way to overcome is to use simple magnifiers which you can buy in a chemist. These are not as good as what you can buy from an optometrist, but then again, there are those who can’t stand wearing glasses, and it is not so much that glasses age them, but rather it is the inconvenience of losing glasses, having to carry them around with you or scratching them.
The new solution available is called Presbia Flexivue Microlens, and it’s actually an advancement on existing technology.
Presbia Flexivue Microlens – Alternative to Wearing Glasses
Presbia Flexivue Microlens is a tiny little lens, a bit like a contact lens but only 3.2mm in diameter, implanted into the cornea of one eye. Not inside the eyeball, just under the superficial skin of the front of the eye.
It is made of a hydrophilic polymer…much like the lenses we implant in the eye with cataract surgery.
The Procedure
It is only a 10 minute procedure, starting with the making of a little ‘pocket’ in the cornea, using a laser, then gently implanting the lens into this pocket. It is also just under local anaesthetic. No needles. No pain.
The lens is invisible in the eye: only a trained optometrist or ophthalmologist will be able to see it with the microscopes we use in our practices.
Presbia Flexivue Microlens Comapared to Glasses
Presbia Flexivue Microlens are not as effective as glasses but it is very good at getting you out of trouble. You will be able to read a menu, a newspaper, look into someone’s eyes, be able to read an SMS message etc, without the trouble of putting on a pair of glasses, then putting them off, then forgetting where you put them last and losing them etc.
It’s only useful if the distance vision is good without glasses.
If the person has poor distance vision AS WELL as poor reading vision, it’s better to look at other procedures we have on offer. Like multifocal lens implants about which we have spoken before.
More information on www.presbia.com.
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