Eyeworld

EW FEATURE 35 Corneal inlays for presbyopia gain momentum T he KAMRA corneal inlay (AcuFocus, Irvine, Calif.) is beginning to ride an inter- national tide. Just 2 years ago patients in Japan who had received the KAMRA to help correct their presbyopia were practi- cally non-existent, according to Minoru Tomita, M.D., executive di- rector, Shinagawa LASIK Center, Tokyo. Back then Dr. Tomita was performing just 30 to 50 cases per month. His monthly tally has since blossomed to more than 600. In Japan today approximately 4,000 cases with the KAMRA have been completed. Likewise in Europe the technol- ogy is building a head of steam, finds Michael C. Knorz, M.D., pro- fessor of ophthalmology, Heidelberg University, Manheim, Germany. He touts how well-received the proce- dure has been. "I practice in the most conservative country in Eu- rope—Germans are always slow to accept new surgical techniques as they want long-term results," he said. "Still I have had a lot of posi- tive feedback, and the KAMRA is es- tablished as a routine technique in my practice." Dr. Knorz finds that the device can be a particularly attractive ad- junct to LASIK. "The KAMRA offers an option to correct presbyopia when combined with a well-estab- lished laser surgery—LASIK," he said. While popular in pure presby- opes, the KAMRA is even more im- portant for presbyopic myopes and hyperopes, he thinks. Dr. Tomita agreed that LASIK can be a powerful engine here. Dubbed SIM-LASIK, the procedure allows patients to seamlessly add near vision. "Usually we're doing 12,000 LASIK procedures every month," he said. When told they can get both distance and near, some happily pay the additional money, he finds. New challenges The inlay, which is generally im- planted monocularly, relies on pin- February 2011 December 2011 What's ahead in 2012 by Maxine Lipner Senior EyeWorld Contributing Editor KAMRA corneal inlay: Pinpointing success near and far An ASCRS Membership For every stage of your career Established Anterior Segment Ophthalmologists Mid-career is perhaps the most challenging period for today's ophthalmologist. The clinical and technological changes have never come faster and the regulatory concerns have never been greater. ASCRS' Annual Sympo- sium and Winter Update offer the education and networking needed to help your practice excel, and our ASCRS MediaCenter provides targeted online content addressing the issues most pressing to you. ASCRS' monthly Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports on all aspects of anterior segment surgery, and our meetings are focused, well-organized, and highly interactive. eyeCONNECT, ASCRS' online clinical service, lets you share questions and answers with like-minded peers in a private and supportive environment. ASCRS' commitment to fostering excellence through collaborative exchange is unmatched by any other ophthalmic organization. The Society for Surgeons AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033 • 703-591-2220 • www.ASCRS.org Join ASCRS today! Whether you're just beginning or experienced in cataract and refractive surgery, ASCRS is the professional society that's right for every stage of your career. New Ad series-FINAL_ASCRS seriews ads 12/1/11 2:51 PM Page 2 continued on page 36 AT A GLANCE • Internationally the KAMRA inlay has gained popularity • A new implantation system allows for centration within 1 micron • SIM-LASIK outcomes allow a wide range of presbyopic patients excellent distance and near acuity

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