Aging causes changes that weaken your eyes and vision. One common age-related eye problem is presbyopia.
Presbyopia is a condition that occurs as a result of the lens losing its ability to focus on up-close objects. This condition can be corrected using prescription glasses, contact lenses, or with corneal inlays.
At Eye Physicians of Long Beach, we’re committed to providing the most advanced vision correction services to our patients. If you’re considering laser eye surgery in Long Beach to improve your near vision, the KAMRA Inlay is an exciting option.
What is the KAMRA Inlay?
The KAMRA Inlay is a corneal inlay used to restore the focusing ability of the lens that has been affected by presbyopia. Because of presbyopia, the lens loses its elasticity.
This makes it difficult for the lens to change shape and for patients to concentrate on small print or close objects. People with presbyopia cannot read books or the text on their phones without moving them further away from their eyes.
How Does the KAMRA Inlay Work?
The KAMRA inlay is an opaque ring that has an opening at the center. It weighs less than a grain of salt and is 5x thinner than a strand of hair.
The inlay is implanted in the top layers of the cornea, where it’s placed above the pupil. In the eye, the inlay works by increasing the depth of focus. Not only does it allow your near vision to improve, but it also provides intermediate and distance vision.
The 1.6mm central aperture focuses only central light rays after blocking unfocused rays from the periphery. Without the unfocused light, focus depth is improved, and blurry images improve.
How Is The KAMRA Inlay Placed?
The KAMRA inlay procedure is a type of laser eye surgery performed in Long Beach. Very similar to LASIK surgery, this all-laser technique creates a smooth pocket within the cornea where the KAMRA inlay can easily slide into the perfect position by your eye surgeon.
What Are The Benefits Of Using The KAMRA Inlay?
The advantages of getting the KAMRA corneal inlay include:
- It provides a natural depth of focus that allows excellent vision at all distances. The KAMRA inlay restores clarity for close and intermediate vision while maintaining distance vision.
- The implantation process is a quick outpatient procedure that requires no stitches.
Are You a Good Candidate For The KAMRA Inlay?
You may consider getting this implant with the recommendation of your eye doctor if:
- You’re having trouble focusing on near objects such as your phone or books.
- You have acceptable distance vision and you would like to stop using glasses for seeing objects up-close.
Why Is The KAMRA Inlay Put In Only One Eye?
You normally have a non-dominant eye for focusing on up-close objects and a dominant eye that’s used for distance vision. During the procedure, the KAMRA corneal inlay is only placed in one eye.
This is the eye used for reading and seeing near vision, allowing you to have clear up-close vision. The other eye is corrected for better distance vision or left intact. Working together, both eyes enable you to see far, near, and everything between.
Are There Any Risks Associated With The KAMRA Inlay Implantation?
Some of the complications that may arise from KAMRA inlay implantation include:
- As with any surgical procedure, there is a very low risk of infection, which we mitigate by placing all our patients on prophylactic antibiotic drops. Other possible corneal issues include swelling, clouding, and scarring.
- After surgery, the inlay can worsen vision or result in blurry vision, dry eyes, pain, double vision, and seeing halos around lights. Over time, these conditions should resolve.
- The KAMRA inlay is a removable procedure. If the patient is unsatisfied with the depth of focus, studies have shown there to be no loss of best corrected visual acuity after removal of the KAMRA inlay.
The doctors at Eye Physicians of Long Beach have successfully completed many vision treatment procedures, including implantation of the KAMRA inlay. They provide excellent laser vision correction in Long Beach and other areas around Los Angeles, including Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, and Lakewood.
Wondering if the KAMRA inlay could be the right vision correction solution for you? Contact Eye Physicians of Long Beach to schedule an appointment!