Are you over 40 and fed-up with needing glasses to see clearly? Are you suffering from failing vision? Do you have trouble finding a pair of glasses that works, or that lasts? Having to hold your watch or mobile phone further away to focus, using reading or bifocal glasses, increasing spectacle prescription power, needing more light to read, increasing glare, blurry vision and poor night vision are some of the symptoms of a condition known as Presbyopia (also known as Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome or DLS).
Presbyopia or Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome (DLS)
Just like a camera, the eye has its own lens to focus images. Presbyopia/ DLS starts at around the age of 40, when the eye lens stiffens and loses clarity, as it begins to change into a cataract. Presbyopia/ DLS happens to everyone, even people who have had LASIK or other vision correction surgery.
Fortunately, there is a solution for Presbyopia/ DLS that gives back clear vision without the need for glasses.
For years, older people with cataracts have enjoyed never having to wear glasses again after undergoing cataract surgery with an Intra-Ocular Lens or IOL implant. A similar procedure, Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) or Lens Replacement Surgery is used in Presbyopia to remove the stiffened and cloudy lens, replacing it with an IOL with a multifocal design
The multifocal IOL is not like a multifocal spectacle lens as it is not necessary to move your head or eyes to use the top of the glasses see far away and the bottom of the glasses to see close up. It is engineered to provide both a distance focus and a near focus at all times without having to re-position the glasses up or down your nose. One of the most advanced multifocal IOLs has a Premium Trifocal design. This enables you to not only see near and far clearly, but also in between. So while reading a mobile phone and watching TV or driving is possible without glasses, seeing the car dashboard, food on the stove and computer screen is also possible after a Premium Trifocal IOL implant.
Newer IOLs have an Extended Depth Of Focus (EDOF). Known as EDOF IOLs, these have a smooth transition between distance vision and vision at arm's length (or intermediate vision).
The operation is identical to Cataract Surgery, which is one of the safest and most effective operations in the world. This surgery has been performed since the early 1970s. It is often referred to as a ‘modern miracle’ and its success has stood the test of time. Having a multifocal IOL implant prevents the need for future cataract surgery and brings forward the benefit of glasses free vision. The operation needs only a local anaesthetic and is performed as a day procedure, with no overnight hospital stay required.
To see if you are suitable for this surgery, a full assessment is required by a medically qualified eye surgeon. Warrnambool Eye Specialist Dr Vincent Lee has been at the forefront of cataract and vision correction surgery for 25 years. He graduated as a medical doctor and has a post graduate Master of Medicine degree from the University of Melbourne. His qualification in Eye Surgery was obtained under the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Dr Lee’s experience with multifocal IOLs stretches back nearly 20 years, to the early 2000s. He has an outstanding reputation for safe and reliable surgery and is supported by an excellent team at South West Eye Surgery. If you are interested in finding out more about this procedure, click here to book an appointment:
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner