PRESBYOND®: The Journey from Concept to International Treatment
For many years, Laser Eye Surgery successfully corrected the vision of patients with a wide range of prescriptions. Many of these patients are still enjoying clear, glasses-free vision thanks to this life-changing treatment. But there was one refractive error that Laser Eye Surgery was once powerless against: presbyopia.
That is, until the development of PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision. This revolutionary treatment for presbyopia (which literally translates to “old eye”) has helped many patients of a certain age to reduce and even eliminate their reliance on those pesky reading glasses. But while enjoying the benefits of this revolutionary treatment might be easy, many are unaware of the years of work and scientific research that went into its development.
But there is one person who knows all too well the hard work required to bring this presbyopia treatment to life: Our very own founder and expert Laser Eye Surgeon, Professor Dan Reinstein.
The Concept of a Life-Changing Treatment
Dr Dan is one of the few ophthalmologists to have dedicated his career to the advancement of Laser Eye Surgery. In this endeavour, he has not only helped to bring clear vision to thousands of patients, but he has also contributed to some of the most important developments in the field.
Among these, Dr Dan can count the development of laser technology alongside Carl Zeiss and Asclepion Meditec (which merged in 2002 to form Carl Zeiss Meditec), as well as techniques including ReLEx SMILE and PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision. Dr Dan originally moved from his home in America, along with his family, to Europe to help Ascleopion Meditec develop their latest generation of excimer laser – the MEL 80.
Carl Zeiss Meditec and Laser Eye Surgery Technology
As a leading innovator in the field of excimer laser technology, used in Laser Eye Surgery, Ascleopion Meditec was already credited with producing the first commercially available laser for the correction of myopia (short-sightedness) way back in 1986. Later, the company extended its list of ‘firsts’ with the first laser treatment to correct hyperopia (long-sightedness), mixed astigmatism, and the development of the first wavefront-guided and topography-guided lasers.
Following the merger, Carl Zeiss Meditec became the first laser manufacturer to introduce closed-loop energy stabilisation. The MEL 90 laser has been proven by US FDA trials to be the most accurate laser platform. At London Vision Clinic, we are proud to offer this technology to our patients, something that can’t be said by all Laser Eye Surgery providers.
Professor Reinstein has been Carl Zeiss’ lead clinical consultant since 2001. During this time, he has worked alongside engineers on various projects, including rolling out PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision globally!
Developing PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision
Professor Reinstein developed PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision way back in 2004. The revolutionary treatment provides an option for patients with a newfound reliance on reading glasses – an unfortunate sign of ageing that typically sets in around the age of 40.
The treatment works by treating each eye in a slightly different way: one eye is corrected mainly for distance vision, with a little near, while the other eye is corrected in the opposite way. This creates a “blend zone” between the two images, allowing the brain to more easily translate the information into a clear image across all distances!
While Dr Dan has been treating patients with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision since 2004, it was the implementation of the technique into Carl Zeiss Meditec’s laser systems in 2009 that bolstered PRESBYOND® onto the world stage.
Going Global
Since the launch of the MEL 90 Excimer Laser, which now incorporates the innovative PRESBYOND® treatment technique, access to this life-changing treatment has gone truly global. In 2010, Dr Dan’s invention was introduced at the ESCRS in Barcelona and has subsequently been fully launched at the ophthalmology congress in San Francisco.
And this was just the start of the increased availability of PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision. That means that more presbyopia patients can be offered an alternative to Monovision Surgery, which is typically more invasive and less well-tolerated than Dr Dan’s treatment.
So, how does Dr Dan feel about his “baby” going out into the world?
“I am thrilled and delighted that it will soon be everywhere”, he says.
“That’s the beautiful thing about research – you get to help your own patents straight away and then the rest of the world.”
If you’d like to learn more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision or our other Laser Eye Surgery treatments, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today.
