General

Older man struggling to read up close

After years of what felt like ZERO options, adults with presbyopia now have an amazing NEW, FDA approved option to correct their Near Vision without ruining their distance vision.

Last week, it was announced that the FDA has now approved a 10 minute procedure in the US that could rid you of having to wear those reading glasses you hate so much! The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay made by Revision Optics (RVO) has made headlines in multiple countries including Australia, South Korea, the EU and New Zealand, but now, this procedure is available in the US and most importantly in OUR OFFICE in Houston, Texas!

First things first…what is presbyopia? Presbyopia is a very common eye condition that causes farsightedness (or loss of near vision…think computer, reading, sewing, focusing, etc.) which is essentially caused by a loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye.

Most adults suffer from presbyopia at some point after they turn 40 (could be older or younger) and are constantly looking for options that do NOT include having to buy reading glasses and wear them in public.

There have been some tweaks using laser vision correction, but most all of the “options” somewhat have affected distance vision to a degree. There have been multiple clinical trials that have been aimed to eliminate this issue, but it has been years since a success of this kind has happened in the world of Presbyopia!

These are some highlights from the study:

Results from the study submitted to the FDA showed clinically significant improvement in near visual performance, including:

  • Average uncorrected near visual acuity improved by 5 lines on a standard eye chart (at 40 cm) in the treated eye. There was no loss in binocular distance vision.
  • 98% of patients achieved uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA) of 20/40 or better and 88% of patients achieved UCNVA of 20/25 or better at 24 months in the treated eye.
  • The mean uncorrected visual acuity for both eyes exceeded 20/20 at all distances; near, intermediate, and distance.

For MORE information, please click on this link to read an article about the study, the inlay itself and how it works, the results, and the future of this treatment.

No glasses graphic

It is important to note that our practice was one of the 11 investigational sites mentioned in this article, making our surgeons among those with the longest experience with this treatment.  We are already seeing patients for evaluations and should be receiving more of the inlays in August 2016 at our location. As of August 30th, Dr. Slade will be one of the first surgeons in the US to perform this procedure outside of the clinical trials which will be live streamed at 10AM (CST) Houston time! More info to come!

To schedule an appointment to be evaluated for the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay procedure, or to assess your vision to see if you are a candidate, please call us at

today!