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Ditch The Specs: New Eye Implant Could Fix Your Vision

By Dennis Douda, WCCO-TV

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- At GG's salon in St. Paul, you can always find a pair of cheaters handy.

Shop owner Gale Grijalva has close to three-dozen pairs of reading glasses scattered around because she could not do her job without them.

"All day long when I'm at work. Close up for cutting. Close up when I'm doing permanent makeup," she said. "Trying to read anything. All day long."

Most people start to notice their up-close focus go fuzzy around the age of 40. It's called prebyopia. And Gijalva is sick of it.

Bloomington eye surgeon Ralph Chu is just one of five experts in the country testing the PresbyLens by ReVision Optics.

It's a contact lens implant for one eye and Dr. Chu says Gijalva is a perfect candidate.

"She is somebody with good distance vision and because of the aging process, now has difficulty reading or seeing things up close like a menu, like her watch or cell phone," he said. "So patients like that are really good candidates for this new procedure."

Some people tried to compensate by wearing two strengths of contact lenses -- one for focusing up close and one for sharpness at a distance.

But that mono vision can create a sense of being off balance. The PresbyLens implant is different.

"So the eyes stay balanced," Chu said. "And it's that balance and yet the ability to see and read up close is what's revolutionary about this technology. "

A round flap is cut in the clear cornea -- the tiny lens is placed -- and the flap is closed.

"It's designed to stay in there forever, but it also can easily be removed," he said.

Minutes later, Gijalva's vision is immediately improved.

"Beautiful, oh my god!" she said, after surgery. "Wow."

Only problem now? What will she do with all those glasses?

Dr. Chu is still recruiting patients for his study. If you'd like to take part, click here for more information.

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