Nurse to get newly improved cornea inlay to improve near vision

Diane McTaggart will be among the first Middle Tennesseans to undergo a newly approved device to treat loss of near vision associated with aging, also known as presbyopia.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ReVision Optics' Raindrop Near Vision Inlay — a device that gets implanted in the cornea — this summer. The tiny inlay looks like a small contact lens, albeit smaller than a needle's eye, that is made out of hydrogel material. It's approved for people aged 41 to 65 who need reading glasses for small print but do not glasses for distance vision, and have not had cataract surgery.

The new treatment is exciting because there are few options for people with presbyopia. LASIK surgery is best for improving people's distance vision.

McTaggart, a 52-year-old nurse, is looking forward to being able to discard her reading glasses, said Dr. Ming Wang of Nashville's Wang Vision Institute, who is set to implant the inlay on Dec. 7.

“Given the prevalence of presbyopia and the aging of the baby boomer population, the need for near vision correction will likely rise in the coming years,” said Dr. William Maisel, deputy director for science and chief scientist in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement.

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