What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is difficulty in reading / near vision after 45 years of age. This happens naturally due to loss of elasticity of the lens inside eye around this age. Patients may have spectacles power for both distance and near which is bothersome in day to day routine life. Many patients are not happy wearing bifocal or progressive spectacles and want to enjoy vision at all distances without spectacles or multifocal contact lens. With the advanced software SUPRACOR in TENEO -Technolas 217 LASIK machine we can create a excimer laser profile to reshape cornea to correct both distance and near spectacles .

How does SUPRACOR LASIK work?

We use excimer laser to accurately reshape the cornea and create multifocality on cornea to give blended vision at all distances.. The treatment involves first creating a thin cornea flap with either a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome. This flap is lifted to allow the surgeon access to the cornea. The Supracorexcimer laser procedure then creates a 12-μm elevation with negative spherical aberration in the central 3mm of cornea (corrects near vision) surrounded by an aspheric-optimized midperipheral zone (corrects distance vision). The treatment profile varies in both eyes as we make one eye distance dominant and the other near dominant by creating micromonovision along with presbyopic profile.

The flap is then replaced back and allows the eye to naturally heal with the new shape. The whole procedure takes about 15mins in OT.

Is there a selection criteria for Supracor/Presbylasik?

Yes. We have to examine the eye prior to procedure in detail. The spectacles prescription, corneal scans, eyelids,tear film, IOP.retina status etc has to be determined accurately. The lifestyle and visual requirements of patients are discussed in detail.

Am I a suitable candidate for SUPRACOR?

• 47yrs age with no eye diseases (such as keratoconus/retinal issues)
• Stable Spectacles prescription of moderate power for distance (myopia or hyperopia) and +1.75 minimum for near.
• Should be happy with binocular vision (with both eyes) which is better then monocular vision after procedure
• No major systemic illness
• Your expectations have to realistic and vision needs to be assessed with both eyes together. The vision for distance and near with individual eye may not be perfect 6/6 N6 as your earlier young eyes

When can I return to normal activities?

You can resume normal activities within a day or two though your overall near and distance vision may need a few weeks to fully stabilise.An improvement in near vision will typically be felt next day itself.

Are distance or reading glasses required after the SUPRACOR procedure?

In most cases, glasses are no longer needed. The distance supracor vision with individual eye may be 6/9 (not so sharp).but with both eyes it will be 6/6p or 6/6. Sometimes when reading books with particularly small print or in poor lighting conditions, weak glasses may make reading more comfortable.

What if I am not suitable for SUPRACOR, are there any other options for presbyopia correction?

If you are unsuitable for the SUPRACOR procedure, the following options are available:

• Multifocal/bifocal contact lenses
• Monovision-Laser vision correction on cornea for distance in one eye and near vision correction in other eye by creating myopia of -1.5 or 2d
• Multifocal/Trifocal/EDOFs Intraocular lenses that replace the eyes natural lens
• KAMRA™ Corneal Inlay for reading

What happens if I develop glaucoma or cataract a few years after the SUPRACOR procedure?

There is treatment for both glaucoma or cataract after SUPRACOR without any difficulty or compromise.

Are there any other side-effects of SUPRACOR?

You may experience some brief discomfort or visual disturbance after the treatment as you adjust to the change in vision.Your overall near and distance vision may need a few weeks to fully stabilise and rarely small spectacles power may be needed to refine the vision .Rarely the effect of Supracormay weaken over a period of time as a result of cornea remodelling .These eyes can be re-corrected if required.

What is the cost of laser presbyopicSupracor treatment ?

The cost of this day care procedure is 85000 to 95000/- INR for both eyes