|
General Information
Does anyone enjoy wearing bifocals? How about the need to carry reading glasses in addition to regular glasses? Have you noticed that older people hold menus at arms length to read? During their 40's, everyone experiences a negative change in their eyesight due to aging of the eye. Until now, this condition called presbyopia, was considered to be irreversible. Presbyopia is the reason that everyone after their mid-40's, uses bifocals, reading glasses or removes their distance glasses in order to read clearly. Specifically, presbyopia is the universal and inevitable loss of the eye's ability to focus at near distances due to aging.
In November, 2003 the FDA approved the use of the first method of surgically correcting presbyopia. The eyeonics (formerly C and C vision) Crystalens is a posterior chamber lens implant that is used to replace the human lens. Its approval was granted for lens replacement during cataract surgery. The surgery for Crystalens implantation is similiar to cataract surgery and must be done in a sterile operating room. This lens is hinged to take advantage of the eye's musculature changes that occur with natural focus. Click here for more Crystalens info.
Another method of correction of presbyopia is with Refocus (formerly Presby Corp) presview scleral implants for scleral spacing to potentially reverse presbyopia in the human eye. In younger patients with clear lenses this method provides restoration of near focus in presbyopia with small plastic inserts in the white part of the eye to restore the space needed for focus. Scleral spacing is still under FDA investigation. Phase II clinical trials have started with FDA and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary IRB approval in December 2003 with Dr. Soloway serving as the Medical Director of Refocus, the Medical Monitor for the clinical trials and continuing his roll of principal investigator from the phase I clinical trials. Click here for more Scleral Spacing info.
Click here for more information about Presbyopia
|
