This is a drastic option, according to Alex Ionides, an ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. ?With either of the surgical interventions, patients can be left with permanent glare and halo, and that irritating sensation of dry eye. Mr Ionides is one of the first eye surgeons to offer a new procedure, called Intracor, which has been launched in the UK at Moorfields.
Developed by a Colombian ophthalmologist, Luis Ruiz, it is a non-invasive treatment using a laser and takes just 20 seconds. Intracor has been subjected to two clinical trials so far, with promising results for patients with presbyopia.
Researchers at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, are conducting a longer term study to assess patient satisfaction after three years.
Kimberley Patterson, 49, a hair stylist from Clapham, London, was encouraged to try Intracor when her boyfriend told her: ?You?re getting blinder by the second.?
?I?d had perfect, brilliant sight all my life,? says Kimberley. ?But over the past five years, it had gradually been weakening. I had to buy some reading glasses, and it still seemed to get worse.?
Her boyfriend read about Intracor and Kimberley was confident that the cost ? �2,200 for one eye ? was worth it.
The procedure is carried out on just one eye ? usually the left, which is often naturally the less dominant. It is fast and not unpleasant. ?I?m not squeamish although I was nervous,? says Kimberley. ?But Mr Ionides was very reassuring. My left eye was numbed with drops, and a plastic guard was placed on it to keep the lid open, plus a suction device to hold my eyeball still.?
Unlike conventional laser eye surgery, the new method does not involve any incision into the surface of the cornea. For 20 seconds, the beam of light, called a femtosecond laser, makes a series of precise, microscopic concentric ring patterns within the cornea, in an area called the stroma, subtly altering the shape.
Kimberley describes the sensation as ?a firm, deep pressure?. Afterwards, the guards were removed and she was allowed home.
?By the evening, I could read as the drops wore off and by the next morning my vision was perfect,? she says. ?There has been a slight blurring, which I?ve been told will wear off.? Although the risk of infection is minimised, she used antibiotic drops for two weeks.
This is a relatively new procedure, and Mr Ionides warns that it is not suitable for everyone. ?In about 10 per cent of patients, we have to carry out a revision as it doesn?t always work first time.?
It is also not suitable for anyone with a prescription that is not stable, where the cornea will continue to change shape over time. But it is particularly useful for anyone who needs perfect night vision, because halos and glare are rare side effects.
?I?m still testing my new vision every day,? says Kimberley. ?I can?t quite believe it. But I am very happy. It is money well spent.?
For more information about Intracor, call Moorfields Eye Hospital on 020 7566 2299
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