It may sound like science fiction but more and more people are opting to bin their reading glasses in favour of having artificial plastic lens implants inserted into their eyes instead. The procedure is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst middle aged people wanting to avoid the possible onset of presbyopia, or the deterioration of sight related to age. It sounds too good to be true, surely if it really works it could be the end to all our worries about our eyesight?
The idea of having your natural lenses removed from your eyes and replaced with a small piece of plastic might not be one for the squeamish, but in fact the procedure does work surprisingly well. The number of patients opting for the surgery has doubled since 2004, with most people reporting that the implants have made a huge difference to their sight, often meaning they no longer need to wear their prescription glasses at all.
So how does it work? Well, the natural lenses in the eye often stiffen with age, and lose their ability to bend and focus. The implant procedure removes the neye's natural lens and replaces it with an Intraocular lens, which uses the muscles of the eye to mimic the natural lens movements and enhance the eye’s optical power. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes – the patient is given a local anaesthetic and then a small incision is made, the old lens removed and the new one inserted.
Lens implants as a preventative measure are not yet available on the NHS and the private procedure is not cheap, usually costing between £2,500 and £3,000 per eye. But when you think about it, being able to see both near and far without being dependant on glasses, escape from the discomfort of wearing them, or even being able to wear stylish designer sunglasses without having to worry about buying prescription lenses could actually be worth it!
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