This can be best understood as means to correct focusing errors. Whilst traditionally this has been with glasses and contact lenses there are now many surgical options which can in many cases can provide permanent solutions to decrease of eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses. These fall into 4 broad categories:

1. Laser Vision Correction 

1. LASIK

2. SMILE

3. PRK

2. Lens Replacement Surgery

1. Longsightedness (Hyperopia)

2. Shortsightedness (Myopia)

3. Astigmatism (toricity)

4. Presbyopia (Near Vision Failure) occurring age 40-50 resulting in need for reading glasses

3. Phakic Intraocular Lenses

1. The Visian ICL (Staar)

4. Secondary Intraocular Lenses

1. Adding enhanced focus to patients who have already undergone lens replacement or cataract surgery

Laser vision correction is now over 30 years old and provides exceedingly accurate and safe focus correction. In all cases excepting the correction of presbyopia, which although treatable will usually progress slowly eventually resulting in a need for further vision correction. This process can begin at SLECAS, but the surgical procedures will take place in Auckland. In most cases a patient can fly up and back to Otago in the same day. 

Rebates for airfares are available.

Lens Replacement Surgery is effectively the same process as undertaken with cataract surgery when vision fails usually in the 65 to 75 year old age group. The main difference with lens replacement surgery is its main purpose is to correct focusing errors and extend range of vision/focus.  This approach is aimed to reduce or eliminate the need for distance and near glasses respectively. There are a number of techniques whereby this can be achieved using specific designs of intraocular lenses sometimes called presbyopia correcting IOL’s More information about this can be found here (Link to IOL information sheet)

Phakic Intraocular Lenses are very special additional IOLs that can be added to a persons focusing system to correct Myopia Hyperopia and astigmatism. These are usually used when laser vision correction is not suitable or safe. 

Secondary Intraocular Lenses are place in front of ending existing intraocular lens in a patient that has already undergone cataract or Iens replacement surgery. The goal of this approach is to enhance focus thereby reducing or eliminating need for. These purpose designed IOL’s have become available to us over the last 10 years.