Refractive surgery · London
PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision, by a Zeiss-trained surgeon.
A same-day laser treatment for presbyopia on the Zeiss VisuMax and MEL 90 platforms, using the Reinstein blend-zone protocol so both eyes keep working at every distance. Home the same afternoon, driving the next day.
Why patients choose us
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A named PRESBYOND surgeon, not a laser franchise
Introductions to consultants who trained directly with the London Vision Clinic protocol and run a high PRESBYOND case volume on Zeiss VisuMax and MEL 90 platforms.
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The contact-lens simulation is non-negotiable
You will not be booked without a blended-vision contact-lens trial first. If your brain does not fuse the blend zone, PRESBYOND is not for you and we say so.
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Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so if refractive lens exchange or an EDOF intraocular lens is the honest answer, that is what we will say.
Indicative pricing
What private PRESBYOND costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner clinics. Send your current prescription and we quote firm figures across two or three surgeons.
In short
PRESBYOND for both eyes in London: £5,500 to £8,500, including 12 months of aftercare.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full PRESBYOND workup and contact-lens simulation | £350–£600 | 90–120 min | Same visit |
| PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision, both eyes | £5,500–£8,500 | 20–30 min | Same day |
| PRESBYOND with premium 12-month aftercare package | £6,800–£8,500 | 20–30 min | Same day |
| Enhancement top-up within 12 months | Included | 15–20 min | Same day |
| Refractive lens exchange with EDOF or trifocal IOL | £6,500–£10,500 | 20–30 min per eye | Two visits |
| Second-opinion review of another clinic’s plan | £250–£450 | 30 min | 48 hours |
Prices vary by surgeon, by clinic, by whether a premium 12-month aftercare bundle is included, and by the complexity of your prescription. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The journey
From enquiry to 12-month review, what happens, in order.
One team from first message to the year-out check, including the contact-lens simulation and any enhancement top-up.
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Before
You send us your prescription and age
A short, confidential form. Current spectacles and reading add, any prior laser or cataract history, and what you want to stop using glasses for.
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Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether PRESBYOND fits, or whether refractive lens exchange with an EDOF or trifocal IOL is the better call. Indicative price. An honest read either way.
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Before
Full workup and contact-lens simulation
Pentacam tomography, epithelial mapping, tear-film assessment, ocular dominance testing, then a two-week blended-vision contact-lens trial you take home.
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On the day
Arrival at the laser suite
Consent, drops and a chat with the surgeon and refractive optometrist. Both eyes are treated in the same visit.
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On the day
The PRESBYOND treatment itself
20 to 30 minutes for both eyes. VisuMax 500 or 800 femtosecond flap, then MEL 90 excimer ablation programmed for the dominant distance eye and the near eye with a controlled blend zone.
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On the day
Home the same afternoon
A short rest, protective shields, written aftercare, and home within a couple of hours. You will need someone to drive you.
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After
Next-day check, then a 12-month package
A functional-vision review the next morning, then reviews at 1 week, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Any refinement or enhancement is included in the package.
Typical end-to-end: 3 to 6 weeks from enquiry to treatment. Driving: next day. Full adaptation: 6 to 12 weeks.
When it helps
When PRESBYOND is the right step, and when it is not.
The prescriptions and life patterns PRESBYOND suits, plus the corneal and lens findings that push us toward a lens-based option instead.
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Presbyopia between 45 and 70
The core PRESBYOND indication: reading vision that has drifted over the last few years, with or without a low background prescription.
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Low hyperopia with presbyopia
Mild long-sight that has started to bite in your forties, when distance was fine but near has gone. PRESBYOND covers both in a single treatment.
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Low myopia losing the reading trick
Short-sighted patients who used to take their glasses off to read, and whose near workaround is failing as the eye stiffens with age.
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Mild residual astigmatism
Up to about 1.5 dioptres of regular astigmatism is corrected in the same ablation on the MEL 90 platform.
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Failed traditional monovision contact trial
Some patients cannot tolerate classical monovision because of the mid-range gap. PRESBYOND’s blend zone often works where monovision did not.
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Not for keratoconus or thin corneas
Any suspicion on Pentacam or epithelial mapping and PRESBYOND is off the table. We would consider ICL or a lens-based option instead.
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Not for early or established cataract
If the lens is already cloudy, refractive lens exchange with an EDOF or trifocal IOL treats the cataract and presbyopia in one operation.
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Red flag: severe dry eye
Uncontrolled dry eye disease worsens after any LASIK-based procedure. Tear-film treatment first, then reassess.
Procedure options
PRESBYOND sits inside a family of presbyopia solutions.
What each option actually involves, and which fits which eye. For higher hyperopia, thin corneas or early cataract, we usually move to a lens-based route.
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PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision (Zeiss)
The Reinstein protocol on VisuMax femtosecond plus MEL 90 excimer. Dominant eye set for distance with slight micro-monovision, non-dominant eye set for near, controlled spherical aberration creates the blend zone.
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How PRESBYOND differs from monovision
Traditional monovision leaves a blind mid-range and forces one eye to switch off. PRESBYOND uses induced spherical aberration to extend the depth of focus so both eyes contribute at every distance.
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SMILE with micro-monovision
A flap-free VisuMax alternative for younger presbyopic myopes, using a mild monovision offset without the true blend-zone algorithm of PRESBYOND.
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Refractive lens exchange with EDOF IOL
Symfony or Vivity extended depth-of-focus lenses swap the natural lens. Best fit for higher hyperopia, early cataract, or those over 55 with a stiff lens.
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Refractive lens exchange with trifocal IOL
PanOptix or Synergy trifocals give distance, intermediate and near from a single lens. More glasses independence, more risk of halos and dysphotopsia than EDOF.
