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Kamra – the latest procedure for age related vision loss.

By Dr Patrick Versace

KAMRA, while it’s had a decade in the making, is still a relative newcomer to the treatment of presbyopia. It uses a tiny (1.6mm in diameter), opaque, circular micro-disc that looks similar to a tiny doughnut. The micro-disc, which is said to be thinner than a red blood cell – assists the cornea in blocking unfocused light, and allows focused light to enter the retina. A femtosecond laser, coupled with advanced computer software, creates a space in the cornea where the KAMRA inlay will comfortably sit.

This can massively improve near, vision. In some cases, it is a superior alternative to the conventional approaches (reading glasses, contact lenses). At the information evenings, many patients are surprised at the fact that only one eye is treated. To their amazement, I explain that the human brain is smart enough to recalibrate both eyes to 20/20 vision once the KAMRA procedure has been completed.

The surgery is painless – at most there will be a slight discomfort during the procedure. Many patients are in and out of the operating theatre within 10 minutes. By the next morning, the eye will feel quite normal and improvement will be noticed within days.

This is an exciting new procedure leading the way forward in the treatment of presbyopia, without the need for reading glasses. As one of the first ophthalmologists to have used this technology, and also being a proud contributor to its development – I have been successful in restoring vision for thousands of patients with presbyopia.

Age related Vision Loss – What does it mean when you start needing reading glasses?

By Dr Patrick Versace

Have you ever felt the need to hold a menu out at arm’s length, just to make out what the soup of the day is? Ironically, have you ever had difficulty reading the price of those discount chemist specs because the tag’s font is too small? Well, you might be suffering from presbyopia – an extremely common vision disorder that is affecting millions of Australians each year.

It’s an age-related disease that is caused by the eye’s lens gradually thickening with age, removing the elasticity of the lens and hence its ability to change its shape inside  the eye. This makes it difficult for the eye to focus on nearby objects, and can be a real pain – especially if you left those glasses at home. A great analogy is to look at the lens of the eye as a camera’s focus ring. The ring needs to be free to turn in order to focus on near and far objects. If this ring is stiff and has trouble rotating, getting images in focus will be a struggle.

Presbyopia is universally common amongst the elderly and it will soon affect over 40% of the world’s population. In fact, a 2008 study shows that the global number of people predicted to have presbyopia in 2020 will be about 1.4 billion people. Each and every one of us will be affected by presbyopia to some degree, as it is in natural flow of the ageing process.

For this reason, it is a great idea to know your options. Fortunately, we live in a day and age where I can tailor a solution to meet everyone’s needs – ranging from conventional reading glasses and contact lenses, to surgical treatment using laser surgery and KAMRA inlays.

Latest treatment for presbyopia

Dr Versace appeared on both TodayTonight and Channel 9 news

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