New Procedure Could Help Aging Boomers Ditch Glasses

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's eventually going to happen to just about everyone.

Starting in our 40s, it gets harder to see things up close and reading glasses often become a necessary crutch.

But now, there is another option that could help you ditch those glasses.

Dr. Ernest Kornmehl has spent a good portion of his career explaining why many need help seeing fine print.

"I have been in practice for 30 years and we keep hearing this, 'When are you going to come up with something whereby we can read without our reading glasses?'" he said.

A tiny eye implant called Kamra has been recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A disc is placed over the cornea in one eye, controlling the amount of light that's let in.

Kornmehl is one of only 30 doctors in the country who will be performing the procedure.

"It works regarding the pinhole effect, meaning the larger the aperture or opening, the more blurred the images will be," he said. "So this provides a very small opening, whereby patients can read well without their glasses."

Athletic trainer Dianne Udolloiess started having trouble reading her client's charts a few years ago.

She was eager to try a more permanent solution for her vision problems.

"I haven't been able to see the date on my watch for a long time, and I looked at my watch and I was 'Whoooaaa, I can see the date!'" she said.

You can see the Kamra implant sitting on her eye if you look closely.

"It's a painless procedure, and the next day, it doesn't effect my distance vision," she said.

If the device doesn't meet a patient's expectations, it can easily be removed.

Ideal patients are between 45 and 60 years old and have relatively good distance vision. The procedure is not covered by insurance, however, and costs about $5,000.