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Toric IOL for astigmatism
When the corneal astigmatism is too high for laser correction alone, a toric platform on top of the EDOF or trifocal handles it inside the eye.
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ICL implantable contact lens
For thin corneas or very high prescriptions where laser is unsafe. Not a presbyopia treatment on its own, but can be combined with a later reading solution.
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Second-opinion review
A specialist review of another clinic’s scans, biometry and plan. Sometimes the answer is a different technology, or waiting until cataract develops.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of PRESBYOND surgeons, we picked them.
The London Vision Clinic on Harley Street, where Professor Dan Reinstein originated the protocol, plus a handful of comparable centres including Optegra, Advanced Vision Care, OCL Vision, Focus Clinics and Moorfields Private Refractive.
Selection criteria
How we choose every PRESBYOND surgeon in our network.
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Refractive surgeons trained in the Reinstein PRESBYOND protocol with a documented case volume
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Zeiss VisuMax 500 or 800 femtosecond and MEL 90 excimer platforms on site
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Refractive lens exchange, EDOF, trifocal and ICL pathways available under the same roof
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A named refractive optometrist for the contact-lens simulation and the 12-month reviews
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards, honestly.
PRESBYOND is a well-established LASIK-based refractive procedure. The things worth planning are the adaptation window, dry-eye care, and the low chance of an enhancement top-up in the first year.
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The blend-zone adaptation window
Most patients see the blended vision working within days, but full neural adaptation can take 6 to 12 weeks. Reading in low light is the last thing to settle.
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Dry eye for the first few months
Any LASIK-based treatment reduces corneal nerve sensation for a while. Preservative-free lubricants for 3 to 6 months is standard.
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Night vision and halos
A halo around bright lights at night is common in the first weeks and usually resolves. Very rarely it persists and is discussed on consent.
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Enhancement rate is low
Around 5 to 8 per cent of PRESBYOND patients have a small refinement treatment within the first year, included in the package price.
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Reading glasses for very fine print
PRESBYOND aims for functional reading without glasses at menus, phones and books. A pair of low-strength readers may still help with very small print in dim light.
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Not a cure for cataract
PRESBYOND treats the cornea, not the lens. If cataract develops years later you will still need cataract surgery and can choose an IOL that keeps the near effect.
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Sports and screens
Non-contact sport at 1 week, contact sport and swimming at 4 weeks. Screens are fine from the next day within comfort.
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Driving and DVLA standards
Around 98 per cent of PRESBYOND patients meet the DVLA distance standard unaided. A next-day check confirms whether you can drive.
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Red flags after treatment
Sudden vision loss, severe pain, worsening light sensitivity or a shadow across vision needs same-day contact with the clinic or A&E.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Refractive surgery for presbyopia is usually self-funded rather than covered by private medical insurance. We confirm before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about PRESBYOND.
Quick answers on how the blend zone works, cost, candidacy, and how it compares to lens-based options.
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What is PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision?
PRESBYOND is a Zeiss laser treatment for presbyopia using the VisuMax femtosecond and MEL 90 excimer platforms. The dominant eye is set for distance with a small amount of micro-monovision, the non-dominant eye is set for near, and a controlled amount of spherical aberration is induced so both eyes still contribute across intermediate distances. The brain fuses the two images into a single continuous range of focus.
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How is PRESBYOND different from traditional monovision?
Traditional monovision fully corrects one eye for distance and the other for near, leaving a blind gap at intermediate distances and forcing the brain to suppress one eye. PRESBYOND extends the depth of focus in each eye through induced spherical aberration, so the two eyes overlap in a blend zone and both continue to work at every distance. Tolerance rates are far higher and the mid-range is filled in.
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What outcomes are realistic?
Published data from the London Vision Clinic and independent centres shows around 97 per cent patient satisfaction, with 95 per cent or more reading J2 near print unaided and around 98 per cent meeting the DVLA distance standard without glasses. A small proportion still use low-strength reading glasses for very fine print in dim light.
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Who is a candidate?
Adults roughly 45 to 70 with presbyopia, healthy corneas on Pentacam and epithelial mapping, stable prescription, controlled tear film, and no early cataract. Suitable prescriptions range from low myopia to moderate hyperopia with up to about 1.5 dioptres of astigmatism. The contact-lens simulation trial is crucial: if your brain does not tolerate the blend, you should not have the treatment.
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How much does PRESBYOND cost in the UK?
A private PRESBYOND treatment for both eyes runs £5,500 to £8,500 including 12 months of aftercare and any enhancement top-up in that period. A full workup with the contact-lens simulation is £350 to £600. Refractive lens exchange with an EDOF or trifocal IOL is £6,500 to £10,500. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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Where is PRESBYOND done in London?
The London Vision Clinic on Harley Street is where Professor Dan Reinstein originated the PRESBYOND protocol. Other reputable London providers include Optegra, Advanced Vision Care, OCL Vision, Focus Clinics and Moorfields Private Refractive. We will match you to a surgeon whose case volume, platform and consultation style fits your situation.
Ready to read without glasses again?
Send us your prescription. We come back with a PRESBYOND plan and two surgeon options within a working day.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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SMILE laser eye surgery
Flap-free VisuMax alternative for younger myopes.
Learn more -
LASIK, LASEK and PRK
The core menu of corneal laser options.
Learn more -
Refractive lens exchange (RLE)
Lens-based route for higher hyperopia or early cataract.
Learn more -
Toric IOL implantation
For higher corneal astigmatism inside the eye.
Learn more -
ICL implantable contact lens
For thin corneas or very high prescriptions.
Learn more -
Presbyopia condition guide
What is happening in the ageing eye, and every option.
Learn more