All of us will experience some degree of age-related farsightedness (Presbyopia) or trouble focusing on nearby objects as we hit our forties.
Dr Daya Sharma, Corneal, Cataract and Refractive surgeon from Eye & Laser Surgeons in Sydney, was on our radio show last Sunday. He says while laser surgery is often recommended for younger people, it can give you back that close-up range if you’re 50 or over.
In fact, one of the most common procedures in the world now is Lasik – and it’s not as painful as many people would think, Dr Sharma tells us.
A laser is used to make a flap in the cornea which requires some pressure on the eye – similar to a thumb being pressed down. But sedation and eye drops are used to numb the eye, and he says most people are surprised by how comfortable the procedure is.
Ditch the glasses for good
You can even choose how you want your sight to be corrected. If they correct both eyes, you’ll still need reading glasses for up close, but if the surgeon corrects one eye for distance and other for closer-up tasks – called ‘blended vision’ – you’ll be able to throw out your glasses altogether.
It does cost around $2,500 an eye and isn’t covered by Medicare or health funds so you’ll have to foot the bill yourself – but can you put a price on good eyesight?
Dr Sharma says most of his patients just wish they had done it sooner. “The important thing is to come in and have an assessment,” he says. “So you know we have to make sure that the eye is safe to undergo any procedure.”
Good news for those of us who are always losing our glasses.
You can listen to the podcast of our interview with Dr Sharma below.
