LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Blog at Eye Surgery USA

What are Corneal Inlays and Corneal Onlays?

Corrective Eye procedures have come along way from the developement of bi-focals. First there were corrective glasses, then with the advent of contact lenses, those who needed corrective lenses to see were given a new, better way to see without klunky, often unattractive frames. In the 1990's, corrective laser surgery (PKR) was developed and it took corrective eye surgery to a new level: no more contact lenses or messy cleaning solutions to buy. This technology and its successor, LASIK have helped millions see better, more comfortably.

Laser technology is poised to take another leap - Corneal Inlays and Onlays.

Corneal inlays and onlays are small lenses made of biocompatible materials that are similar to the clear surface of the eye. As opposed to LASIK and PRK, where laser energy reshapes the outermost part of the eye (cornea) to alter the way light rays enter the eye, corneal inlays or onlays are inserted just below the eye's surface. Laser energy is used to shape this artificial material instead of the eye itself, so that corneal inlays or onlays work much like contact lenses to correct vision, however, these devices never require regular removal or ongoing care. They are designed to seamlessly blend in with the eye's surface.

Perhaps no other group of people could be served better by Corneal Inlays and Onlays than older people. Oftentimes, LASIK and PRK don't work for older people and eye surgeons are reluctant to perform these procedures on the older population. Corneal Inlays and Onlays on the other hand, can be a safe alternative to LASIK and PRK because the eye’s natural surface tissue is virtually untouched.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved this technology, if current and future clinical trials prove successful, these devices may soon represent a new chapter in vision correction surgery.

Labels: Blade-Less LASIK, corneal onlays, PRK

 

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