Reading performance and patient satisfaction after corneal inlay implantation for presbyopia correction: two-year follow-up.

PURPOSE

To evaluate change in reading performance parameters after monocular Kamra corneal inlay implantation for the surgical correction of presbyopia.

SETTING

University surgical outpatient center.

DESIGN

Prospective interventional case series.

METHODS

A corneal inlay was implanted in the nondominant eye. Naturally emmetropic and presbyopic patients between 45 years and 60 years old with an uncorrected distance visual acuity of at least 20/20 in both eyes without additional ocular pathology were eligible for inclusion. Bilateral uncorrected reading acuity, reading distance, mean and maximum reading speed, and the smallest log-scaled print size (lower case letter of a Radner reading chart) were evaluated using the Salzburg Reading Desk. The minimum postoperative follow-up was 24 months.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients were enrolled. The mean reading distance was 46.7 cm ± 6.3 (SD) preoperatively and 39.5 ± 6.4 cm 24 months postoperatively (P<.001). The mean reading acuity at best distance improved (0.33 ± 0.13 logRAD versus 0.23 ± 0.11 logRAD) (P=.004). The mean reading speed increased from 141 ± 20 words per minute (wpm) to 146 ± 20 wpm, respectively (P=.261), and the mean maximum reading speed from 171 ± 28 wpm to 180 ± 22 wpm, respectively (P=.110). The smallest print size improved from 1.50 ± 0.42 mm to 1.01 ± 0.22 mm, respectively (P<.001).

CONCLUSION

Improving the depth of focus by monocular implantation of a small-aperture optic caused statistically significant changes in all tested reading performance parameters except reading speed metrics in emmetropic presbyopic patients.