After decades of research, Kamra inlay offers cornea-based treatment for presbyopia

We now have our first FDA-approved intracorneal inlay for the surgical treatment of presbyopia, the AcuFocus Kamra inlay. I have been involved with research in the field of intracorneal lenses for the treatment of refractive errors for more than 30 years, and the journey to approval of the Kamra inlay is an enlightening example of the trials and tribulations of the innovation cycle.My first introduction to intracorneal lenses for the treatment of refractive error was at Southend-on-Sea in England in the clinic of Mr. Peter Choyce. Choyce was implanting polysulfone inlays into the cornea for the treatment of high myopia, and I saw many patients with up to –15 D of myopia have quite excellent outcomes. Further investigation also revealed many failures, with vascularization of the cornea, corneal melts and extrusion. In reviewing the literature, I learned that Jose Barraquer, MD, himself had investigated synthetic corneal inlays for the treatment of aphakia, and many other researchers, including John Henderson, MD, the former chairman at Mayo Clinic, also made similar attempts with different materials.