Part of the natural course of aging is a progressive decline of our near vision. Beginning in our 40’s, it becomes increasingly difficult to read at a normal distance especially in lower light situations. It is sometimes termed “short-arm syndrome.” This age-related process occurs because the lens of the eye becomes less flexible and therefore less capable of changing shape to accommodate focusing at a near. The measurement for corrective lenses can be done by either an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist.
Presbyopia
If you have presbyopia and would like to learn more about improving your vision we have a solution for you. Premium IOL’s or multifocal IOL’s are a great option for improving your vision. The new lenses allow most patients to be less dependent on glasses. To learn more about how you can have freedom from glasses or contacts click here for more information
Treatments for Presbyopia
Refractive Lens Exchange
Refractive Lens Exchange is a very successful technique for resolving vision problems using multifocal IOLs (Intra-Ocular Lenses) and is a popular option for patients who prefer to replace the eye’s lens before cataracts make this a necessity.
The beginnings of cataracts or the onset of presbyopia are both signs that eventually your vision will be affected enough to require surgery and replacement of the eye’s aging or clouded lens.
Rather than endure the inconveniences of close-up vision problems or the gradual deterioration due to cataracts, many of our patients choose to have the affected natural lens replaced with a multi-focal or accommodating IOL.
The advantages of pre-empting the aging process are:
- Eliminating the need for readers and bifocals
- Solving common vision problems such as astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness
- The cornea is untouched making this an excellent option for patients whose corneas are too thin for LASIK
- The IOL can be removed and exchanged at any time to adjust for any future changes in the patient’s vision
- There is no future possibility of developing a cataract or presbyopia
While cataract surgery is often covered by Medicare or other insurance plans, Refractive Lens Exchange, if there is no significant cataract present, is considered an elective procedure and costs can range from about $2,500 to $4,500 per eye or higher, depending on the type of artificial lens used.
Aside from this economic consideration, the RLE procedure is identical to cataract surgery, one of the most commonly performed of all surgical procedures.
Tecnis® Multifocal Lens Implant
Glasses and Contacts Lenses
Eyeglasses for Presbyopia
Bifocal eyeglasses have a distance vision prescription at the top of the lens and a near vision prescription at the lower part of the lens.
Progressive eyeglass lenses provide that as well, plus a smooth progression of power between the two for viewing intermediate distances.
If you’ve never worn glasses or contacts and then develop presbyopia, you can use bifocals without prescriptive power in the top of the lens. Reading glasses are an option as well.
Contact Lenses for Presbyopia
People in the early stages of presbyopia, called emerging presbyopes, are often unpleasantly surprised by the new difficulty in seeing up close, especially if they’ve never had vision problems before. In addition, many are unhappy about the idea of wearing bifocal glasses.
Fortunately, bifocal contact lenses are now available in many soft and GP lens designs. Similar to bifocal eyeglasses, bifocal contacts have two prescriptive powers for distance and near vision. Multifocal contact lenses are also available with additional variations in power to correct near, intermediate, and far vision.
Monovision is another contact lens option for correcting presbyopia, where one eye wears a near vision lens, and the other eye wears a distance vision lens. Your eyes automatically focus properly depending on the visual situation.
Monovision, as described above, can be accomplished with LASIK as well as contact lenses. A procedure called conductive keratoplasty, or CK, which uses radio waves to change the surface of the cornea, can also induce monovision, but the effect is not long-lasting.
To schedule an appointment near you, please contact us.
