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Intracorneal inlay shows good results, spectacle independence

Issue: February 2019

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ATHENS, Greece — Implantation of the Presbia Flexivue Microlens showed good results at 6 months in a group of patients and may be a good option for spectacle-free everyday life, according to one surgeon.

“Although many people say that the cornea should not be the place where you correct presbyopia, which is a problem of the lens, we are still interested in this option, which has good visual outcomes and is reversible,” Thomas Kohnen, MD, PhD, said at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Winter Meeting.

After contact lens testing, the inlay was implanted in the nondominant eye of 25 emmetropic patients with presbyopia requiring between +1.5 D and +3.5 D addition on the spectacle plane.

A femtosecond laser pocket was created in the corneal stroma via a temporal opening, using a Ziemer femtosecond laser.

“The implant is very thin and tiny, and needs to be handled with extreme care. You place it over the first Purkinje image, in the center of the cornea; then you clean up the tunnel from the debris and leave it there. In the first few patients we used a contact lens to cover the entrance, but I think it is unnecessary,” Kohnen said.

An increase in uncorrected near visual acuity was achieved in the nondominant eye and maintained over the 6-month period. In the same eye there was a loss of distance vision, which regressed slightly over time. Binocular distance vision, however, was as good as before surgery, Kohnen said.

Two patients required explanation due to optical phenomena.

“Optical phenomena may occur, and also a slight stromal haze, but over time the cornea tends to clear up,” Kohnen said. “We are going to follow up these patients and present results at 1, 2 and hopefully 3 years.” – by Michela Cimberle

Reference:

Kohnen T, et al. Correcting presbyopia with a bifocal intracorneal implant: six-month results. Presented at: ESCRS Winter Meeting; Feb. 15-17, 2019; Athens, Greece.
Disclosure: Kohnen reports he is a consultant for Presbia.