For many people, getting older brings a catalogue of vision problems that make everyday tasks such as reading and driving a challenge.
Now a lens implant that mimics the working of a youthful eye is giving sight back to people struggling with cataracts, astigmatism, or long and short-sightedness. It is the first lens that corrects for all types of vision problems and can be inserted in a simple operation. It works at any distance and in any light conditions, acting more like a camera zoom than other multi-focal lenses which have three distinct points of focus.
Susan Wright, 57, a charity consultant from Macclesfield, Cheshire, is one of the first people in the world to test the implant. She had surgery on both eyes six weeks ago.
Wright suffered from cataracts and struggled to see objects up close which made driving almost impossible and working at a computer difficult. "Now my mid and long-range vision is absolutely excellent and I have been told my short range vision will continue to improve. Colours are much brighter and everything is sharper."
The lenses are made of plastic and should never need to be replaced. Users have the added benefits that after cataracts have been removed, they will not develop again. Previous multi-focal lenses which can correct near and far vision have produced halo bursts and glare and there is a notable jump when switching focus rather than the smooth focus of a natural eye. The new implants have tiny circular grooves which change the way light is bent, a little like a series of concentric contact lenses of different strengths, allowing for a relatively seamless change when shifting focus. The new lenses also allow more light to get through so that colours are easier to distinguish.
