Treatment of presbyopia in the EMC Ophthalmology Clinic

Presbyopia (also known as age–related hyperopia) is an eye refractive error in which a person cannot see small print or small objects at close range. According to research, the most likely cause of presbyopia is an age-related decrease in lens elasticity. At the same time, its ability to increase its curvature decreases when examining objects located close to the eye, and the eye's ability to accommodate is lost. In addition, the causes of presbyopia include a weakening of the ciliary muscle responsible for focusing vision. 

Usually, the first symptoms of presbyopia appear between the ages of 40 and 50. The first signs of age-related hyperopia are visual tension, difficulty reading small print, especially in low-light conditions, eye fatigue (asthenopia) during prolonged reading, blurred vision at close range and momentary blurred vision when looking between nearby and distant objects. When you move the book at arm's length, the font becomes clearer. Many patients complain that their hands have become "too short" to hold the material at a comfortable distance. 

To date, there are several options for correcting presbyopia. The oldest method is to select a point correction for working at close range. At the same time, it is difficult for patients who have never worn glasses to get used to the appearance of a new attribute in their lives. Another option for correcting age–related hyperopia is the selection of multifocal contact lenses. This option has many limitations related to the difficulties of selection and possible intolerance of contact lenses. 

The problem of presbyopia can be radically solved only surgically with the help of laser vision correction (Presbyopic LASIK surgery). This procedure is a variation of the classic LASIK surgery. During surgery, laser energy with different intensity affects different areas of the cornea (the front transparent part of the eyeball). As a result, both near and far vision improves (if necessary). 

The EMC Ophthalmological Clinic is one of the few in Russia equipped with the most advanced Intralase femtosecond laser with the latest generation VISX Star S4 IR excimer laser, which operates using the Advanced CustomVue program. This makes it possible to achieve a postoperative visual acuity of more than 100% (the so-called "super vision"). Such high results are due to the presence of an eye-tracking system ("eye-tracking"), which ensures the precise operation of the laser beam according to a given algorithm even with the patient's eye movements, and new software that allows you to individually calculate the degree of treatment of the cornea with a laser beam. The Wave Scan data processing system creates a detailed eye map for accurate calculation of individual laser correction parameters. This allows you to achieve the best treatment results. After surgery, vision is restored in a few hours.