Corneal-based surgical presbyopic therapies and their application in pseudophakic patients

Purpose. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of laser refractive surgery and corneal inlay approaches to treat presbyopia in patients after cataract surgery. Summary. The presbyopic population is growing rapidly along with increasing demands for spectacle independence. This review will focus on the corneal-based surgical options to address presbyopia including various types of corneal intrastromal inlays and laser ablation techniques to generate either a multifocal cornea ("PresbyLASIK") or monovision. The natural history of presbyopia develops prior to cataracts, and these presbyopic surgeries have been largely studied in phakic patients. Nevertheless, pseudophakic patients may also undergo these presbyopia-compensating procedures for enhanced quality of life. This review examines the published reports that apply these technologies to patients after cataract surgery and discusses unique considerations for this population.