The Kamra Inlay is a relatively new procedure in the US. On April 17, the procedure received FDA approval and is now available as a solution for resolving Presbyopia, which occurs when the eye can no longer change its focus easily. The reason for this tip isn’t to say the treatment doesn’t work. It’s a warning about the marketing we consumers are already seeing and hearing.
Improve your vision in two days?
Let’s begin with what the Kamra Inlay is. It’s a possible cure for Presbyopia. The procedure involves having an eye surgeon create a pocket in the cornea of one eye and then inserting a small ring into the pocket. The FDA reviewed three clinical studies and found that 83.5 percent of the 478 participants were able to read most text in magazines and newspapers after twelve months.
The KAMRA inlay provides a new option for correcting near vision in certain patients.
According to William Maisel, M.D., who is the deputy center director for science in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, “Presbyopia is a natural part of aging and can make reading and performing close-up work difficult. The KAMRA inlay provides a new option for correcting near vision in certain patients.”
The Kamra Inlay came to my attention while I was listening to music on Pandora. Over time, I noticed a significant number of commercials for NVision Eyecenters’ website at ditchyourglasses.com. The promises made on the commercial were so rosy as to make me think back to my previous post about vision scams. The difference is, the treatment isn’t a scam. The procedure is (theoretically) performed by a surgeon. The marketing for the procedures, however, is slick. In my estimation, too slick, with plenty of promises to help improve your vision in two days.
I always ended up in the same place. It was all about getting me to talk to a sales person.
I went to ditchyourglasses.com and found a “suitability survey.” At last, I hoped to find some real facts about the procedure including a preliminary analysis of why I would—or would not—be a good candidate. The first question asked me if I’d had any previous eye procedures. The second classified my vision by asking what my needs were. The third question asked how often I wore reading glasses. The fourth asked what I did at work (drive, read, work on computer). The fifth question was a pitch for scheduling an appointment.
Let me say this type of procedure is highly attractive to me because I do wear computer glasses and I work on the computer…a lot. However, when I became curious and began varying my answers on the quiz, I always ended up in the same place. It was all about getting me to talk to a sales person.
My suggestion is that if you’re seriously considering a Kamra Inlay, talk to your ophthalmologist about this procedure, not to a company who funnels you to the same spot no matter how you answer their questions.
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