Presbyopia typically presents as difficulty and eye strain when reading, sometimes accompanied by double vision. Refractive surgery is recommended for those who wish to quickly and effectively eliminate the need for glasses. At Clínica Nivaria, we specialize in presbyopia surgery. If you have experienced a gradual onset of difficulty focusing on near objects while reading, using your phone, or working on a computer, we can help.
Presbyopia surgery
In presbyopia, treatment with a multifocal intraocular lens is recommended, as it allows patients to recover a full range of vision and, in addition, they will be able to perform all kinds of activities without the need to use glasses or contact lenses.
Why does presbyopia occur?
It is caused by the progressive aging of the lens, a structure similar to a camera's zoom lens. The lens, located behind the pupil and in front of the retina, is capable of changing its shape according to visual needs at any given time.
From the age of 40, the lens of the eye loses elasticity and therefore its ability to focus, making everyday tasks like reading or using a mobile phone difficult. This problem can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. In later years, the lens will also become cloudy, leading to the development of cataracts.
What factors contribute to age-related loss of accommodation?
- Decreased elasticity of the substance and capsule of the lens.
- The volume of the lens increases progressively with age. It is more difficult to deform a large object than a small one.
- Reduction of the zonulo-ciliary mechanical efficiency (focusing muscles and tendons), due to changes in its geometry.
What are the symptoms of presbyopia?
The main symptom is blurred near vision, which becomes apparent when the patient begins to hold nearby objects at arm's length to obtain a clear image. This can also lead to eye strain or tired eyes, presenting as red eyes, burning, heaviness, headaches, etc. Other notable symptoms include:
- Backward movement of the next point, which forces the reading material to be moved further away to be seen more clearly.
- In incipient presbyopia, in relation to attempts at excessive accommodative effort, pseudomyopia (focusing spasm) can even occur.
- Also, due to the increased accommodative effort and the synkinetic reflex of accommodative convergence that it entails, transient diplopia can occur.
What treatment is recommended for presbyopia?
Currently, there is no preventative or curative treatment capable of completely restoring the properties of the natural lens, but there are different surgical options that help you see at different distances without the need to wear glasses again.
The most effective is the replacement of the crystalline lens with multifocal intraocular lenses (they can even provide focus at up to three distances: far, intermediate and near) allowing us to correct presbyopia and any other associated refractive error such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.
At Clínica Nivaria we personalize each case, offering the patient the best alternative.
What does multifocal lens treatment involve?
This procedure involves removing the natural lens, which has lost or is losing its ability to focus on near objects, and replacing it with a multifocal intraocular lens, which acts as an artificial lens. This lens offers different fixed focal planes (distance and near distances), and the brain selects the most appropriate focus for each situation through a process called pseudo-accommodation. In this way, patients regain a wide range of vision and can perform almost all their activities without glasses or contact lenses, from reading a book to driving. This treatment eliminates associated refractive errors and prevents the future development of cataracts.
What is the final result after the intervention?
The treatment is outpatient, and recovery time is very quick. During a period that varies in each case (2-4 weeks), adaptation to the new optical system will occur. The aim is for the patient to have the greatest possible independence in correction after the procedure and the highest quality vision for the distances most commonly used in their daily life (personalized for each case). However, in some cases, and for situations requiring significant visual effort (computer use for many hours, night driving, etc.) or high precision or clarity, the instillation of artificial tears or anti-reflective reading glasses with no or low prescription may be recommended.
