Presbyopia cannot be classified as a true ocular pathology but as a natural degeneration of the visual apparatus that causes an ever-increasing difficulty in focusing on nearby people and objects. Typical of presbyopia is to move away from a text to read it more clearly or move farthest from an object to capture the boundaries with clarity. Presbyopia is, therefore, a physiological defect that begins to manifest after 40 years of age and worsens due to the progressive natural stiffening of the central portion of the crystalline lens.
How To Correct Presbyopia
The first remedy to correcting presbyopia is the use of corrective lenses that add to the eye’s refractive power that is sufficient for correct eyesight at the standard reading distance (about 50 cm).
If, however, the eye that is suffering from presbyopia shows particular intolerance with the use of contact lenses or the patient may not wear glasses for various reasons (work, sports, or simply aesthetic), then it is necessary to address the problem surgically. Depending on the patient’s age, lifestyle, and importance of correcting the visual defect, surgical correction of presbyopia may be done:
- through laser with the innovative FEMTO-LASIK technique, the femtosecond laser is able to replace the scalpel with very low invasiveness, rapid recovery of visual capacity, and minimal complications;
- through the KAMRA inlay, a small ring with a central opening that increases the depth of field by improving the visual capability up close and intermediate distance;
- through the phakic lens (ICL Staar Visian), that is positioned inside the eye between the iris and crystalline, allows quick and accurate correction of presbyopia by eliminating the inconvenience of eyeglasses;
- through the bilateral replacement of the natural crystalline with a multifocal intraocular lens (possibly toric if there is astigmatism) for simultaneous correction of refractive defects (both far and near) using the Femto-phaco technique.