Learn about your options for presbyopia treatments at our Detroit area eye surgery centers
Welcome spring! I hope the weather soon catches up with what the calendar is telling us! I did see a crocus on a walk the other day – always welcome after all that cold and snow! This month I'll be sharing information about a new treatment for presbyopia – the loss the ability of our eyes to focus up close as we age.
One of the commonest eye conditions I discuss in the office is the blurry near vision that all of us experience at some point after age 40. This condition, known as presbyopia, is caused by the lens inside the eye becoming less flexible as we age. This creates difficulty seeing up close for near tasks including reading, using cell phones, and seeing computer screens clearly without reading glasses.
A thin ring-like device known as a corneal inlay is being investigated in the United States to reduce the dependence on reading glasses in presbyopic patients. The ring is called a KAMRA inlay and is 3 mm in diameter with a 1.6 mm hole in the middle. The device is implanted in the cornea, the clear tissue on the front of the eye in a 10 minute outpatient procedure. The inlay acts like a camera aperture, adjusting the depth of field so both near and far can be seen without wearing reading glasses.
The KAMRA and several similar devices are available in other countries such as Europe and Asia but are not yet FDA approved for use in the US.
Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology 118th Annual Meeting, October 2014
Michelle Akler, MD
Akler Eye Center
Sterling Heights & Dearborn
Akler Eye Center is one of the top laser eye & LASIK surgery centers in Detroit, Michigan.
