AAO: New Presbyopia Treatment Options Highlighted
TUESDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- New treatment options for presbyopia currently available in Europe may soon be available in the United States, according to clinical research presented at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 16 to 19 in Chicago.
Ioannis G. Pallikaris, M.D., of the University Hospital of Crete in Greece, and colleagues implanted a new type of micro-lens, the Flexivue, in the corneas of 15 patients with presbyopia who were followed for 12 months after surgery. During the follow-up period, the investigators found that vision remained stable in both eyes in all patients, with patient selection a key factor for implant success.
Daniel S. Durrie, M.D., of Durrie Vision in Overland Park, Kan., reported on three years of clinical trial results for 153 patients implanted with a corneal inlay, either a 5- or 10-micron-thick AcuFocus lens. Near vision was improved in the 5-micron group (20/20) and the 10-micron group (20/25), with distance vision preserved in the eye with the implanted corneal inlay. In another study, Mike P. Holzer, M.D., of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, presented two-year follow-up data on INTRACOR presbyopia correction in 25 patients who showed significant improvement in near vision without glasses and preservation of distance vision.
"The procedure is painless, and because no tissue is removed, the risk of infection is extremely low and the body does not need to mount a strong healing response," Holzer said in a statement. "The cornea is not weakened, as it can be with other types of refractive surgery. Patients' vision improved within hours of the procedure and remained stable over the follow-up period."
Pallikaris disclosed serving on the medical advisory board of Presbia, maker of Flexivue, while Durrie serves as a clinical investigator for AcuFocus and other optical companies. Holzer disclosed receiving consulting fees from Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH.
