KAMRA

The Kamra inlay and the KAMRA procedure from Focus is a genuine medical breakthrough.

 

The KAMRA Inlay

For years at Focus we've been pioneering laser eye surgery and eye surgery in general from CK many years ago right through to our blended vision treatments. The Z Kamra treatment to allow people to get rid of their reading glasses is the most exciting development we've seen yet.

The Kamra inlay is a tiny device only 3.8mm in diameter. It’s smaller than a contact lens, lighter than a grain of salt and is virtually invisible when inserted but can change your life. It offers effortless natural vision – by having the inlay implanted you will be able to have great near vision for reading menus, text messages and so on but you will also retain your distance vision. For the first time ever there is a definitive treatment for reading vision problems that have been the bane of so many people’s lives for so long.The Kamra inlay itself is an opaque disc with a tiny opening of only 1.6mm in the centre. There are also 8400 micro-openings along the surface of the inlay to help maintain a healthy cornea. To find out more about this incredible procedure call us on 0207 307 8250.

1. Near Vision: The KAMRA inlay will restore good near vision and so allow you to read once again without glasses.

2. Distance Vision: The KAMRA inlay can achieve this excellent near vision while simultaneously maintaining good distance vision in this eye, typically 20/20 vision.

3. Intermediate Vision: The optical properties of the inlay also mean that intermediate vision, between 2 and 8 feet away, also remains good. This is unlike previous treatments for presbyopia, such as monovision (one eye corrected for near and the other for far), with a dip in the intermediate range where objects are not seen clearly.

4. Lifespan: The same inlay will work for a 45-year-old and a 70-year-old, even though the latter has much worse new vision than the younger patient. This means a long predicted lifespan of the benefits you will get from your KAMRA inlay, no matter what your age. Clinical trials have shown no deterioration whatsoever in reading ability over several years in eyes with the KAMRA inlay, whereas eyes without the inlay show a measurable decline in near vision over the same period.

KAMRA in numbers:

1.5 billion number of people worldwide who need reading glasses

100 percentage of people who will suffer from presbyopia in their lifetime

23 million Britons who wear glasses for reading

45 average age to first need reading glasses

1.6 diameter in mm of the KAMRA aperture, the thickness of a 1p piece

5 thickness in microns of the inlay, thinner than a singe red blood cell

60 millionths of a gram is the weight of the inlay, less than a grain of salt

8400 number of micro-holes within the KAMRA inlay ring to allow nutrients to flow through

6000 number of KAMRA inlays implanted as of September 2011

25 number of clinics now offering KAMRA

4600 cost in pounds to have Z-KAMRA vision correction 

The KAMRA Vision Procedure

The KAMRA vision procedure, known as Z-KAMRA, takes less than 15 minutes for both eyes, and is only available from FOCUS. This specialist treatment costs £5200 which includes our lifetime aftercare (T&C apply).

Z-KAMRA is often simultaneously combined with our Z-LASIK procedure, in order to correct any distance vision problems at the same time as restoring near vision. This means that you will get the best distance, intermediate and near vision that we can provide. In this case, after creating the LASIK corneal flap and using the excimer laser to correct any vision problems, the KAMRA inlay is placed and correctly positioned prior to laying the LASIK flap back down. This flap thus ensures that the KAMRA inlay is safely positioned inside the cornea, under the flap, and will not move.

For some patients no simultaneous LASIK is required and in this case the KAMRA inlay can be inserted through a special laser-created pocket at the edge of the cornea. This has the added benefit of not disturbing the central corneal surface and helps avoid corneal dryness post operatively.

Who is KAMRA Vision Suitable For?

If you wear glasses for reading then you are a candidate for Z-KAMRA and the benefits of KAMRA vision. The same eye and general health criteria that we consider in suitability for LASIK laser eye surgery also apply to Z-KAMRA, so if you are not a candidate for LASIK because of e.g. an irregular shaped cornea, very dry eyes, extreme prescription, then you will not be a candidate for Z-KAMRA.

However, anyone who is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery and who wears reading glasses may be an excellent candidate for the benefits of Z-KAMRA.

Please call FOCUS on 0207 307 8250 to discuss your suitability.

Presbyopia (prez-bee-oh-pee-ah)

If you need glasses to be able to read then you already know about the debilitating effects of presbyopia, the age-related loss of new vision. The word "presbyopia" comes from Greek and literally means "old eyes". This less than flattering but accurate term describes the most common visual disability in the world, affecting 1.5 billion people.

Presbyopia appears to come on quite quickly, and people describing able to read one week but not the next. So quite quick you can find yourself moving from managing perfectly well to being fully dependent on reading glasses.

What are the effects of presbyopia? The problems arise usually during the 40s with people having to hold text or object further away to be able to see them clearly. People will prefer a bright light to be able to read. Eventually as symptoms progress the arms will simply not be long enough and magnifying glasses must be worn for simple activities such as reading a newspaper, seeing a number of text message on a mobile phone, reading the label while shopping or deciding what to eat from a menu.