Could lens implants save your eyesight?

It may sound like science fiction but more and more people are opting to bin their reading glasses in favour of having artificial plastic lens implants inserted into their eyes instead. The procedure is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst middle aged people who want to avoid the possible onset of presbyopia, or the deterioration of sight related to age. It sounds too good to be true, surely if it really works it could be the end to all our vision worries?

The idea of having your natural lenses taken out of your eyes and replaced with a small piece of plastic might not be one for the squeamish, but in fact the procedure works surprisingly well. The number of patients opting for the surgery has doubled since 2004, with most people reporting that the implants have made a huge difference to their sight, often meaning they no longer need to wear their prescription glasses at all.

So how does it work? Well, the natural lenses in the eye often stiffen with age, losing their ability to bend and focus properly. The implant procedure removes the natural lens from the eye and replaces it with an Intraocular lens, which uses the muscles of the eye to mimic normal lens movements and enhance the eye’s optical abilities. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes – the patient is given a local anaesthetic then a small incision is made to remove the old lens and insert the new one.

Lens implants as a preventative measure are not yet available on the NHS and the cost of the private procedure is not cheap, usually falling between £2,500 and £3,000 per eye. But when you think about it, being able to see both near and far without being dependant on glasses, escape from the discomfort of wearing them, or even being able to wear stylish designer sunglasses without having to worry about buying prescription lenses could actually be worth it!