The KAMRA corneal inlay was developed by AcuFocus in Irvine, California, and is gaining traction worldwide as a fantastic option to treat presbyopia; the age-related loss of focus that everyone suffers from after about age 45.
How KAMRA Works to help you focus
The inlay works based on the principle of small aperture optics, like a camera narrowing its focus for a clearer image. It provides improved depth of focus to improve near vision, and as it is only placed in one eye, it doesn’t affect your distance vision.
The KAMRA inlay is the result of decades of study on corneal inlays. Jose Barraquer is accredited to be the first to experiment with corneal implants in 1949. A series of improvements took place, but early generations of inlays suffered from poor predictability, loss of acuity over time, haze, corneal thinning, and other issues.
Advances in Ophthalmology allow effective treatment
As huge advances in optical technology have happened over the last decade, along with the development of new biocompatible materials, corneal inlays have become a highly effective treatment for presbyopia.
In order to be well tolerated by the delicate and sensitive cornea of your eye, the biological principles of the cornea must be adhered to-meaning the inlay has to be made of a material that allows glucose to go through the cornea and nourish the corneal epithelium.
The KAMRA inlay has gone through six design iterations, starting with the original design that was made from Dacron fabric and was 25 microns thick!
It’s now only 5 microns thick, made from a totally biocompatible polymer and the number of tiny perforations in the inlay has been increased to 8,400, arranged in a pattern to allow for appropriate nutrient flow and to minimize light scatter.
In addition to the evolution in materials and design, numerous clinical studies over the past 7 years have led to the optimal depth placement in the cornea. Early studies demonstrated that shallow placement of the inlay has the potential to create some stress on the cornea, causing corneal shape change and thinning and ultimately resulting in an explant of the inlay.
Too deep an implant causes trouble too; so the optimal depth of placement is about 200 microns into the cornea.
Complete accuracy and precision placement at Optilase
At Optilase, the surgeon can program a femtosecond laser to suit the exact dimensions of your eye, allowing him to control the depth as well as the configuration of the incision.
Patients report excellent results and no longer have to rely on reading glasses to focus on near objects. If you are starting to experience trouble seeing things close-up and are over age 40, you may have presbyopia-whether you have had previous laser eye surgery or not.
To book a consultation at Optilase, call +353 1 223 8821.
