What are Corneal Inlays?

Corneal inlays are ring-shaped implants designed to treat presbyopia. While still in the developmental stage, some inlays are being tested in clinical trials, though none have been approved by the FDA for commercial use.

The potential long-term benefits of corneal inlays has been highlighted by the recent publication of a three-year study looking at how these implants impacted the vision of over 500 non-nearsighted patients with presbyopia. According to the study’s authors, 83% of participants experienced lasting vision of 20/40 or better, and 80% were able to perform up-close tasks without reading glasses. More studies will be needed to fully understand the long-term benefits and drawbacks of this procedure.

Presbyopia is an age-related vision disorder caused by the gradual hardening of the eye’s natural lens. Similar to nearsightedness, presbyopia can make up-close work such as reading and writing much more difficult. This unavoidable part of aging has most often been addressed with reading glasses, but new surgical techniques such as corneal inlays may one day make such cumbersome solutions obsolete. When and if this happens, however, remains to be seen.

If you are experiencing any changes in your vision, please use our eye doctor locator to find an experienced ophthalmologist in your area today.