Presbyopia is the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus actively on nearby objects. It’s most often associated with reaching middle age as it usually develops after the age of 40.

Some of the indications that you have presbyopia are that you need to hold printed material at arm’s length to read it or if you’re nearsighted, you might be able to temporarily manage your symptoms by reading without your glasses.

Dr. Watkins conducts a basic eye exam to confirm that you have presbyopia. And while the treatments are varied, Presbyopia Lens Exchange or PRELEX is a common, safe approach to dramatically improve vision through a simple, outpatient procedure.

PRELEX is for patients who are nearsighted, farsighted or have corneas that are too thin for laser vision correction. It is also an alternative for those over 40 who wish to eliminate their dependence on bifocals or reading glasses and for people who may already be showing signs of developing cataracts.

During PRELEX, the eye is anesthetized to ensure your comfort during the procedure. Dr. Watkins removes the natural lens from the eye using ultrasonic vibrations through a mico-incision of 3 millimeters or less. The natural lens is replaced by the foldable multifocal intraocular lens, which is inserted through the micro-incision. Once inside your eye, the lens unfolds as it is placed into permanent position. No sutures are required because the small incision is self-sealing.

For those patients who have some degree of corneal astigmatism requiring additional correction, relaxing incisions can be made in the surface of the cornea to reduce astigmatism at the same time PRELEX is performed.

iLASIK, the revolutionary ALL-LASER surgical solution endorsed by top medical experts and the US military and astronaut programs can help adults reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contact lenses. If you are seeking a Houston area LASIK specialist we are excited to introduce you to the ultimate in laser vision correction, it’s called the iLASIK™