Will having myopia surgery cause presbyopia to develop earlier?

People who have undergone eyeglass removal surgery often ask ophthalmologists this question: Will myopia surgery cause presbyopia to develop earlier? Let’s talk about this question today.

Myopia and presbyopia are different concepts!

Myopia is a type of refractive error, which is generally caused by the structure of the eyeball, such as the excessive length of the eye axis, which causes the image to be formed in front of the retina, thus distorting the vision and making distant objects blurred.

Presbyopia can be understood as the normal aging of the eyes, which is a condition that everyone faces when they reach a certain age. As the eyes age, the lens hardens, thickens, and loses elasticity, resulting in a decline in the ability to focus at close distances.

"Myopia" is related to the eye axis and the refractive state of the eye

"Presbyopia" involves the lens and the eye's ability to adjust

The two are completely different concepts!

About Myopia Surgery

Myopia surgery can correct myopia by either changing the shape of the cornea through laser surgery or by implanting a special artificial lens in a safe position in the eye.

Essentially, myopia surgery is only a surgical method to correct myopia, so that people can see objects with normal clarity. However, it cannot change the elongated eye axis and cannot completely cure myopia.

Myopia Surgery & Presbyopia

Myopia surgery mainly changes the refractive state of the eye by surgery, so as to achieve the corrected visual acuity. However, this does not affect the physiological structure inside the eye, including the state of the lens, and can be said to have no direct impact on the lens.

Presbyopia is a manifestation of the decline of the intraocular lens. It is a normal physiological phenomenon and has nothing to do with whether or not you have undergone myopia surgery.

Therefore, myopia surgery will not cause presbyopia to occur prematurely.

Some friends developed presbyopia after undergoing myopia surgery. This is not caused by the surgery. Regardless of whether or not you have undergone myopia surgery, the lens will inevitably age naturally with age, and people will still develop presbyopia according to normal procedures. This has nothing to do with surgery. Generally, you can wear reading glasses to improve your close-range vision.

The age at which presbyopia occurs varies from person to person and has nothing to do with the degree of myopia. In addition, the accommodation power of each person's eyes is different, so the manifestations of presbyopia with the same degree are also inconsistent.

Source: Zhao Kanxing (chief reviewer); Yang Peizeng and Fan Xianqun (chief editors); Sun Xinghuai, Liu Yizhi, Zhao Guiqiu and Yuan Huiping (co-editors). Ophthalmology, 9th edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.05.

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