About 20 years ago LASIK was introduced into mainstream society and has developed into a viable alternative to glasses and contact lens.

But what about reading glasses?

Those pesky things that people from about 40 years of age and older wear around their necks, leave on the nightstand, tuck away in purses, coat jackets and shirt pockets.

Without them, people have trouble reading the small type, the fine print, disclaimers, and warnings. Some people even have a problem reading from a menu.

“Excuse me. I left my reading glasses somewhere in this universe, and I’m hungry and would like to order. I can’t see the menu;” a real scenario played out daily in restaurants in every city in the nation. Oh, and the frustrating answer: “Here, use mine,” a stranger says from the next table. Polite? Yes, “but not today, thank you very much.”

In our 40s and 50s, we begin to experience a decline in our eyesight as our near vision becomes blurry, a condition called presbyopia (prez-bee-OH-peeah.)

Now imagine the day when technology allows those with presbyopia to forego the necessity of reading glasses. Just think virtually no more reading glasses, smudges, cleaning clothes, lens scratches, broken chains and, “where did I put those things.” No more glasses resting on the tip of your nose, a noted sacrament to aging. Then there’s the inevitable finger push or corner hand grip to reposition or remove your reading glasses, only to have them slip over and over again.

Well, that day has come. It’s called a KAMRA® inlay. The KAMRA inlay allows you to maintain a natural range of vision from near to far without blurry zones and offers a long-lasting performance to help you enjoy more freedom from reading glasses.

Virtually, no more reading glasses to see your wrist watch, computer screen, cell phone or a simple magazine. No more trying to get comfortable laying on your side trying to read a novel and no more feeling around the nightstand looking for your glasses as you continually knock things to the floor.

The KAMRA inlay allows you to maintain a natural range of vision from near to far without blurry zones and offers a long-lasting performance to help you enjoy virtually glasses-free vision.

You must have a thorough KAMRA inlay eye examination to see if you are a candidate for the procedure. The examination is a specialized eye examination that detects even the slightest onset of cataracts, measures dry eye and gives physicians of Ophthalmology another tool to provide patients with comprehensive eye care to customize an eye care plan for each individual.

So exactly what is a KAMRA inlay, how big is it and how does it work?

The KAMRA inlay sits in the first few layers of the eye known as the cornea. Smaller and thinner than a contact lens, the inlay is a mini-ring with an opening in the center. By using this pinhole effect, the inlay focuses light coming into your eye restoring near vision while maintaining distance vision without blurry zones.

The KAMRA inlay, developed by a privately held ophthalmic medical device company, develops and markets breakthrough technologies for the improvement of near vision. The Company’s proven, proprietary technology platforms use a small aperture – or pinhole – effect to allow only focused light rays to reach the retina and bring objects into clear focus. The result is unique, reliable and long-lasting performance.

KAMRA Inlay vs. Contact Lens

The actual inlay is 1/3 the size of a contact lens and ¼ the thickness of a human hair. The cornea protects the inlay from moving, so the patient doesn’t feel the inlay and if necessary, can be surgically removed. The allows the patient to see close up with the inlay and distance with the other eye. The KAMRA inlay is comprised of proven biocompatible material frequently used in a wide variety of eye and other medical implants.

The KAMRA inlay, recently approved in the United States, has been available for more than 6 years and is the number one prescribed corneal inlay in the world.

I predict that KAMRA’s near vision procedure will become the number one corneal inlay in the United States over the next few years. Baby Boomers and extended boomers are not your sit at home type people. They are active with a more energetic lifestyle.

As Generation X, those born between the early 1960s to the early 1980s, approach the age of reading glasses, I don’t see them tethered to reading glasses either. Technology will change the way we see.

Dr. Shah is a board certified ophthalmologist by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is Fellowship-trained in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery from the Louisiana State University. He currently has one of the largest practices in South Texas, with locations in Mission, McAllen, Weslaco, and Laredo Texas.