Gel Injection to Replace Bifocal Contacts?

naturallygood · #1 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 01:44 PM

I just read an article about a new technique that's being worked on to help people with presbyopia. It involves the removal of the stiff old natural lens and injecting a gel-like polymer in its place which acts more like a fresh, young lens.

Does anybody have more details about this exciting idea?

guru · #2 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 12:59 PM

Sorry, i don't have any idea .

naturallygood · #3 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 04:45 PM

Still no more takers for the polymer lens thing, huh?

skatss · #4 (**permalink**) 04-27-2009, 04:21 PM

I haven't heard of anything like this but I wonder if it's worth doing. Before I would have an operation that replaces anything in my eyes I would look long and hard into it. The last thing I want to do is to cause more problems than I already have. What is the point of the operation? Is it just so you won't have to wear glasses any longer or for something more serious?

Earthshock · #5 (**permalink**) 04-28-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skatss

I haven't heard of anything like this but I wonder if it's worth doing. Before I would have an operation that replaces anything in my eyes I would look long and hard into it. The last thing I want to do is to cause more problems than I already have. What is the point of the operation? Is it just so you won't have to wear glasses any longer or for something more serious?

I'm not an eye surgeon, but I'll try to answer your question, just to be a good virtual neighbor.

It sounds like this is a last-ditch effort to save someone's eyesight. If their natural lenses have pretty much been destroyed it might be a good idea to replace them with gel injections. Although the idea of someone sticking a needle in my eye creeps me out no end.

naturallygood · #6 (**permalink**) 11-03-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earthshock

I'm not an eye surgeon, but I'll try to answer your question, just to be a good virtual neighbor.

It sounds like this is a last-ditch effort to save someone's eyesight. If their natural lenses have pretty much been destroyed it might be a good idea to replace them with gel injections. Although the idea of someone sticking a needle in my eye creeps me out no end.

Yeah, the whole idea of an injection in your eye is rather horrifying. I think you're right about it being a "last-ditch effort."

Earthshock · #7 (**permalink**) 01-20-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naturallygood

Yeah, the whole idea of an injection in your eye is rather horrifying. I think you're right about it being a "last-ditch effort."

I would hope so, especially of it's a choice between wearing bifocals or someone sticking a needle in my eye. I'd go for the specs myself.

naturallygood · #8 (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 02:47 PM

You said it. For a surgeon to actually want to remove a patient's lens it would have to mean that their own natural lens was pretty much destroyed, so even if the artificial lens doesn't give very good vision, it would have to be an improvement, wouldn't it? I can't imagine a gel that I could see through well enough that it could be in my eyes and I could still read the paper, presumably.