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Laser Eye Treatment for Presbyopia
Various vision issues can be corrected through laser eye surgeries, though the procedure varies depending on the specific condition. Many people undergo laser eye surgery for presbyopia each year, which differs from laser eye surgeries for other conditions.
What happens when you undergo laser eye surgery to correct presbyopia? How long does the recovery take, and what are the associated risks? Don’t worry, we’ll answer all these questions. Our practice has been providing laser eye consultations for patients with various conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia for years. Therefore, we are happy to reveal the secrets of this useful procedure.
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia occurs when the lens in the eye becomes stiffer with age. As the lens loses its flexibility, it becomes less able to change its shape. Since the lens needs to change its shape to focus vision at different distances, near vision becomes blurry in presbyopia. Distance vision can also become blurry when switching focus.
Presbyopia usually begins to affect people over the age of 40, but eventually, it affects almost everyone as they age. Other risk factors for early presbyopia include:
- Hyperopia (farsightedness)
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Certain antidepressants, diuretics, antihistamines, and other medications
What is Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser eye surgery is an umbrella term for various procedures. Each type of laser eye surgery uses a laser to remove or reshape tissue from parts of the eye using ultraviolet light pulses.
There are three main types of laser eye surgery to correct vision problems: PRK, LASIK, and SMILE. Here is a brief description of each type:
PRK: Instead of creating a flap, PRK removes the entire top layer of the cornea and uses the laser to reshape the area underneath.
To safeguard the eye during the healing of the cornea, a contact lens or an eye patch is typically placed over it. PRK may require up to a month of healing before full vision is restored.
LASIK: During LASIK / FemtoLASIK, the laser creates a thin flap in the cornea. After lifting the flap, the laser reshapes the area underneath, and the flap is repositioned. This process allows the cornea to focus light precisely on the lens when focusing at certain distances. Patients can usually see clearly after just a few days (although full healing takes at least a few weeks).
SMILE: ReLEx SMILE / SMILE Pro is a minimally invasive surgery. The name gives an idea of what happens. The laser creates a lenticule and a tiny incision — less than 4 millimeters long — in your eye to remove the lenticule. Lenticules are disk-shaped pieces that the laser cuts into your cornea. Removing the tissue piece changes the shape of your cornea.
Laser Eye Vision Correction for Presbyopia
Laser eye surgery can alter the surface of your cornea, but it cannot prevent the lenses in your eyes from aging or losing flexibility. Therefore, you might assume that laser eye surgery cannot help you manage presbyopia at all – but that’s not necessarily true.
Monovision
In most cases of presbyopia, one eye naturally adapts to see near objects better, while the other adapts to see distant objects more clearly. Laser eye surgery can be used to optimize the dominant eye for focusing on distant objects and the non-dominant eye for focusing on near objects. This process is called monovision and can be achieved with LASIK, PRK, or SMILE.
Although this works well for many people, monovision has some drawbacks:
- Reduced depth perception
- Difficulty adjusting
- A blurred zone at intermediate distances
The laser eye surgery for presbyopia patients has now been revolutionized with the introduction of Presbyond.
Presbyond Laser Eye Surgery for Presbyopia
Presbyond is similar to the laser eye/LASIK procedure. But instead of correcting each eye to one focal length, Presbyond performs a ‘laser-assisted blended vision.
PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision adjusts the eyes so that both work together at both far and near distances, with one primarily working in the distance but slightly near, while the other primarily works near but slightly in the distance. Unlike monovision, patients with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision retain stereo vision.
The brain quickly adapts to this system and combines the two images, allowing you to effortlessly see both near and far again. In most cases, the brain can compensate, offering you excellent depth of field and overall visual acuity without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
This helps to bypass many of the difficulties of traditional monovision. Since both eyes are used to some extent for distance vision, there is less impact on depth perception. The mixed nature of the vision correction also provides some intermediate vision, such as when viewing desktop monitors.
The PRESBYOND® procedure is very similar to the LASIK procedure. It is completely painless and usually takes no longer than half an hour – with the laser eye treatment for each eye typically lasting five to ten minutes.
The treatment is performed under local anesthesia by a refractive specialist ophthalmologist. A femtosecond laser is used to create a thin, movable flap of corneal tissue on the front of the eye. This is then set aside to allow access to an excimer laser, which reshapes the underlying layers of the cornea. It is this reshaping process, guided by a pre-calculated computer algorithm, that models the cornea in a specific way. This redirects the light passing through and provides the blended focus for each eye.
After the cornea is shaped, the corneal flap is repositioned, and the eye is allowed to heal. Patients receive a protective eye shield, prescribed eye drops, and detailed post-operative care guidelines. The ophthalmologist will likely conduct at least a few follow-up examinations to ensure that the eye is healing as expected.
Patients undergoing Presbyond Laser Blended Vision treatment often find that their vision improves significantly. Both for distance and near, even just a day or two after surgery. The vision continues to improve and stabilize in the following weeks, leading to reduced dependence on glasses and contact lenses for all activities.
Who is PRESBYOND® Best Suited For and What Are Its Benefits?
PRESBYOND® is an ideal solution for people with presbyopia who no longer want to rely on reading glasses.
If you are over 40 and notice that your near focus has worsened, PRESBYOND® is suitable for you.
Similarly, PRESBYOND® can effectively treat patients with presbyopia who also suffer from other vision impairments – such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia.
There are many advantages of PRESBYOND® – both in terms of the procedure itself and its impact on your daily life.
PRESBYOND® is a less invasive and lower-risk procedure than refractive lens exchange – and also allows for further adjustment of vision if the eyes deteriorate further.
Similarly, PRESBYOND® ends your dependence on glasses – so you no longer have to worry about putting your glasses on and off, leaving them lying around, or buying new pairs year after year.
How Much Does PRESBYOND® Cost?
In our high-tech Lasikwelt laser eye center in Cologne, Presbyond costs €3,500. Since Presbyond cannot be performed on just one eye, the price covers the treatment of both eyes. For our affordable prices and conditions for PRESBYOND®, please visit our page on laser eye costs. We also offer a range of financing options for those who prefer to pay for the surgery over a period of 12-36 months. Learn more about our treatment prices on our dedicated page.
