Presbyopia and LASIK surgery
Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the crystalline lens of the eye begins to harden and lose flexibility, making it difficult to focus on objects up close. Presbyopia usually occurs around or after the age of 40, which is why it is sometimes referred to as age-related farsightedness. It is a normal part of the aging process, and the effects tend to increase over time.
Presbyopia is a condition where the eye is drastically unable to focus on near objects. Specialists point to the loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens in the ciliary muscles as what causes presbyopia. The symptoms are commonly due to aging, hence the name which comes from the Greek work “presbys” meaning “old person”. People over the age of 40 normally start to experience presybopia.
It is a normal sign of aging, like wrinkles and gray hair. However, also like gray hair and wrinkles, a lot choose to correct this sign of aging, and consider having LASIK surgery.
But patients need to understand how LASIK works for them to realize that LASIK cannot correct presbyopia. LASIK reshapes the cornea of the eye, which would then result to a clearer vision for the patient. LASIK cannot correct presybopia because it doesn’t affect the eye’s muscles. However, there is another procedure used to correct presbyopia, monovision treatment.