Lens-Based Treatments

Laser vision correction describes the use of special lasers to sculpt a desired optical correction into the collagen layer of the cornea. LASIK and all the designations for surface treatment (PRK, epi-LASIK, LASEK, ASA, "flapless LASIK," etc.) are all laser-based treatment methods within this category. Indeed, LASIK has become so popular and mainstream that many people mistakenly assume that laser treatment is the only way to correct optical imperfections of the eye. Interestingly, that is not the case.

Lens-based treatment describes a series of different alternatives for vision correction. Obviously, eyeglasses and contact lenses are the commonest forms of "lens-based treatment". There are three main categories of lens-based surgery, as follows:

1. Intra-Ocular Lens ("IOL") implantation is now virtually always performed at the time of cataract removal. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's internal lens, so when this lens is removed it must be replaced. Intra-ocular lenses have been routinely used to treat people with cataracts since about the late 1970's. Since the early '90s it has been recognized that clear lens replacement (removal of the natural lens before it develops clouding enough to impair vision) is an appropriate method to treat certain optical conditions including farsightedness. Beginning in about 2003, the advent of multifocal and presbyopic intraocular lenses has in addition enabled the treatment of presbyopia .

2. Internal Contact Lenses (referred to as " ICLs ") are tiny lenses inserted behind the cornea and in front of the eye's natural lens. This type of lens can correct for very significant amounts of nearsightedness, beyond the range able to be corrected by laser treatment. In addition, some people do not have adequately thick corneal tissue to support laser treatment for their amount of prescription; for these individuals, ICL treatment is a better option. Particularly for people between the ages of about 25 and 50, ICLs can be a phenomenal treatment option.

3. Intra-Corneal Lenses. These are very tiny, small-diameter lenses that are designed to be placed within the collagen layer of the central cornea. All current models of intra-corneal lens intend to offer treatment for presbyopia, the loss of close focusing ability that comes in the mid-4th decade of life. These are still in the investigational stage of development as of early 2007. FDA studies may take several years to complete, so these are not likely to become widely available in the US for some time.