Allotex
Fix your reading vision with an effective and reversible procedure.
€3700
Overview
This revolutionary treatment is for people with presbyopia. This is the condition where you could always see well both far and near and then one day, usually in your early 40's, you find reading up close is becoming more challenging. This procedure is designed to improve your reading vision with minimal disturbance to your distance vision.
How does Allotex work
The Allotex corneal inlay is placed in one eye only, usually the non-dominant eye. The inlay is made from human collagen that is decellularized and gamma-irradiated. It is totally biocompatible. The tissue is obtained from an eye bank.
If your distance vision has also deteriorated recently, then LASIK is performed for both eyes correcting them for distance vision and Allotex is placed in the cornea of the non-dominant eye, under the LASIK flap. This provides excellent distance and near vision. It takes a while for the brain to adjust to the new optics but once it has, the common phrase heard is "it seems that my distance vision is excellent, yet I can read too." It's an excellent alternative to LASIK blended vision where the difference between the two eyes may be bothersome for some. These options will be compared and demonstrated to you during your Lifestyle Vision Design appointment.
What to expect with the surgery
The surgery is much like a LASIK procedure. A corneal flap is creating using air bubbles that the femtosecond laser generates and then the flap is lifted. If any laser is required to correct the distance vision, this is then applied. Then the Allotex inlay is placed on the cornea, under the flap, over the pupil to provide the reading power. The healing is overnight and by the next morning you are typically very comfortable.
What to expect with the recovery
By the next morning the eye is comfortable. The near vision would have typically already improved but is still blurred and you need to hold reading materials quite close up to read. By one week the reading vision is improving and you need not hold the reading material quite so close up. By one month the distance vision has started improving but would still be a long way off the distance eye's distance vision and reading is further improving. By 3 months reading vision is normally very good including seeing at intermediate (e.g. laptop) while the distance vision has continued to improve in the Allotex eye. With both eyes open now, the distance vision seems excellent yet you can read with the Allotex eye.