News and Media From The Clinic

Refocus Treatments: Restoring Near Vision

People with good distance vision find that their good fortune changes when they approach the age of 42 to 45 years of age. At this time, what appears to be for no apparent reason, they suddenly find that they are seeing less well up close. It first starts in dimly lit situations like restaurants when trying to read menus. As time goes on things up close become more and more difficult to read even in good light. This condition is called presbyopia and affects all people. It also affects people who wear glasses and or contact lenses. For the glasses wearer, they start requiring bifocals, varifocals or progressive lenses at this stage and the contact lens wearer requires reading glasses over their contact lenses in order to read. The reason for this change in focussing power for near has to do with the natural lens inside the eye. It never stops growing and as time goes on, it gets to a point where it simply cannot change shape (or “accommodate”) sufficiently anymore to bring near objects into focus. This loss of focussing power, called Presbyopia, gets progressively worse throughout life.

There are excellent surgical procedures to treat presbyopia but every one of them thus far has involved a compromise. For the vast majority of people, the compromise is readily accepted when the rewards of seeing well up close are enjoyed. The compromise works in the following way: if both eyes are good for distance vision, one of them is made better for near vision by means of laser (monovision or mini-monovision) or a corneal inlay (e.g. Kamra). This improves the near vision drastically but at the same time, reduces the distance vision (because one eye is no longer seeing well at distance now). If the distance reduces by 5% but the near improves by 100%, then this is readily accepted. If on the other hand the person finds the distance vision is much more affected, for example a 30% reduction, then monovision will not be acceptable, even if the reading vision is greatly improved. So the acceptance of monovision or Kamra Vision is always going to depend on how big the compromise appears to the individual and this varies enormously from person to person.

Refocus treatments offers a totally new perspective on presbyopia. It is the only procedure directed at the root cause of the problem, namely the natural lens inside the eye. As we age, the lens increases in size and loses some elasticity. The size increase causes the little ligaments that support the lens to become slack and even though the muscles can still work, they don’t have an effect because the ligaments have become slack. Refocus treatments puts these ligaments on stretch again as they are in younger eye and the muscle movements can now impact the lens again and cause it to change shape to accommodate. FDA clinical trials show marked improvement in accommodation that continues getting better at each and every visit through 3 years post-operatively already.

The procedure is performed to both eyes under local anaesthesia. Small implants are placed into the sclera (white part of the eye) about 5mm behind the coloured part (iris). The procedure is therefore outside of the eye – the eye ball or globe is not entered at all. These little implants cause the sclera under the implant to indent slightly which means the sclera adjacent the implant bulges out slightly thereby putting the ligaments on stretch and providing accommodation again. The eyes are red afterwards for about 3 weeks or longer but the redness clears up completely. Distance vision remains unchanged (good) while the reading vision simply keeps on improving to what it was like in your mid-30’s.

Refocus treatments is a new name for a procedure that has been around for at least 10 years. Further improvements in the implants themselves as well as the procedure becoming more automated has seen the success rate soar and the stability of the outcomes improve. We now feel that we have a procedure for presbyopia that can meet the needs to today’s presbyopic patient and hence are now ready to introduce it into Ireland.

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Milestones in the Wellington Eye Clinic History

The Wellington Eye Clinic was the first in Ireland to do radial keratotomy. This procedure made use of a diamond knife to make incisions in the cornea that changed the shape in order to correct short-sightedness (more…)

Cashel woman is first patient to have new sight-saving surgery

A Cashel woman has become the first woman in Ireland to undergo a new surgical treatment for a condition that can lead to near sight loss.

Radio Interview with Gobnait Long on Tipperary Mid West Community Radio

Gobnait Long was the first Irish patient to undergo the revolutionary treatment of KAMRA Vision, at one of only a handful of clinics across Europe to offer the procedure. The Wellington Eye Clinic as the Beacon Medical Campus in Dublin are one of just fifteen clinics in Europe to be selected by AcuFocus, the manufacturers of KAMRA Vision, to provide the revolutionary treatment option for near vision loss, or presbyopia, to Irish patients. (more…)

Seeing is believing in new procedure

Seeing is believing in new procedure: A new eye surgery claims to reverse the effects of age on close vision – but how effective is it?
By Joanne Hunt

OVER 40 AND having trouble reading this? Then a revolutionary new eye operation might just help clear things up. Kamra is a new technique that claims to give those nearing middle age and struggling to see closeby objects improved sight for life and was performed in Ireland for the first time last week. (more…)

The Wavelight EX500 Excimer Laser

An overview of the WaveLight Refractive Suite’s updated excimer laser and its features.
By Arthur Cummings, MB CHB, FCS(SA), MMED(OPHTH), FRCS(EDIN)

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Irish Examiner Friday 11th June 2010 – FEEL GOOD

The shape I’m in – Darren O’Neill

A fighting spirit

Look out for laser surgery

EU middleweight champion Darren O’Neill was one of three Irish boxers to win a bronze medal at the European Senior Boxing Championship this week. And hopes are high that he’ll do even better in the competition, which is currently taking place in Moscow. The 24 year old, from Paulstown, Kilkenny – who teaches sixth class at Holy Trinity national school, in Donaghmede – recently underwent laser eye surgery at the Wellington Eye Clinic.

