Eyes Right

Posted: Wednesday 26 January 2011 11:03am

More than 1.7 million Australians living with presbyopia (age-related loss of near vision)  are set to benefit from the launch of the first laser eye treatment that can eliminate the need for reading glasses in just 20 seconds.

Presbyopia begins to occur at around age 40, and by age 50, affects nearly everyone. In 2005,  it was estimated the condition affected 1.04 billion people worldwide. An ageing population means that by 2020 presbyopia could affect more than 40 per cent of the world’s population/roughly 1.4 billion people.

A groundbreaking new procedure, IntraCOR™, uses a minimally invasive laser to reshape the cornea without damaging the outer layers of the eye.

Unlike conventional laser eye surgery, the procedure requires no general anaesthetic, injections or blades, thereby promoting fast healing, with a minimal risk of infection and can significantly improve near vision one day after the procedure.

According to Dr Kerrie Meades, ophthalmic surgeon and Australian pioneer of the technology, presbyopia is one of Australia’s most common eye conditions. IntraCOR is the first time that this level of visual independence can be achieved without invasive laser surgery.

“To date, the only treatments available to correct near vision were reading glasses, contact lenses or invasive laser eye surgery,” says Dr Meades.

“Conventional laser eye surgery typically involves cutting open the outer layers of the eye in order to direct the laser to the inner cornea. This method results in longer healing times and higher risks of infection.  With IntraCOR, no surgical cuts to the outer eye or removal of tissue is required.”

“The procedure [performed using a German-made, high-tech laser system called TECHNOLAS Femtosecond Workstation] is quick and painless, taking just 20 seconds to perform.”

Without damaging the outer layers of the eye, the non-surgical procedure involves delivering a painless laser beam directly into the stroma (deep layer of the cornea), where gas bubbles form into microscopic rings.

The gas bubbles dissolve within 2-3 hours post-surgery. When the cornea clears, distance vision returns and the patient may immediately notice a change in near vision. By the end of the first day post-procedure, patients can already see an improvement in their near vision.

“It not only improves near vision, but can also enhance distance vision in some instances,” adds Dr Meades. “Also, the shadow or halo effect in night time vision associated with conventional treatments is significantly reduced with this new procedure.”

On the day of treatment, anaesthetic drops are placed in the patients’ eye while they are lying down on a laser bed. A laser beam is then accurately positioned on the cornea using a sterile patient interface device. The treatment takes only 20 seconds to complete.

Ballpark cost: The total treatment cost for IntraCOR is less than $5000. The manufacturers claim that not only does IntraCOR improve quality of life, but the long-term cost savings from a one-off procedure compared with  a lifetime of prescription lenses can be significant.

DO YOU HAVE PRESBYOPIA?

Of course you must seek a specialist diagnosis, but you may be a sufferer if you have some or all of the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision at close range
• Difficulties reading or seeing close objects
• Headaches and/or eye strain
• If you hold objects progressively further away from the eye in order to clearly focus. While this may bring objects into focus, they may become too small to identify.

WHAT CAUSES PRESBYOPIA?

Presbyopia involves the progressive and inevitable loss of ability to focus on near objects. While its exact mechanisms are unknown, research suggests the lens naturally loses its elasticity with age, so the restricted curvature makes it difficult to focus on nearby objects or images.

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR INTRACOR?

People living with presbyopia need to make a preliminary visit to their specialist to determine whether IntraCOR is suitable for their case. In general, suitable candidates are:

• Are over 40 years of age
• Have a good state of health
• Have no eye disease
• Have only minor vision problems (excluding presbyopia)
• Want to improve near vision without using glasses or contact lenses.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS

A with all medical procedures, there are potential risks and side effects. These may include:

• Slight reddening of the eye
• Slight disturbance in visual acuity in the early post‐operative phase
• Brief discomfort in the early post-operative phase – a symptom associated with the neural adjustment to changes in vision
• Potential for progressive loss of effect due to changes in the biomechanical corneal forces.

A series of follow-up appointments with the prescribing doctor are required post-procedure to monitor the changes in vision and any side effects.

EXISTING FORMS OF TREATMENT

Reading glasses or contact lenses temporarily correct presbyopia, and are the options many people currently use. To date, surgical attempts to correct presbyopia have included:

• The implantation of a multifocal or accommodative intraocular lens (IOL)7 – an invasive procedure that involves surgical wound healing and potential inflammation at the site
• LASIK/PRK laser vision correction creates monovision or a multifocal cornea, which is more invasive and often a compromise.

CASE STUDY

Helen Forestieri, 53, is a quality control officer and mother of three. She had been relying on reading glasses for more than 10 years.

Last October Helen opted to be one of the first people in Australia to undergo IntraCOR because she was “fed up with not being able to leave the house without dragging my reading glasses around with me”.

Helen was diagnosed with presbyopia 10 years go, after being unable to read the smaller print in a newspaper, despite intense focus.

“Everything was blurred,” she recalls. “Everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or opening the mail would take me twice as long as they should, because I would have to first find my reading glasses before being able to read the small print.

“I feel a lot more independent now that I don’t have to rely on the glasses. I can now read very clearly both at a distance and at arms length.

“Everyday things are a lot easier to – this has dramatically improved my quality of life.”

She describes IntraCOR as a very simple and painless procedure: “Before I knew it, it was over and I was able to go.”

CASE STUDY

Andrew Davis, 46, says IntraCOR has restored his near vision and  is now able to read fine print without the use of his reading glasses.

“My near vision started deteriorating about two years ago, and it became progressively harder for me to focus on the fine print,” he says.

“My work requires me to be able to see long distance as well as up close. I wasn’t accustomed to wearing glasses, so was frustrated with constantly having to put them on, have my eyes adjust to them, then take them off and wait for my eyes to readjust.

“The strain on my eyes from the constant readjustment would cause me  headaches almost every day.

“On the day of my procedure I was a bit anxious, but it was all thoroughly explained to me, so I knew what to expect. Before I knew it, the procedure was already over.

“When I got home I was surprised that I could already read the newspaper without my reading glasses! I am no longer plagued by headaches from eye strain. It’s extraordinary.”

For more information about IntraCOR, call 1300 68 3937.

by Jenni Gilbert

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