Presbyopia is one of the most common visual disorders that affect 100% of the population at some point of their lives. It is an evolutionary phenomenon that begins after the forth decade of life, due to the hardening of the eye’s focusing elements.
The person who suffers presbyopia loses the ability to see clearly up close, although they can have a good distance vision.
With the new surgical techniques, it is possible to work again using the computer without headaches or to read a newspaper without leaving it unread.
Prezbytec: New procedure with laser
Zaldivar Institute has incorporated the latest technology developed in the world to correct the presbyopia.
It’s a new revolutionary procedure, that combines the best acquired experience in optical engineering and corneal surface treatment in which Dr Roberto Zaldivar has been a pioneer and has participated in its development.
This surgical treatment option presents innumerable benefits with regard to procedures that have been used in the last 30 years.
Some of the most important ones:
- Improves near vision.
- Allows correcting in combination other visual problems such as myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia.
- Uses dual-laser technology and optimized asphericity.
- The only with dynamic rotational eye tracker.
- It’s ideal for people between 40 and 56 years old.
- Custom made treatment for each patient.
Another solution: Multifocal Premium Lenses, a new generation of implants.
An integral and personalized solution for visual problems
There are different models: Intraocular contact lens (ICL), multifocal and accommodative lenses for the presbyopia and toric models.
What are Premium Lenses?
Premium Lenses represent a new generation of intraocular implants, with revolutionary designs, that allow the patient to be free from using glasses for most daily activities.
There are different models: Intraocular contact lens (ICL), for young people with myopia or hyperopia, the multifocal and accommodative lenses for the presbyopia and toric models for each one of them (ICL, multifocal) to correct the astigmatism.
With the use of multifocal intraocular implants, the quality of the patients’ life improved notably, since it allowed them to see far and near simultaneously, without the need to look above the glasses or having to change them constantly.
Although the multifocality concept has been known since years ago, at present time multifocal intraocular lens technology has achieved such a degree of sophistication and precision that allow us to reach technological alternatives increasingly more efficient.
These intraocular lenses can correct not only presbyopia, but also the preexistent myopia or hyperopia and in some cases, astigmatism.
Many people can enjoy the benefits of these new implants.
Sólo hay que cumplir ciertos requisitos para ser candidatos; por eso resulta vital la consulta con el especialista y los estudios previos que él indique.
It is very important to consult a specialist and make suggested previous studies in order to observe if the patient is eligible.
Once completed the consultation and studies, the technique to be applied is determined in a personalized way.
The surgery is done in minutes.
In almost all cases the procedures are relatively fast and painless, with a very effective socio labor reintegration.
Refractive and intraocular surgeries are performed by Roberto Zaldivar MD, a world leader in refractive surgery.
ICL and BIOPTICS (bioptics = extreme magnification)
INTRAOCULAR CONTACT LENS – ICL
During the last few years, and in a permanent way, surgical techniques to correct the majority of refractive defects have been developed.
To decide the type of refractive surgery, the most important factors to consider are the magnitude of the refractive defects, the characteristics of the eye to be treated and the patient’s age.
Young patients with mild to moderate defects and with a normal corneal thickness, the most appropriate techniques are those that utilize the laser on the cornea, like the iLASIK. This combines the new femtosecond laser with the excimer laser, being useful to treat patients with myopia and hypermetropiaopia with or without associated astigmatism.
In patients with very high defects or varying degrees of crystalline lens opacity (secondary to cataract, myopia, metabolic diseases, trauma, etc.), the solution is achieved with intraocular implant (IOL) called IOL Premium. In these cases, the previous cataract is resolved with implants that replace the crystalline lens, but at the same time and according to the conditions, the pre-existing refractive errors can be corrected improving the patient’s visual quality. When these patients also present astigmatism, the use of the new toric implants or the femtosecond laser allows a better resolution of the visual problem.
Nevertheless, there are young patients in whom the laser is inadvisable for some reason, and, at their young age, the extraction of the crystalline can derive, needlessly, in the loss of near vision. This motivated us to participate in the development of intraocular lenses that are placed without removing the crystalline lens.
What’s the contact intraocular lens, called ICL?
The ICL is an intraocular lens that was designed to correct myopia or hyperopia in young patients, and would allow them to maintain the ability to see near without making any correction.
Our experience with this Premium lens dates back to 1993, when Dr. Roberto Zaldivar became one of the leading surgeons involved in the development not only of the ICL lens but also in the implantation technique. For this scientific merit Dr. Roberto Zaldivar has received international recognition.
In what cases is recommended?
The ICL is directed to young patients in whom the procedure with laser is insufficient to correct the refractive defect or when the corneal thickness is not suitable for the correction with laser.
Modus operandi
The procedure is outpatient with topical anesthesia and painless, so the person can quickly return to normal tasks, obviously with some care during the postoperative period. It is important to point out that it is not necessary to apply general anesthesia to perform this operation. After previous local anesthesia with drops, the lens is inserted rolled up through a small incision of 2.8 to 3 millimeters.
Once inside the eye the lens unfolds (unrolls) alone and the surgeon proceeds to place it in its proper place, which is behind the iris and in front of the crystalline. Hence its name: phakic posterior chamber lenses (Fig. 3).
After surgery, the patient needs to rest for few hours and return later, the same day of the operation, for the first medical control. Next day the patient returns for another check up, and has to come back to control at one month, 6 months and a one year.
TORIC ICL (Intraocular Contact Lens)
Contact lens Toric implant: Personalized for your eyes.
The Toric ICL can correct most refractive problems (myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia), where laser treatment is not indicated, for example, mild to high myopia or hyperopia, and/or astigmatism, thin cornea, or dry eye among the most notable cases.
The implantation of a toric ICL is considered a painless and outpatient surgery . After surgery, few hours later, the patient can return home and resume his/her activities.
Advantage:
- It corrects defects in cases that laser treatment is not indicated.
- It is soft and small.
- It is invisible.
- It corrects different visual defects in a single procedure.
- The design is biocompatible: the ICL is designed to remain in the eye but ,if necessary,it can be removed.
The ICL has been available since 1993. More than 55,000 lenses have been implanted, with a high level of patient satisfaction.
Bioptics (two optics)
This combined technique was developed entirely by Dr. Roberto Zaldivar. It was presented to the scientific community in April 1996, during the ICL International Seminar held in our Institute in the presence of refractive surgeons from different parts of the world.
Skill
This procedure combines various refractive techniques that fall into two different optical plans: the corneal and intraocular, since the modern optical physics has shown that visual quality can improve significantly when correction is ”distributed” in two different plans, either in sequential form or differed in time.
For this reason, at present time, the Laser can be associated with Premium intraocular lenses to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia.
The visual recovery is fast, the care is simple and the patient is able to return to his normal life in a short time.