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You and Your Money April 2010

Eye can see clearly now…

Laser eye surgery is becoming increasingly popular in Ireland. Niamh Lynch speaks to Ken Lanigan about his decision to undergo this life-changing procedure. (more…)

The Irish Times Health Plus. Tuesday 6th of April 2010

By: Fiona Reddan

Look out for laser surgery

“Laser surgery is ‘always successful’ in reducing dependency on glasses, but about 1.7 per cent of patients will require follow-up treatment.”

Before opting for laser eye surgery, you need to make sure you know what the procedure will entail and how it will work for you. (more…)

You and Your Money Magazine Monday, January 4, 2010

Life after Lenses

Every morning, it’s the same routine. You wake up and, bleary-eyed, fumble for your specs or put in your contacts – but that could all come to an end with one simple procedure, writes Brenda Collins. (more…)

Irish Medical News Monday 14th December 2009

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TV3 Ireland AM June 2009

Louise’s Diary – 40s

Hello everyone, Louise here for the 40′s. Hope you all are enjoying the fantastic weather, there is nothing like a bit of sunshine to brighten us all up. I dreamed and I wished and it all came true, thanks to Laura, Marie, Glow magazine and Ireland AM. (more…)

Clinical Review Monday, June 8th 2009

Laser refractive surgery: where are we now? And explain how far laser eye surgery has come since 1991

Laser refractive surgery has come a long way. In 1991 the first LASIK procedure was performed on a seeing eye. This was 18 years ago. Prior to this, PRK was performed and this procedure, too, has stood the test of time as it is still done today when LASIK is not possible. (more…)

The Practice May 2009

Keratoconus – Diagnosis and Management

Dawn O’Shea writes on keratoconus, which affects more than 2,000 people in Ireland. (more…)

Padraig’s 830-metre par three! April 2009

See Padraig become the 1st golfer to par the 830m longest par 3 in the world.

Irish Mirror Wednesday 15th April 2009

Glasses ‘less attractive’
Glasses make you less attractive to the opposite sex, it was claimed yesterday. University of Tennessee research revealed singletons use eyes as a way to rate age or fatigue. Dr Arthur Cummings of Wellington Eye Clinic in Co Dublin said: “Apparently beauty isn’t only in the eye of the beholder.”

Irish Mirror Friday, 3rd April 2009

MEN CAN SEE DIFFERENTLY:
New research has revealed men do see the world differently from women – because they use different parts of their eyes. A study shows 70 per cent of men have a dominant right eye compared to just 60 per cent of women. Dr. Arthur Cummings said: “Having a dominant right eye doesn’t mean your vision will be better.”

Business Connect Magazine March 2008

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITY OF UNHINDERED VISION – WITHOUT GLASSES
No more squinting in the boardroom or fumbling for glasses before a meeting business connect visits the Wellington eye clinic at the Beacon to learn more about refractive surgery. (more…)

Business Ireland March 2008

Have you considered life without glasses or contact lenses?
The Wellington Eye Clinic at the Beacon is the leader in Laser Eye Surgery in the country. (more…)

Womans Way Tuesday 10 February 2009-04-21

Laser eye surgery: your guide

If you’re thinking about undergoing eye surgery, we have all the information you need, plus one WW staff member gives her view of the procedure. (more…)

Woman’s Way Tuesday, 10th February 2009

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Irish Times “On the couch” Dr Richard Corkin, Laser Eye Surgeon 26 February 2008

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Global Partners

The Wellington Clinic has partner clinics around the globe that are of the highest calibre and standing in their respective countries. If you ever require further information on treatment options etc. please look at their websites too. The partnership has other benefits for you (the patient) too:

Wavelight Ambassadors

Mention the Wellington Eye Clinic and they will be too pleased to see you and provide you with especially good care.

Global Ambassador Clinics / Premium Clinics
Eye Subspeciality Center. Cairo, Egypt
Brussels Eye Doctors. Brussel, Belgium
Wellington Eye Clinic. Dublin, Ireland
Gordon Binder Weiss Vision Institute. San Diego, CA, USA
The Laser Center of Houston. Houston, Texas, USA
Centro Oftalmo Chirurgico Carones. Milan, Italy
Institute of Optics and Vision. Heraklion, Greece
Laser Focus. Beogard, Serbia
Durrie Vision. Kansas, USA
Brint Custom Vision. Metairie, LA, USA
Augenklinik am Marienplatz. Munich, Germany
Sehkraft Augenzentrum Maus. Cologne, Germany
Nico Trap Oogcorrecties. Huis Ter Heide, Netherlands
Pacific Laser Eye Center. Vancouver, BC, Canada
Sankara Nethralaya. Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Bochner Eye Institute. Toronto, Canada
IROC, Institute for Refractive and Ophthalmic Surgery. Zurich, Switzerland
Laser Defined Vision. Greensborrow, North Carolina, USA
International Eye Care Laser Center. Houston, Texas, USA