Three new laser eye surgery techniques were unveiled at a US conference which claimed to correct long-sightedness and restore 20/20 vision.

Most UK adults need reading glasses by age 50, and as a nation we spend £2.7billion a year on optical products such as spectacles and contact lenses.

But are these techniques a real help to those who strain over computer screens, restaurant menus and food instructions?

The first, AcuFocus, inserts a doughnut-shaped implant into the eye to redirect light and sharpen vision.

The second, Flexivue, puts a tiny magnifying lens, smaller than a 5p piece, into the eye. This magnifies words and brings them into focus.

The third technique, IntraCor, uses a laser to make ring pattens on the cornea, which correct the focus of light in the eye.

Experts' opinion is mixed. Some urge punters to steer clear for ten years until the techniques have been perfected. Others are more encouraging.

Julian Stevens, an eye surgeon at London's Moorfields NHS Eye Hospital, says: "These techniques wouldn't be for everybody.

"We've been doing laser eye surgery for short-sightedness for around 20 years and it's very clear who it would work for and who it wouldn't. With these new technologies that's not the case.

"And you may be able to read things close up but distance vision may get slightly worse.

"But technologies are coming in thick and fast and will have dramatic results in the future." Meanwhile more and more Brits go under the laser to correct short-sightedness - distance vision - and ditch specs.

Many clinics also offer a technique called Monovision where one eye is corrected for distance vision and the other for close vision.

But how should you pick your clinic and surgeon?

Dr Stevens says: "The first thing to know is that laser eye surgery makes people less dependent on glasses, but not completely glasses-free."

Nine in ten patients don't need glasses all the time after the procedure but may need them for things such as driving at night, he says. And although one in ten will continue to wear glasses all of the time, the risk to vision is the same as wearing contact lenses for five years.

Doctors use two techniques in laser surgery and both take around 20 minutes.

The first, LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis), involves cutting a flap in the front of the eye, reshaping the cornea with a laser then resealing the flap.

A second type, LASEK (laser-assisted epithelial keratomileusis), scrapes a layer of cells from the cornea. This has a longer recovery time but is cheaper.

People with very bad eyesight may need a lens implanted into their eye.

Laser surgery usually costs around £1,000 per eye.

Dr Stevens recommends visiting more than one clinic before choosing which to use, and trying to speak to previous patients. Surgeons should have a Certificate of Refractive Surgery from the College of Opthamologists. And beware budget treatment - it's worth paying for a quality surgeon and good follow-up care.