After the age of 40, the lens becomes more rigid and cannot easily change shape, making it difficult to see things up close and causing presbyopia.
Presbyopia , or age-related farsightedness, will affect everyone sooner or later and arises when the eye's ability to accommodate and focus on short distances decreases.
This means that it is a visual impairment that develops gradually when the eyes lose their ability to focus on close objects. Presbyopia also causes eye strain, headaches, and fatigue after looking at something up close for a while. As a result, a person who begins to experience these symptoms will find it increasingly difficult to see nearby objects clearly. Consequently, everyday activities such as reading or sewing can become very difficult.
Currently, there are various surgical techniques to adjust the eye's focusing ability. The choice of technique depends largely on the individual patient's eye health. Furthermore, patients with presbyopia often have other refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism , which is why presbyopia surgery is so beneficial, as it can simultaneously correct age-related farsightedness, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
However, undergoing presbyopia surgery is not always possible or advisable. There are situations where it is better to wait, or even cases where it is discouraged. Therefore, to be a candidate, the following is required:
- To have good eye health.
- Having presbyopia associated with myopia and/or hyperopia.
- There is an age limit of 65 years.
- For farsighted people with presbyopia, the recommended age will be from 45 years old.
- Nearsighted people can be candidates from the age of 55.
- Patients with presbyopia and astigmatism associated with myopia or hyperopia may undergo surgery provided that the astigmatism is below 1 diopter.
- People with contraindications such as macular alterations, retinal pathology, history of uveitis, glaucoma, capsular pseudoexfoliation, corneal alterations will not be able to undergo the procedure.
Presbyopia surgery
Thus, presbyopia surgery can consist of two types of techniques :
- Procedures focused on reshaping the cornea (the round, transparent structure at the front of the eye), as if sculpting the prescription of eyeglasses onto it. This is done through laser surgery.
- Implantation of a lens inside the eye.
This last option is the best solution for presbyopia . The procedure involves removing the natural lens , which has lost or is losing its ability to accommodate, and replacing it with a multifocal intraocular lens . This lens allows for three focal planes (distance, intermediate, and near), with the brain selecting the most appropriate focus for each situation through a process called pseudo-accommodation . Thanks to this method, the patient regains a full range of vision without needing glasses.
It is the ideal option for those who, in addition to presbyopia , have an associated refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) and are over 45-50 years of age. It is also suitable for people with early-stage cataracts.
As a consequence of aging, presbyopia is not a preventable condition. However, we can take care of our visual health to slow its progression or detect presbyopia early and treat it appropriately. At Clínica Nivaria, we know that an eye exam is essential, at least once a year, unless there is another underlying problem that requires more frequent visits to a specialist.
Furthermore, at our Clinic we guarantee personalized attention in order to design a unique action and care plan to achieve the best results and benefits for our patients.
