Presbyopia is the medical term for the age related loss of the ability to see up close. Presbyopia affects everyone, beginning in the early 40’s and continuing to worsen until the early 60’s. Patients become more and more dependent on their reading glasses or “cheaters” with each passing year. The underlying reason for this is that the lens of the eye, which is responsible for focusing up close, becomes stiffer with age and less able to do its job. Presbyopia is simply a part of aging. As such, there is no perfect cure for presbyopia, but there are many very good treatments.

The Good Morning America segment which aired this morning was talking about the KAMRA Intracorneal Inlay, which was recently approved by the FDA. This technique has already been in use for some time in Europe and in Asia as well as in other areas around the world. While the KAMRA is an exciting new treatment for us, it has pros and cons.

KAMRA works by insertion into the cornea of a small diameter, very thin, ring with a small opening in its center. The KAMRA inlay is placed only in the non-dominant eye. It is similar to the concept of looking through a pinhole to see more sharply. Technically, it works by a mechanism called “small aperture optics”, which is based on the principle of only letting light rays into the eye which are coming straight in and do not need focusing and clipping off those rays that do require focusing. At a practical level, this increases the range in which objects are in focus by increasing the “depth of field”. A camera does something similar when it uses a small aperture (or f-stop) to take a photo. International studies show a very high rate of success with the KAMRA inlay in increasing the range of focus to the point that patients see well up close without reading glasses, while preserving excellent distance vision. In the FDA’s review of three clinical trials, 83.5% of patients could read 20/40 up close, vision good enough to read most text in magazines and newspapers.

However, there is a trade-off in that the small aperture also reduces the total amount of light coming in. Some patients complain that the vision looks “dim” or “dark” in the eye that has the KAMRA inlay. There are other downsides to the KAMRA as well. There are ongoing concerns about corneal tissue reaction to the material the inlay is made out of. Some inlays need to be removed due to this type of tissue reaction. Other times, the tissue reaction can shift the prescription of the eye over time. The FDA’s approval of the KAMRA contains some words of caution regarding the long term safety of the device, a level of wording the FDA typically does not include. The FDA also cautions that the safety and effectiveness when using the KAMRA in conjunction with LASIK are unknown. In the words of the FDA: “the device’s safety and effectiveness in patients who have had LASIK or other refractive procedures is unknown.”

The KAMRA is the first corneal inlay to be approved by the FDA. Two other inlays are in the pipeline for approval also to treat presbyopia.

It is important to remember that while the KAMRA is a good option for patients to consider, many patients achieve excellent results without the use of a corneal inlay by using LASIK or PRK to create either monovision or blended vision in which one eye is set for distance and the other eye is set for closer up.

For nearly 20 years, patients from Templeton have trusted their LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery to Dr. David Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. Templeton is a convenient 20 minute drive from the Shapiro Laser Eye Center in San Luis Obispo.

Templeton is located approximately 5 miles south of Paso Robles and 5 miles north of Atascadero on Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo County. It has a population of 7,674.

Templeton enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and dry summers. It is home to businesses that serve local ranching and agriculture. The Templeton area is a major wine producing area. In fact, many of Paso Robles’ wineries are actually in unincorporated parts Templeton, including Castoro, Peach Canyon, York Mountain, and Wild Horse Wineries.

Templeton is also home to other industries and companies. Major businesses based in Templeton include Weyrick Lumber, Santa Margarita Construction Corporation, Castoro Cellars, Peachy Canyon Winery, York Mountain Winery, and Wild Horse Winery.

Politically, Templeton is located in the State of California’s 15th Senate District and in the 33rd Assembly District. Federally, Templeton is in California’s 22nd Congressional District.

Templeton is famous for its excellent schools. Templeton High School was selected as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2006 and as a California Distinguished School in 1999 and 2005. Templeton is also home to Templeton Middle School, Templeton Elementary School, and Vineyard Elementary School.

Many Templeton residents have undergone either LASIK or PRK laser eye surgery with Dr. Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center over the past twenty years. Dr. Shapiro’s San Luis Obispo office has provided Templeton patients with convenient access to world class laser vision correction. Dr. Shapiro’s office is a 20 minute drive from Templeton down the 101 Freeway.

For nearly 20 years, patients from Paso Robles have trusted their LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery to Dr. David Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. Paso Robles is a convenient 30 minute drive from the Shapiro Laser Eye Center in San Luis Obispo.

Paso Robles is a community of 29.793 people located in the coastal mountain range of central California. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County. Paso Robles has 11% of the population in San Luis Obispo County, but accounts for 19% of retail sales and 58% of manufacturing in San Luis Obispo County.

Paso Robles is located close to one of the most important wine growing regions of California and also to numerous hot spring resorts. The Paso Robles Wine Country covers 26,000 vineyard acres and produces more than 40 winegrape varieties. Paso Robles’ Wine Country wines include Spanish to Italian wines, Bordeaux to Rhone, and the heritage variety Zinfandel.

Paso Robles is also famous for its sustainable building industry and wind farms.

Paso Robles has only one airport, the Paso Robles Municipal Airport. Paso Robles has three high schools: Paso Robles High School, Liberty Continuation High School, and PR Independent Study High School. The main parks in Paso Robles include Barney Schwartz Park and Recreation Area, Centennial Park Complex, City Park, and Sherwood Forest and Park.

Paso Robles is home to the California Mid-State Fair, held each year at the Paso Robles Event Center. This 12 day summer event features a concert series, a rodeo, equestrian and livestock events, and a carnival.

Lake Nacimiento is an 18 mile long lake located 13 miles from Paso Robles in the Santa Lucia Range. While Lake Nacimiento technically is not in Paso Robles, locals consider it part of the Paso Robles area and flock to it for recreation.

