For majority of patients who want to eliminate their dependence on prescription glasses or contact lenses, Lasik surgery is the procedure of choice. If you are not qualified for LASIK because you have contraindications, eye surgeons often recommend Lasek, PRK or Epi-Lasik. These laser eye surgery procedures entail reshaping the cornea using an excimer Laser. These procedures are safe and effective in correcting astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
However, patients in their 40’s may not get the full benefit of corneal laser eye surgery because it is at this time that they experience presbyopia. In the early stage of presbyopia, your surgeon may offer you intermediate and near vision correction through monovision LASIK surgery. However, with the progression of presbyopia, it becomes more difficult for patients to maintain their ability to focus for intermediate and near vision. Presbyopia is a condition that begins when the crystalline lens inside your eyes lose elasticity. Thus, it is a problem of the lens and not of the cornea. Because of this, the lens must be treated rather than the cornea if you have presbyopia
Presbyopia also affects just about every patient who has cataracts. In the past, patients who underwent cataract surgery still needed eyeglasses or reading glasses after surgery in order to have clear near distance vision. Lens Replacement Surgery can now offer cataract patients the opportunity to be free of prescription glasses after cataract surgery.
Some patients, instead of having corneal laser eye surgery such as monovision LASIK, Wavefront LASIK, PRK, or Epi LASIK, resort to a different type of surgery that can better help them achieve their goals of being less dependent on glasses for distance vision, arms length and near vision. This type of surgery is called Lens Replacement Surgery.
Similar to cataract surgery, Lens Replacement Surgery is performed in outpatient surgical centers. Your surgeon will numb the eye using anesthetic eye drops similar to what is used in LASIK surgery. He will then make a tiny incision at the outer edge of the cornea. Through this incision, a microscopic instrument is inserted. Using ultrasound located at the tip of the microscopic instrument, the surgeon will gently break the crystalline lens into small pieces. These are then drawn through the probe and removed from the eye. Once the natural crystalline lens has been removed, a permanent Intraocular Lens Implant will replace it. The new lens is inserted through the same incision through which the natural crystalline lens was removed.
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