Understanding Presbyopia
Your Arms Keep Getting Longer When Reading
First the menu moves a little farther away, then your phone, eventually your arm isn’t long enough. What many experience from their mid-40s onward is not a disease but the most natural change the eye undergoes: presbyopia. Sooner or later it affects everyone, even those who have never needed glasses.
How to Recognize It
Your Options
Three Paths to Freedom from Glasses After 45
Reading glasses are the simplest answer, but not the only one. At EyeLaser Vienna, three proven procedures are available. Which one fits is determined by measuring your eyes, not by a catalog.
| Procedure | What Happens | Suitable For | Price per Eye |
|---|---|---|---|
| PresbyMAX® Laser Treatment |
The cornea is laser-sculpted so that near and far are simultaneously in sharp focus. | From about 45, with healthy cornea and clear lens. | €3,000 |
| Allotex TransForm™ Corneal Implant |
An ultra-thin biological implant made from donor cornea improves near vision; the procedure is reversible. | From about 45, when a reversible procedure is desired. | €4,500 |
| Refractive Lens Exchange Premium Artificial Lens |
The aging lens is replaced with a premium artificial lens. Permanently resolves presbyopia; cataracts can no longer develop later. | From about 50, or earlier if lens clouding begins. | €3,500 any lens, no surcharge |
All prices are fixed prices including preliminary examination, treatment day, follow-up examinations according to quality assurance protocol, and enhancement if necessary. For lens exchange: whether monofocal, EDOF, trifocal, or toric, the price remains the same; which lens goes into your eye is determined by measurement, not your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions About Presbyopia
Can you train away presbyopia or stop it with drops?
No. Eye exercises and presbyopia drops may temporarily relieve symptoms, but they do not address the underlying cause—the stiffened lens. Presbyopia can only be permanently corrected through a procedure on the cornea or lens.
Which procedure is right for me?
The preliminary examination decides: corneal thickness, lens status, pupil size, and your daily vision requirements. As a rule of thumb: a clear lens and healthy cornea favor PresbyMAX or Allotex; early lens clouding or the desire for a definitive solution favor lens exchange.
What does presbyopia treatment cost in Vienna?
At EyeLaser Vienna, fixed prices per eye apply: PresbyMAX €3,000, Allotex TransForm €4,500, refractive lens exchange €3,500 including any lens type. Follow-up examinations and any necessary enhancement are included. The costs are tax-deductible in Austria as an extraordinary expense.
Am I too young for lens exchange at 45?
Usually yes. Between 45 and 50, your natural lens is often still clear; PresbyMAX or Allotex are then the gentler options. From about 50 onward, or as soon as the lens shows early clouding, lens exchange becomes the most sensible choice because it simultaneously prevents future cataracts.
How long do the results last?
Lens exchange corrects permanently: the artificial lens does not age and cataracts can no longer develop. After PresbyMAX, results remain stable for many years; since the natural lens continues to age, an adjustment may be needed decades later. The Allotex implant can be removed or exchanged if needed.
Is the procedure painful?
No. All three procedures are performed on an outpatient basis under topical anesthesia; light sedation is available on request. Treatment takes 10 to 20 minutes per eye depending on the procedure; afterward you are picked up and usually see significantly better the very next day.