Eye Surgeon Comes To Aid Of Kiwis With Poor Eyesight

Media release 31 August 2011

Eye Surgeon Comes To Aid Of Kiwis With Poor Eyesight

A leading New Zealand eye surgeon is set to introduce a new surgical procedure that could help thousands of Kiwis affected by failing eyesight.

Dr Dean Corbett, a pioneering ophthalmic surgeon at Auckland Eye and a consultant ophthalmologist at the Manukau Super Clinic in South Auckland, is introducing a breakthrough surgical procedure called KAMRA(tm), which helps to restore vision lost through presbyopia.

Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens of the eye loses its flexibility, generally as part of the natural ageing process, making it difficult to focus on things at close range. It affects almost all people aged 40 and over - equating to about 1.4 million people in New Zealand and 1.7 billion people globally.

Dr Corbett will perform the new technique at Auckland Eye's new theatre facility, Oasis Surgical, to be opened by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Key on Friday 2nd September.

Instrumental in the introduction of new devices and surgical techniques to New Zealand for the improvement of vision, Dr Corbett travelled to Japan to experience first-hand the benefits offered by KAMRA(tm) inlay technology.

Dr Corbett says he's been thrilled at the improvement it has made to his own eyesight and is excited to now offer Kiwis access to the same procedure.

"It has made such a difference to my life. It was really important to me that my near vision could be restored without compromising my distance vision," he says.

"Age-related sight defects cannot be prevented, but now we have a simple procedure that can transform the lives of our burgeoning baby boomer population.

"It's very exciting and rewarding to be part of something that is going to make such a positive difference to people's lives."

Dr Corbett says KAMRA(tm) is a simple, 20 minute procedure performed under local anaesthetic and patients can resume their normal routine the following day.

60 year-old Nola Winks from Orewa, who was one of the first people to have a KAMRA(tm) inlay, said that the procedure has changed her life.

"After years of misplacing my reading glasses, I took great delight in throwing them away for good! The whole experience has been quite liberating, my eye sight is like it used to be and I have the ability to read recipes, my computer screen and books with ease - you don't appreciate good eye sight until you don't have it any more and I would recommend this procedure to those who feel fed-up with squinting and blurry vision."

The technology is backed by a decade of research and development, and involves inserting a micro-disc 3.8mm in diameter into the cornea, which helps the eye's ability to focus light from a nearby object.

"KAMRA(tm) is perfect for those people who are frustrated holding menus at an arm's length, who struggle to see their mobile phones and who constantly have to take their reading glasses on and off in order to read," says Dr Corbett.

Oasis Surgical, located adjacent to Auckland Eye, 8 St Marks Rd, Remuera, is set to become New Zealand's largest dedicated ophthalmic facility.

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