London clinic develops 10-minute operation to 'freeze' failing eyesight

12 April 2012

A ten-minute procedure which will give hope to millions with failing eyesight has been developed at a London clinic.

The keyhole operation "freezes" vision in time so the eyes effectively become immune to the ageing process. The treatment, Keyhole Kamra surgery, ends the need for reading glasses.

Doctors create a "pocket" in the cornea then insert animplant which is thinner than a red blood cell.

The implant, or inlay, acts like a pinhole camera by reducing the amount of light that is allowed through, restoring the vision to normal in the same way as reading glasses. This is because only light beams which produce the sharpest images are allowed through.

It has been pioneered by Dr David Allamby at the Focus Laser Vision clinic in Wimpole Street. More than 20 million people in the UK suffer from age-related long sight, or presbyopia. This includes those aged over 40 even if their eyesight has previously been normal.

The lens of the eye loses its ability to focus on near objects as a natural result of ageing. Scientists believe this is because the lens loses its elasticity.

The technique costs from under £3,000 per eye. It is a keyhole version of Z Kamra, which has been done on about 6,000 patients, where doctors cut a "flap" into the eye.

This new version is less invasive, which means treatment and recovery times are much faster. Karen McClennan was one of the first patients to undergo Keyhole Kamra this month.

The former hedge fund manager, who lives in central London, has been wearing glasses since she was seven.

Ms McClennan, 51, found it a struggle giving presentations without resorting to reading glasses.

The glasses made the mother-of-three feel self-conscious and also got in the way of her hobbies such as sports and scuba diving.

Dr Allamby said the procedure was the first time a permanent solution to ageing eyes had been available in the UK. He said: "This is a massive step forward for people who think reading glasses are the only way for them. It provides immunity from visual ageing and freezes time on the ageing process. It also works for everyone who suffers from age-related vision problems.

"This means that someone aged 70 will have the same eyesight as a 17-year-old forever."

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