There’s a new option for people who suffer from extreme nearsightedness, whose world loses its crisp edge just a few inches from their noses. The first implantable lens for nearsightedness was approved Monday by the Food and Drug Administration.
A surgeon slips the lens through a small incision and implants it in front of the natural lens. Like a photographer swiveling a camera lens into focus, the tiny hard plastic lens works behind the scenes to help the eye create in-focus images.
An estimated 53 percent of Americans use contact lenses or eyeglasses to correct their vision.
The lens implant is designed to provide an alternative to glasses, contact lenses or Lasik surgery for people who have trouble seeing distant objects. Already in use in Europe, the lens is manufactured by Ophtec USA Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., under the trade name Artisan, which will be distributed by American Medical Optics under the Verisyse brand name.
The implanted lens “provides superior quality of vision, especially for individuals with high myopia,” said Rick McCarley, president and chief executive officer of Ophtec USA.
The lens implant, which will cost $3,000 to $4,000 per eye, is targeted at patients who, for various reasons, can’t get Lasik.
No more glasses?
A new lens that is implanted in the eye can improve vision for people who can’t see objects at a distance.
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Compiled from news services and edited by Patrick Olsen (polsen@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
