Vision Correction Surgery, both in the form of corneal laser surgery and refractive lens implant surgery, has made great advances in the treatment of near-sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. The “Holy Grail” of vision correction continues to be the search for a safe and effective correction of Presbyopia, or the age-related loss of reading ability. An ideal treatment would allow for enhanced reading ability without detracting from distance visual acuity, as current strategies, such as monovision, do.
A new and promising approach is the Kamra inlay. It is a synthetic disc, 3.8mm in diameter with a central 1.6mm aperture, composed of a bio-compatible material that can be safely and permanently implanted into the cornea of the “non-dominant” eye. This can be done under a corneal flap previously created during a LASIK procedure or under a newly-created laser flap. It works on the principle of “Small Aperture Optics”, or “the pinhole effect”, essentially what cameras use to get depth of focus. The central opening allows for light to be focused at near without detracting from distance visual acuity. If desired, the implant is reversible and potentially removable at any time.
Although currently classified as an “investigational device” enrolled in studies in the USA, it is approved and freely used in Europe and Asia, where it has been shown to deliver high-quality visual results. We are looking forward to it receiving official approval for use in the USA and bringing it into our office laser refractive suite to offer to our many interested patients. Our Ziemer femtosecond laser has been specially equipped with the ability to create the corneal flap for the Kamra inlay, and can be used in conjunction with LASIK procedures or as a stand-alone treatment for presbyopia.
Thank you Dr. Joel Confino, today’s guest blogger.
