Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Refractive Surgical Correction for Presbyopia and Exploring Postoperative Visual Acuity
Published on: September 20, 2024
Through-focus performance with a corneal shape-changing inlay: One-year results.
Jeffrey Whitman1, John Hovanesian1, Roger F Steinert1
1From the Key-Whitman Eye Center (Whitman), Dallas, and the Cullen Eye Institute (Koch), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Harvard Eye Associates (Hovanesian), Laguna Hills, and the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute (Steinert), University of California, Irvine, California; Science in Vision (Potvin), Akron, New York, USA.
This study shows that a corneal inlay significantly improves near and intermediate vision for presbyopia patients without compromising distance vision. Patients experienced better reading acuity and overall satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Corneal Surgery
- Vision Science
Background:
- Presbyopia, an age-related condition, reduces the eye's ability to focus on near objects.
- Current treatments for presbyopia include reading glasses, multifocal contact lenses, and refractive surgery.
- Corneal inlays offer a potential surgical solution to restore near and intermediate vision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a corneal inlay in improving through-focus acuity and visual function.
- To assess changes in visual acuity at distance, intermediate, and near after inlay implantation.
- To determine the impact of the inlay on patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial was conducted at two US clinical practices.
- Emmetropic patients with presbyopia received the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay in their non-dominant eye.
- Visual functions, including defocus curves, required reading addition, contrast sensitivity, and visual acuity, were measured preoperatively and at 1-year postoperatively.
Main Results:
- One year post-implantation, distance-corrected near acuity improved by over 3 lines, with 97% of patients achieving uncorrected visual acuity of 20/32 or better at all distances.
- The inlay enabled functional vision across a 3.50 diopter range of defocus, with a mean reduction of 1.60 D in the required reading addition.
- No significant changes in binocular contrast sensitivity were observed, but overall patient satisfaction was high.
Conclusions:
- The corneal inlay effectively enhances functional vision at intermediate and near distances in emmetropic presbyopia patients.
- The inlay provides a significant increase in the range of functional vision without compromising distance visual acuity.
- This corneal inlay represents a promising option for managing presbyopia, improving near and intermediate vision with high patient satisfaction.
