lasering eyes

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Mr James McAllister
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 5:48 pm
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by Mr James McAllister on Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:03 pm

Re: lasering eyes

Hi not so good eyes.
This a good question and i'll try to give you a clear answer.
As you have good distance vision and ( I presume healthy eyes ), you would love to be able to read without searching for a pair of glasses. as I'm sure you know the transparent lens of our eye gets less elastic
and so can't change shape so easily. this process called presbyopia starts at about 45 and each 2 or 3 years we tend to need a slightly more converging spectacle lens to make near vision comfortable.
There are several solutions and always remember this is a normal change at not a disease!
Reading spectacles is one and most people buy a plus 1.00 or1.25 over the counter to start with and thats
quite harmless assuming healthy eyes.
some people, and you seeTV news readers doing this wear a contact lens in front of one eye for reading.
This can work happily but is not for everyone.
Using an excimer laser the shape the cornea (transparent window at the front of the eye) can be altered.
usually this is for people who are quite short sighted or myopic and gives them clear vision from early 20's to mid forties. T his is done by flattening the cornea.
If like you they are not short sighted then the cornea can be made more convex or steepened slightly harder but it works. However the lens of the eye will go on changing so in 2 or 3 years the need for spectacle correction will start to occur again.
Finally the lens of the eye can be changed (just as with a cataract) . A big subject and that sort of surgery
on a healthy eye is ethically debatable.
quite a lot to take in,but sight in all of us is so precious. I suggest start with half frame readers and if need be have chat with your optician about trying a contact lens.
I Hope that helps a bit.
Mr James McAllister
Ophthalmic Surgeon

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