Is accommodation restorable?

Purpose:

Increasing sclerosis of the crystalline lens with age is considered to be the main cause of presbyopia development. So far established surgical procedures do not increase the elasticity of the crystalline lens and therefore do not create a real accommodation ability. However, there are interesting new approaches to make the lens mechanically more flexible again, for example by means of laser interventions.

Material and Methods:

Based on a literature review and own research, the latest developments in the field of regaining the accommodative ability of the lens are summarized. In more detail, the current state of studies for laser-based procedures is highlighted and a personal assessment is made. So-called accommodative intraocular lenses were excluded from the considerations.

Results:

The restoration of natural accommodation in a presbyopic eye has not yet been achieved.

Conclusion:

The outlined new ideas sound promising. Considering the long but necessary way through the phases of clinical evaluation and approval, an available solution is not to be expected within the next years.