Summary
This New York Times article describes many of the vision correction options available to individuals with presbyopia. Because of the growing population of baby boomers, there is significant public interest in options that allow individuals freedom from reading glasses. Multifocal contact lenses which provide distance, intermediate, and near vision correction are discussed. Also discussed is surgical correction of presbyopia. Current options for surgical correction of presbyopia include multifocal intraocular lenses, conductive keratoplasty, and accommodative intraocular lenses. In clinical trials for presbyopia are corneal inlays, scleral expansion bands, and LASIK for presbyopia.
Analysis
The quality of vision achieved with multifocal contact lenses continues to improve. And for many baby boomers it has become an excellent option for vision correction. With that said, multifocal contacts are unlikely to have a significant effect on the market for presbyopic IOLs. Patients who are having presbyopic IOLs often have cataracts or are looking for visual freedom from glasses or contact lenses. Alternatively, an individual who sees an optometrist looking to get rid of their reading glasses or bifocals in unlikely to be encouraged to look into surgical options. These two markets will continue to grow as boomers look for more visual freedom, but they are unlikely to threaten each other significantly.
