What is Presbyopia?
The organ of the eye that allows it to focus on what is being looked at is the lens. Since the lens is more flexible at a young age, we can easily see distant and close objects clearly. However, in our 40s, adaptation flexibility decreases significantly and we begin to have difficulty in seeing up close. This is called 'Presbyopia'.
What are the Treatments of Presbyopia?
The most common treatment of presbyopia is glasses. For people who need distance glasses, glasses that show both distance and near vision can also be used. These glasses are divided into two: bifocal or multifocal. Bifocal glasses were invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 and are still in use. However, multifocal glasses are more popular today because they are more aesthetic and contain more than one focus. Contact lenses that can provide both distance and near vision are also successfully used in the treatment of presbyopia. In recent years, surgical treatments for presbyopia have also come to the fore and have begun to be tested.
What is Cataract?
The flexibility of the lens continues to decrease with age. When the lens hardens, its transparency decreases and vision loss begins. This is called 'Cataract'.
What is the Treatment of Cataract?
Cataract is treated with surgery. Cataract surgery is the most performed surgery in the world. Because cataracts develop sooner or later in every aging eye and the need for surgery arises.
What is Phacoemulsification?
The most successful method of cataract surgery is Phacoemulsification
strong>surgery. In this surgery, sound waves break down the lens and liquefy it, and this fluid is removed from the eye with a vacuum. At the end of the surgery, an artificial lens is placed in the eye.What are the Advantages of the Phacoemulsification Method?
With this method, 2 or 3 small holes are made in the eye (1 to 2.5 mm wide). . All surgery takes place through these holes. For this reason, the surgery can only be performed with drop anesthesia, no stitches are placed on the eye, and recovery is extremely fast. The patient can return to his daily life as soon as possible.
What are the Latest Innovations in Cataract Surgery?
The most important development is the subject of intraocular implants. It happened in . The first successful intraocular implant was placed by Sir Harold Ridley in 1949. The first implants were made of hard material and required a large incision to be placed in the eye. Later, implants made of flexible material were produced. These lenses can be placed through small holes opened in the eye and are suitable for phacoemulsification surgery.
The first implants were monofocal and the patient's aim was to see the distance well. With these implants, glasses are needed to see close objects (reading a book, looking at a computer, etc.). Implants that show both distance and near vision have been designed for patients who do not want to wear glasses after surgery. These implants have a multifocal structure and allow both distant and near images to fall on the retina. Thus, the patient can get rid of the need for both distance and near glasses. The introduction of these lenses has created a new surgical alternative for hyperopic patients, especially those who wear high-prescription glasses. This is called 'Refractive Lens Exchange'. Hyperopia patients who are not suitable for excimer laser may prefer this surgical method to get rid of their glasses, especially if there are signs of cataract onset. With this surgery, it is possible to correct the glasses prescription to a large extent.
Considering that the blue wavelength of visible light damages the macular region of the eye, yellow implants that block this light are also widely used. The aim here is to prevent senile macular degeneration.
There are also single-focal and multifocal implant options for patients with high astigmatism.
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