A Closer Look at Laser Eye Surgery for Presbyopia

there are many things that come with getting older – some good and some bad. But one thing that no one enjoys as we reach middle age and beyond is the gradual deterioration of our visual acuity. This progressive condition – known as presbyopia (literally “old eye”) – affects practically everyone at some point. But while reading glasses remain the most commonly used solution to presbyopia, many may be unaware that there is another option: PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision.

We have covered the basics of PRESBYOND® in previous articles, so this time we’re taking a deeper dive into how this revolutionary treatment really works. But first, let’s get a better understanding of how presbyopia affects our eyes.

The Causes of Presbyopia

As we get older, our bodies change in many ways. But most of us don’t tend to consider how our eyes might change – that is, until we start to notice changes in our vision. But the fact is that our eyes are not exempt from the effects of ageing. In fact, our eyes undergo several changes as we get older, including:

• The hardening of the lens: The eye’s natural crystalline lens sits behind the iris and fine-tunes light reflected onto the retina (the photosensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). As we age, the lenses harden and become less flexible, gradually affecting our ability to refocus across different distances.
• The weakening of the muscles in the eye: This hardening of the lenses makes it more difficult for the muscles in the eye to change their shape. Moreover, as we get older, these muscles can begin to weaken, worsening these effects.

As the eyes struggle to refocus between distances, our near vision becomes affected. It becomes increasingly difficult to focus on nearby objects such as books or your phone. As a result, it becomes necessary to strain in order to perform tasks and activities that were once effortless, such as reading or threading a needle.

Managing the Effects of Presbyopia

Reading glasses – visual aids that are specifically worn when performing close-up tasks – have been used for centuries to mitigate the effects of presbyopia. In more recent years, multifocal contact lenses and monovision surgery have offered an alternative. But these aren’t suitable for everyone. In fact, around 40% of people are unable to tolerate monovision.

Which is why the development of PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision represented such a significant milestone in the mission to rid people of this frustrating effect of ageing. This laser procedure is not only an option for more people (around 97% of patients are candidates), but it is also less invasive and therefore safer than lens replacement surgeries such as monovision ICL surgery.

So, let’s take a closer look at how this innovative treatment actually works.

What Happens to the Eye During PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision?

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision was developed by our very own founder and expert laser eye surgeon, Professor Dan Reinstein, back in 2004. Since then, London Vision Clinic became the first Laser Eye Surgery clinic in the UK to offer this revolutionary treatment. Moreover, Professor Reinstein himself has used the technique to treat over 5,000 patients to date!

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision treats the refractive error caused by presbyopia in the same way as other Laser Eye Surgery techniques. An area of tissue is removed from the cornea (the window at the front of the eye), adjusting the way light is directed into the eye.

While monovision corrects one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision, PRESBYOND® goes a step further. It incorporates wavefront measurements to fine-tune the depth of focus of each eye individually while also factoring in the functional age of the eye and each patient’s tolerance level. In short, a personalised ablation profile is created for each patient (and each eye) to ensure optimal correction.

By correcting one eye primarily for near vision, with some correction for distance, and the other eye primarily for distance vision, with some correction for near, a “blend zone” is created. This provides continuous binocular vision from near through intermediate to far distances.

The technique was developed to increase the depth of focus in eyes affected by presbyopia while retaining visual acuity. By addressing natural spherical aberrations that occur in the eye, it is able to extend the scope of refractive surgery beyond the limits of conventional monovision laser treatments.

Clinical trials have found that PRESBYOND® maintains stereoacuity with virtually no loss of contrast sensitivity. Moreover, side effects of monovision, such as multiple images in one eye, are almost entirely mitigated.

Is PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision Right for Me?

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision offers several advantages over monovision treatment. Moreover, it can remove the need to rely on external visual aids such as glasses and contact lenses (and the headaches that come with them). However, there are some things to be aware of if you’re considering this Laser Eye Surgery treatment.

While PRESBYOND® can be extremely effective in correcting reading vision, it cannot stop the ageing process. After treatment, the eye will continue to be affected by ageing. As a result, PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision cannot be considered a permanent fix for presbyopia, although it can potentially reduce your reliance on reading glasses for years to come.

Nonetheless, a growing number of patients (including our own expert surgeons) are turning to PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision to roll back the years on their vision – and with such promising results, it’s easy to see why.

If you’re interested in learning more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision and whether you could be a suitable candidate, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today!