The FDA recently approved the implant device, called the KAMRA inlay. “The procedure is for people who feel young and look young, but who are reminded of their age every time they reach for their reading glasses,” says Tom Tooma, MD, the principal investigator of the device’s clinical trials for FDA approval and founder of NVISION Eye Centers. MORE: 7 Daily Habits That Are Sapping Your Energy Here’s how the procedure is done: The same type of laser used for LASIK surgery creates a pocket in the cornea, the clear outermost layer of one’s eye. The implant, an opaque, ring-shaped device, is inserted into this pocket. “If the cornea was a 500-page book, the KAMRA inlay would be inserted at page 200,” Tooma explains. The device then blocks the unfocused light rays while allowing only the focused light rays to enter through a small opening in the center of the KAMRA inlay, which allows for clearer vision. This process is similar to how a camera sharpens an image at a distance, near and everywhere in between. It’s the same reason we sometimes squint to see things clearer. And the KAMRA inlay is only necessary for one eye, to improve the vision problem without affecting how both eyes work together, so it doesn’t affect depth perception. (Looking for more ways to stay young and sharp? Check out Heal Your Whole Body and learn how to lose up to 13 pounds in just a few short weeks!) This is an exciting advancement for people who want an alternative to reading glasses or who find contact lenses uncomfortable, says Jonathan Talamo, MD, an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School who is unaffiliated with the device. “After a few weeks, or even less, you won’t know anything is there,” he says of the implant. And if it works, it works well: In a survey of patients who received the device during the research phase, 92% said they no longer needed reading glasses, 6% said they needed reading glasses sometimes, and only 2% still relied on their reading glasses frequently. Bonus: the vision-sharpening effects also don’t wear off over time. MORE: 9 Things No One Ever Tells You About Getting A Hip Replacement So far, more than 20,000 KAMRA inlays have been used around the world, Tooma says, but it’s not for everyone. You might be stuck with reading glasses if you have severely dry eyes, or have uncontrolled glaucoma or diabetes. There are also possible side effects, like dry eye, glare, or blurry vision, although Tooma says these are “exceedingly rare.” For anyone who does experience serious side effects, the KAMRA inlay can be removed. And most of the time—but not always—the symptoms go away after removal. Now that the implant is available to the general public (although not covered by insurance), you’ll want to find a professional to perform the procedure. “Surgical technique is absolutely critical, knowing not just how to put the implant in the eye but also where to put it with respect to the pupil. If it’s off center it’s not going to work as well,” Talamo says. “Seek out someone who is an experienced corneal refractive surgeon, with a good reputation as a LASIK surgeon.”
