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More than 100 seniors came to Thousand Oaks on Oct. 18 to hear a talk by Dr. Rajesh Khanna, a board-certified and internation- ally recognized Lasik surgeon who specializes in disorders of the eye.
The event at Los Robles Hos- pital was part of the hospital’s ongoing health chat series that features a variety of doctors offer- ing medical advice to community members.
Khanna discussed the signifi- cance and development of cata- racts and the most promising and advanced treatment called Prelex, a replacement of the eye’s lens.
Khanna began his discus- sion by explaining the structure of the eye and the changes that occur over time. One of the most common eye aliments is cataracts. More than 20.5 million Americans over the age of 45 are affected by cataracts each year.
A cataract is the natural dete- rioration of the lens and can cause blurry vision. If the cataract is advanced it can make it extremely difficult to see.
Common treatments that are often recommended include drops and vitamins, but Khanna said research shows that neither of those options is useful. Instead, he suggests the cataract procedure.
Forms of cataract surgery have been in existence for hundreds of years, but procedures weren’t refined until modern cataract surgery was developed about 40 years ago. Recent advances in refractive cataract and Prelex procedures take the treatment to a new level.
Laser-assisted cataract sur- gery, for example, can also cor- rect astigmatism. Cataract surgery can be performed even in the presence of dry macular degen- eration.
Khanna also talked about an- other benefit of Prelex in which presbyopic implants, such as
Restore, Tecnis and Crystalens, are used as the eye’s new lens and are able to improve its ability to see up close.
Presbyopia is a condition in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus on close-up objects.
People over 50 who become dependent on reading glasses are excellent candidates for Prelex surgery, said Khanna, whose new book, “Prelex,” is available on Amazon.com.
Khanna’s website is www. khannainstitute.com. His offices are in Thousand Oaks and Bev- erly Hills.
