What is presbyopia?

It eventually affects all of us and usually develops between the age of 40 and 50. Presbyopia is an age-related eye condition often mistaken for one of the refractive errors – far-sightedness. It is a natural, progressive, physiological process occurring in the body. It manifests itself with difficulty focusing on close objects, which is why reading books and newspapers as well as using a smartphone or a computer gradually becomes more and more burdensome. The reason behind this condition is decreased elasticity of the intraocular lens and the ciliary muscle, which in turn results in poorer ability of the eyes to focus on close objects. This is why we observe a so-called long-arm syndrome in people with presbyopia – i.e. the need to stretch the arms to hold objects (e.g. a book) as far as possible in order to read the text on them clearly.

Ways of counteracting the effects of presbyopia

There are certain ways in which the effects of presbyopia can be counteracted, both in case of people with a refractive error corrected with glasses or contact lenses and those who have never had any vision defects before, such as:

• Reading glasses – either for those who do not have any other vision defect or as an extra pair of glasses for those with a refractive error (i.e. far-sightedness, short-sightedness or astigmatism). Reading glasses may also be useful for those who correct their refractive error with contact lenses or those who have undergone a laser vision correction procedure.
• Progressive glasses (for both close-up work and for further distances) – for people with a refractive error and presbyopia who do not want to carry an additional pair of reading glasses with them.
• Progressive (multifocal) contact lenses – they work similarly to progressive glasses. They are a good solution for all those who do not like wearing glasses at all.
• Laser vision correction of a refractive error – for people who have both presbyopia and a refractive error. The surgery corrects the dominant eye to see far distances and the non-dominant eye to see close-up ones – it creates the effect of monovision with the difference in vision between the two eyes of up to 1,5 dioptres. Such a correction result is a good solution for those who find both glasses and contact lenses bothersome.
• Refractive lens exchange – for people with both presbyopia and a refractive error – it is a surgical procedure during which a natural eye’s lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular multifocal implant. Multifocal lenses guarantee good vision at all distances: close-up, intermediate and distance vision. Such a procedure is recommended in a situation when all other methods of refractive error correction are contraindicated, impossible to perform or when the natural eye’s lens is no longer transparent. The surgery both corrects a refractive error and eliminates the effects of presbyopia.

What does laser vision correction of a refractive error combined with presbyopia consist in?

The effect of presbyopia can be eliminated with a laser procedure but only in those people who have a refractive error corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Laser vision correction of a refractive error guarantees permanent results, whereas correction of presbyopia can only be temporary for it is not possible to stop the progression of presbyopia, which is an age-related physiological process. The result of a laser vision correction surgery of a refractive error combined with presbyopia is monovision. It corrects the non-dominant eye in such a way that the remaining refractive error is between -0,75 to -1,5 dioptres, which enables this eye to see more clearly at close distances. The dominant eye is fully corrected so as to be able to see clearly from a larger distance. The result of laser vision correction can be checked before the surgery with the use of contact lenses and if it is satisfactory then the surgery can be performed. 

If you are interested in presbyopia correction during a laser vision correction surgery of a refractive error, fill in and submit a preliminary qualification form online, contact us via phone or email using the form under the CONTACT tab, or ask us a question under the ASK A DOCTOR tab. Should you need a piece of advice regarding the choice of glasses or contact lenses, make an appointment for a specialist ophthalmologic examination.

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