Kamra Inlay- Put Down Those Readers
By: Abby Kiesner, Communications Manager
Published: March 4, 2019
As a twenty-two year old, losing my vision isn’t something that crosses my mind as something I need to worry about. There are over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with presbyopia. I didn’t realize such a large amount of the population suffered from near-vision loss. About two weeks ago, I began my new job working at Vision Care Connect, which introduced me to the eye care industry. As I began to familiarize myself with the ophthalmology world, I came across KAMRA Inlay and began to research this unrecognized procedure. I didn’t realize just how often we take our vision for granted. After seeing how many people have developed presbyopia as they age, I discovered some beneficial information that I would love to share with you.
We form 80% of our impressions from sight. It is the human’s most dominant sense organ. The capability to see is one of our most valued abilities -- it helps us learn new things and make sense of the world around us.
Over the past 5 years, I have started to notice my mom has a more difficult time reading the bill at restaurants and finding the right buttons on her phone keyboard. It’s evident to me now that she has developed the age-related refractive condition called presbyopia. My mom owns about 6 pairs of “readers” and still struggles to find them when she needs them. I know if my mom were to receive the KAMRA Inlay procedure, she would no longer have the same daily burden of trying to read the fine print taking away the headaches and inconvenience of readers. Twenty years down the road, I may find myself in my mother’s shoes, and I would like to know what options are available to correct my vision if this were to happen to me. I hope that you can take something away from this information as well.
What is Presbyopia?
When we’re young, our eyes are very flexible and are able to stretch and bend the muscles surrounding our eyes to adjust our lenses, which focuses light directly to our retina. The issue is, when we get older our eye muscles and lenses slowly begin to weaken and become less flexible. When this occurs, it becomes more difficult for focused light to reach our retina, making it harder for us to see clearly.
As we get older, simple tasks such as reading the paper or reading your friend’s Facebook post, tend to become increasingly more difficult. The typical age range for presbyopia patients is for adults between 40- 60 years old. By the time you hit your 40s, you will probably begin to notice it has become a little more difficult to see in dim light or struggle to read fine print.
These are just some of the initial signs of presbyopia, other symptoms may include:
Fatigue after doing close work
Holding reading materials further away from you in order to properly focus your eyes
Headaches
Eyestrain
Needing brighter lighting while reading
Squinting
Now only if there was a procedure that could turn back the clock and restore your near vision. Well the good news is in 2015, the FDA approved a new procedure called KAMRA Inlay.
KAMRA INLAY
The procedure uses a simple pinhole technique, creating a “pinhole camera effect” which allows for only focused light to enter the eye. The pinhole technique helps the flow of oxygen and other nutrients pour into the eye. The Inlay is very thin, lighter than a grain of salt, and contains a ring with an opening in the center. It is placed in front of the pupil, providing a sharper depth of focus. The Inlay is only placed in your non-dominant eye and only takes about 15 minutes. After the procedure, your KAMRA Inlay eye will now be able to work together to have full range vision with your untouched dominant eye.
What to Expect During Surgery
The procedure requires you to stay awake and alert for the 15 minutes you are in the operating room. You will lay down on your back (similar to a chair at the dentist) and remain completely still during the procedure. The qualified surgeon will then put numbing drops in your eye to make sure you are comfortable during the entire surgery and ask you to focus on the light above you. Focusing on the light ensures that you will achieve the best possible results during the operation. You may feel a slight pressure on your eye while the laser is being used in order to create the flap. [At this point, the patient can also receive LASIK. This results in improved near and distance vision simultaneously. LASIK is recommended with the KAMRA inlay many instances]. The laser is then used to make a small pocket in the cornea of the eye. After that, the surgeon places the inlay in the pocket, allowing for only focused light to enter the eye.
Finding the Right Surgeon
As exciting as the thought of getting rid of readers forever is, it’s important to do your research in finding the right surgeon. It can be pretty scary letting someone put lasers on your eye, so here are a few tips that may give you a little piece of mind before you choose your surgeon:
Make sure the surgeon is board certified
Ask the surgeon how many surgeries he has performed
Evaluate how much time the surgeon spent with you at the consultation
Price ranges may vary, but that does not take away the quality of a good surgeon. KAMRA Inlay surgery typically ranges between $4,000-$6,500. Keep in mind there are monthly financing options available.
Recovery
For the first 2 days following the surgery, it is normal for a patient to expect sensitivity to light, mild irritation, and watery eyes. Most people are able to head back to work 24 to 48 hours after the surgery takes place. After the first week, most patients begin seeing an improvement in their near vision. Keep in mind, everyone heals at different rates, some at faster rates than others.
To improve recovery time after surgery:
Do not use your readers
Take all medications prescribed by your doctor
Attend your follow-up appointment to ensure a healthy recovery
Am I a Candidate?
The first step to getting get healthy and happy eyes back to normal requires setting up an eye exam with a trusted and dependable eye doctor near you. Scheduling an appointment with your doctor for an eye exam is the only way to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with a premium KAMRA Inlay surgeon please click on the button below.