PresbyLASIK

It's finally here!.....The ability for the excimer laser to correct your near vision as well as your distance vision. In the past, LASIK was only able to correct your distance vision, and if you were over 40, that meant having to buy reading glasses to magnify the small print in magazines, newspapers, or even your cell phone so you could see up close. Now, with a special laser technique, PresbyLASIK can give you the ability to see all distances!

PresbyLASIK is the newest laser vision correction surgery to reverse the natural loss of near focus with age. If you are a candidate and have reasonable expectations, it can be added to your already planned LASIK surgical correction for distance or if you already have good distance vision it can be done to enhance your near vision while maintaining your distance acuity in both eyes. The laser surgery is done to each eye in the same way to give you binocular distance and binocular near vision. It is not a monovision correction; you don't need to have your brain "switch eyes" to focus.

Background:

Presbyopia is the natural loss of near focus as you age through your 40s. It results in the loss of accommodation of the natural lens inside your eye. This lens stiffens with age and loses it's ability to change shape (accommodate). This results in a loss of magnifying power for near objects. Most patients who have normal distance vision find their near world blurry and need drugstore "readers" or "cheaters" to see again. It typically starts with a +1.50 and then progresses to +3.0 with age. If you have a need for distance correction, then this magnification for near can be ground into the spectacles as a bifocal or progressive multifocal "add". In addition to needing these glasses for reading the newspaper, other visual deficiencies become evident over time.

1. Working at the computer
2. Being able to read ones watch
3. Seeing a text message on your cell phone
4. Seeing the dashboard clearly in the car
5. Reading the menu at a favorite restaurant or seeing one's food.
6. Reading the labels of food containers in the grocery.

Your typical presbyopic individual usually has multiple pairs of glasses to make sure they are adequately covered for their daily needs including having glasses in most rooms of the home, in the car, at work and possibly other locations. Reducing or eliminating the requirement for reading glasses in middle age provide tremendous day-to-day lifestyle convenience for all activities at near or intermediate range.

How it works: The same state-of –the art excimer laser that has been used for the past 20 years to correct, nearsighted, farsightedness or astigmatism is programmed to create multifocal zone in a ring around your pupil. This is done in each eye equally at the time of your LASIK surgery. In doing this, your cornea will be reshaped to maintain excellent distance acuity while increasing your depth of focus for near tasks. It does not create more haloes or starburst than standard LASIK.

Expectations: While the distance correction with LASIK is nearly 100% accurate, the near correction with PresbyLASIK is about 80% effective at eliminating the need for readers. This means that you may still have to wear readers 20% of the time. Typically, for very fine print (stock quotes) or when attempting to read in dim light. The goal of PresbyLASIK is to make you less dependent on reading glasses or bifocals. It is designed to help you become functional without glasses. Will it make your eyes see like you were 20 years old again? No, but most patients can read a book or newspapers, text message, read and write e-mails, surf the web, and read a menu without the need for spectacles!

Time: It typically takes about 6-8 weeks of healing for the near correction to be in full effect. Some patients have reported seeing perfectly at all distances right away, but most will need to heal completely before their near vision can go unaided.

Costs: If your distance correction is good and you need it just for near vision enhancement - Standard LASIK prices. If PresbyLASIK added on to supplement the distance correction - only $300 per eye in addition to the standard LASIK price.

FAQ:

1. Can it be added to my previous LASIK surgery? YES!
2. Can I see as well as my teenager to pull splinters from my finger? No
3. Does it hurt or cause pain? No
4. Will it compromise my distance vision? Nope
5. What are the downsides? It may not work as well as you are hoping and you may still have to wear reading glasses.
6. If it doesn't work can it be redone? In most cases, yes.
7. Will there be an additional charge for a redo? No
8. How long will it last? It should continue to enhance your reading vision well beyond your 60s.
9. Is there an age limit? Dr. Walter has done up to age 65 with excellent results, in theory as long as there are no other eye diseases like cataracts it should work at any age.
10. I tried bifocal contacts and couldn't see with them, does that mean I won't like PresbyLASIK? No