The FDA approved a new device, Raindrop Near Vision Inlay, a new surgical option to surgically treat presbyopia on an outpatient basis, according to Medscape.
Here are four things to know:
1. Composed of hydrogel material, the device is the first of its kind.
2. During a procedure, a surgeon inserts the implant in the patient's non-dominant eye's cornea via a laser-cut flap.
3. The implant provides the cornea a steeper surface, allowing the eye to focus on near objects.
3. William Maisel, MD, MPH, deputy director for science and chief scientist in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said the implant's approval is crucial as presbyopia prevalence will likely increase due to an aging population. The device allows for a "new option for surgical, outpatient treatment of presbyopia."
4. Unlike the KAMRA Inlay, the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay, reshapes the cornea and enhances short distance vision by blocking unfocused, peripheral light rays. The implant thereby allows central light rays to enter the eye through a 1.6-mm aperture in the center of the implant.
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