New Eye Implant is set to make reading glasses a thing of the past

A revolutionary new eye implant is set to make reading glasses a thing of the past for millions of people.

The surgically inserted lens for longsightedness gives patients near-perfect vision just days after they have an operation lasting only minutes.

Known as the Symfony, it restores sight to pin-sharp focus from just inches away all the way to the horizon.

Surgeons hailing the ‘breakthrough’ invention say that until now no insertable lens has been able to mimic natural vision so closely.

The lenses are made of plastic and should, in theory, last a lifetime.

Currently surgeons can insert ‘monofocal’ lenses to treat cataracts, but they typically leave patients still needing reading glasses.

There have also been multi-focal lens implants to correct vision both near and at a distance, but these often produce halo bursts and glare and give a ‘stepped’ effect rather than smooth focus.

By contrast, the Symfony design gives an almost perfectly continuous experience.

The lenses can also be used to correct short sight and stigmatism – a condition which results from the eyeball being misshapen – and are best suited to older people.