Acufocus
The AcuFocus ACI 7000™
The AcuFocus ACI 7000™ is a corneal inlay designed to treat presbyopia. Presbyopia, a normal process of aging, is a condition that affects more than 50 million people in the United States. This condition affects the ability of the eye to focus on near objects. Until now, most people with presbyopia have had to resort to eyeglasses to improve their near vision. Reading glasses allow people with presbyopia to see objects that are near. However, many people don’t like their appearance in reading glasses and dislike their dependence on spectacles for close vision.
The new AcuFocus™ ACI 7000 implant blocks out unfocused light and only allows focused light to reach the retina. This makes close objects clear. This simple procedure helps people with presbyopia move beyond glasses. The AcuFocus corneal inlay is designed to treat presbyopia in all patients. It does not exclude those who have had cataract surgery. Dr. Ellis and his team will be happy to discuss your eligibility in further detail.
The ACI 7000 corneal inlay is an implant. It is inserted into the cornea beneath a LASIK flap. This is a simple procedure done on an outpatient basis at the Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center. The procedure does not involve removing tissue or altering the cornea. The ACI 7000 has been designed to maintain normal corneal physiology and corneal health. The inlay uses technology that increases the patient’s depth of field, resulting in improved near vision. If the implant were to be removed, pre-implant vision can be restored. Following your procedure at the Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center in the greater San Francisco area and throughout northern California, you should notice an improvement in your near vision. Your near vision while reading or working at the computer should continue to improve over the next six months.
Trials are currently being conducted to study the ACI 7000 in patients with intraocular lenses. Recently conducted studies have demonstrated that the ACI 7000 improves near vision in patients who previously didn’t require vision correction as well as those who have had previous procedures such as LASIK surgery. The AcuFocus corneal inlay shows great promise. As of this time, in January 2008, it is still in US FDA studies.
New Frontiers in the Treatment of Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the natural deterioration of a patient’s near vision. Presbyopia is part of the eyes natural aging process and happens to everyone when they are old enough. The process typically starts in someone’s early forties with simple reading vision problems. Presbyopic patients will require bifocal glasses or contact lenses in order to see at all distances. Presbyopia is often referred to as a final frontier in vision correction because it is difficult to completely treat. Many presbyopic patients think that laser vision correction is a good option if performed using the monovision technique in which one eye is corrected for near vision and the other for distance. However, other methods than monovision can be used to treat presbyopia. By using the AcuFocus intracorneal inlay, or an accommodative lens or a multifocal IOL with refractive lens exchange, presbyopia can be reduced and even successfully eliminated in many cases. Your expectations for eliminating glasses will need to be discussed with your surgeon.
Alternative Surgical Options
With the recent advancements in ophthalmology and optics technology, there are many options to correct myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia. Only your qualified ophthalmologist will understand which option is best for you. If you are myopic laser vision correction or LASIK eye surgery may be a better option. If you are mildly hyperopic the NearVision CK might be a good option. Please feel free to visit the LASIK eye surgery page for more information.
Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center is dedicated to providing the best possible vision correction solutions for our patients. The experience and dedication of Dr. Ellis make him and our center a clear choice for vision correction alternatives. If you are seeking vision correction and have been told that LASIK is the only option please feel free to consult us for a second opinion. The best vision correction outcomes do occur with an informed patient and discussion of what option would be best.
AcuFocus for patients who have had LASIK but desire improved reading vision
FDA STATUS: The AcuFocus ACI 7000 medical device is presently undergoing clinical investigation under a US and Food and Drug clinical protocol and has not been approved for general use. When approval comes it is a relatively simple procedure to insert the AcuFocus ACI 7000 corneal inlay under a LASIK flap. Even if LASIK surgery was performed several years prior, in most cases it is a simple procedure to lift the LASIK flap and place the AcuFocus ACI 7000 corneal inlay underneath it. This means that people who have had LASIK for distance vision may in the future undergo AcuFocus ACI 7000 corneal implantation for improved near vision. Of course, all of us are awaiting FDA APPROVAL before this procedure can be performed. In the opinion of Dr. Ellis FDA approval for the AcuFocus ACI 7000 implant is an excellent possibility that may allow former LASIK patients to be able to see at both near and far distances.