Many Paso Robles residents have undergone either LASIK or PRK laser eye surgery with Dr. Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center over the past twenty years. Dr. Shapiro’s San Luis Obispo office has provided patients with convenient access to world class laser vision correction. Dr. Shapiro’s office is a 30 minute drive from Paso Robles down the 101 Freeway.

The Shapiro Laser Eye Center provides convenient, state-of-the-art service to these communities:

• Santa Barbara
• Montecito
• Isla Vista
• Mission Canyon
• Hope Ranch
• Summerland
• Goleta
• Carpenteria

Shapiro Laser Eye Center
1280 South Victoria Ave., Suite 260
Ventura, CA 93003 [Map]

1147 Coast Village Rd
Montecito, CA 93108 [Map]

127 Casa St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 [Map]

Directions to Shapiro Laser Eye Center [ Map ].

For nearly 20 years, patients from throughout San Luis Obispo County have trusted their LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery to Dr. David Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. The Shapiro Laser Eye Center is located in the San Luis Obispo, the County Seat of San Luis Obispo County. The Shapiro Laser Eye Center is at 127 Casa Street in San Luis Obispo, providing convenient access to world class LASIK for all of San Luis Obispo County.

San Luis Obispo County is located on California’s beautiful Central Coast. It has a population of 269,637 residents. The County Seat, San Luis Obispo, home of the Shapiro Laser Eye Center, has a population of 46,000. The distance and physical separation of San Luis Obispo County from both Los Angeles County to the south and San Francisco County to the north give San Luis Obispo County a rural character that reminds many of “old” California.

The mainstays of San Luis Obispo County’s economy are California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, tourism, and agriculture. Wine grapes are the largest agricultural product in San Luis Obispo County. In fact, San Luis Obispo County is now the third largest producer of wine in California, behind only Sonoma and Napa Counties.

The Shapiro Laser Eye Center conveniently provides world class PRK and LASIK eye surgery laser vision correction to all the towns, cities, and communities of San Luis Obispo County, including San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Paso Robles, Templeton, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Cambria, Morro Bay, Avilla Beach, Cayucos, Lake Nacimiento, Los Osos, Nipomo, Oceano, San Simeon, Santa Margarita, and Los Berros.

For nearly 20 years, patients from throughout Santa Barbara County have trusted their LASIK and PRK laser eye surgery to Dr. David Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. The Shapiro Laser Eye Center’s Santa Barbara office is located in Montecito’s Lower Village at 1147 Coast Village Road. Patients in North Santa Barbara County can also see Dr. Shapiro for laser eye surgery at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center’s San Luis Obispo office at 127 Casa Street in San Luis Obispo.

Santa Barbara County has a population of 423,895. Santa Barbara County covers 3,789 square miles. The County Seat is Santa Barbara, home of the Shapiro Laser Eye Center. The largest city in Santa Barbara County, however, is Santa Maria in North Santa Barbara County.

The Shapiro Laser Eye Center provides PRK and LASIK eye surgery to all the cities of Santa Barbara County, including Santa Maria, Orcutt, Lompoc, Buelton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Solvang, Santa Ynez, the Santa Ynez Valley, Vandenberg Village, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Isla Vista, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland, and Carpenteria.

South Santa Barbara County and North Santa Barbara County have very different political interests. North of the Santa Ynez Mountains, agriculture and the oil industry have long been predominant economic forces. Huge oil fields in Orcutt, Lompoc, Santa Maria Valley, and East Cat Canyon had for years been major sources of employment. More recently, major oil companies have left the area and, instead, smaller independent oil companies have taken over remaining fields. Vandenberg Air Force Base is also a large source of employment. In general, North Santa Barbara County has had a more conservative leaning voting pattern than South Santa Barbara County.

By contrast, South Santa Barbara County has an economy more based on tourism, UC Santa Barbara, and high tech jobs. South Santa Barbara County has tended to be more left-leaning than North Santa Barbara County.

These political differences have led to tensions, including a call to split Santa Barbara County into two separate counties. In 1978, residents of North Santa Barbara County proposed to split off into a new county called Los Padres County. This effort failed. Similarly, in 2006 voters rejected the formation of a new, separate North Santa Barbara county to be called Mission County.

Santa Barbara County is becoming increasingly well known for its Wine Country, particularly since the 2004 movie Sideways brought attention to the Santa Barbara Wine Country. Santa Barbara’s Wine Country, because of its unique climate and geography, is famous for outstanding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. More recently, the Rhone varietals, including Syrah and Viognier have also become more prominent. Santa Barbara County’s Wine Country now has 115 wineries covering 21,000 acres of vineyards. The vast majority of Santa Barbara County’s wineries are in the Central Coast American Viticultural Areas, which include Santa Maria Valley AVA, Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, and the Happy Canyon AVA.

One beautiful and famous part of Santa Barbara County is the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, which has mostly Rhone styles in its south and mostly Burgundy style wines in its north due to climate differences. The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in Santa Barbara County is home to Andrew Murray Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery, the Cambria Estate Winery, and Firestone Vineyard, among others.

Residents throughout beautiful Santa Barbara County, both in the South County and in the North County, have undergone either LASIK or PRK eye surgery with Dr. Shapiro at the Shapiro Laser Eye Center over the past twenty years. Dr. Shapiro’s Santa Barbara office at 1147 Coast Village Road in Montecito offers convenient access for patients in South Santa Barbara County. Dr. Shapiro’s San Luis Obispo office at 127 Casa Street in San Luis Obispo offers convenient access for patients in North Santa Barbara County.