How Do I Know if Refractive Lens Exchange is Right For Me?
If you’re tired of wearing glasses or contacts, you may be wondering if refractive lens exchange (RLE) surgery is right for you. RLE is a procedure that replaces your eye’s natural lens with an artificial one to reduce your need for glasses or contacts.
Keep reading to learn how you can determine if refractive lens exchange may be right for you!
What is RLE?
During RLE surgery, your ophthalmologist will remove the natural lens inside your eye and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens implant, also called an IOL. This artificial lens implant is specifically chosen to correct your refractive error to reduce dependency on corrective lenses.
There are many benefits to choosing RLE. However, the most significant is that you can gain greater visual freedom.
Who Should Consider RLE?
The best way to know if RLE may be right for you is to visit your eye doctor at Ginsberg Eye for a thorough evaluation. They will be able to tell, based on your vision goals, lifestyle, and eyes, whether or not RLE is the best vision correction procedure for you.
Refractive lens exchange may be an option for you if you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism that makes you very reliant on glasses or contacts to see clearly. RLE is also sometimes used to treat presbyopia, which is the gradual loss of near vision that happens with aging.
Some people consider RLE because they have an intolerance to contacts or discomfort with glasses. Your ophthalmologist will do a complete eye exam to determine if you are a suitable candidate for refractive lens exchange surgery based on your vision goals and eye health.
What Are the Benefits of RLE?
RLE can allow you to gain greater visual freedom. However, there are many other benefits of choosing RLE, such as:
- Reduced reliance on glasses or contacts
- Crisper, sharper vision at all distances – near and far
- Treatment for presbyopia – the ability to see objects up close again
- Preventing cataracts
What Happens During the RLE Procedure?
During refractive lens exchange surgery, you will be given numbing eye drops before the procedure starts. Your eye doctor will make a tiny incision in your cornea and use small surgical instruments to gently break up and remove your eye’s natural lens.
The artificial replacement intraocular lens chosen for your vision needs will then be inserted through the small incision. Your eye doctor will help you choose which IOL is best for you before the procedure.
Then, the new artificial lens will be placed securely in the empty lens capsule. The tiny opening on the front of your eye will naturally heal over time without the need for stitches.
For the right patients, refractive lens exchange can significantly reduce the need for corrective visual aids. If you are bothered by glasses or contacts, discuss RLE with your ophthalmologist to see if it may improve your vision!
Are you interested in learning if RLE may be right for you? Schedule an appointment at Ginsberg Eye in Naples, FL, today!
