As someone who’s been nearsighted since I was a kid, I’m loving the new developments in intraocular lenses. There’s a new procedure gaining popularity that could give me super vision, without the irreversibility of LASIK.
IOLs have been around since the late ‘40s, but recent developments have made them pretty amazing. The newest procedure involves inserting the lens into the eye with the basic focus worked out. Then, once the eye heals, doctors can direct UV light at highly specific areas on the lens to fine tune the focus. The end result is amazing, custom tuned vision, better than 20/20 in many cases.
Not a new idea, sure, but one that resonated with me. I’ve always thought about getting LASIK, but I’m scared by how once that laser burns away at your cornea, there’s no going back. If my vision ever got worse, it’d probably be back to glasses and contacts. I’m sure plenty of you readers have had wonderful experiences with the procedure, but I’m really risk averse.
The amazing thing about most IOLs is that they’re reversible. If my vision ever changed, I could just get a new lens implanted. The surgery may not be as easy as that right now, but maybe someday the procedure will be so minimally invasive replacement will be a non-issue.
Unfortunately, this new procedure only corrects for cataracts and farsightedness right now. Here’s to hoping nearsightedness is next on the list. [Sky News via SmartPlanet via @editorialiste]
