What Are the Benefits of In-Office RLE Procedure?

Refractive lens exchange, also known as RLE, is an increasingly popular refractive procedure that can allow you to reduce your dependence on visual aids. By replacing the eye’s natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens, RLE provides improved vision by correcting refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

In-office RLE offers numerous benefits that can enhance convenience, reduce costs, accelerate recovery, and customize your experience. Keep reading to learn more about RLE, including five key benefits of an in-office RLE procedure!

What is RLE?

Refractive lens exchange is a vision correction procedure for people over forty-five who are looking to gain greater independence from glasses or contacts. It replaces the eye’s natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) implant to treat presbyopia and refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness. 

RLE is performed right in your eye doctor’s office using mild sedation and anesthetic drops to keep you comfortable during the procedure. During RLE, your eye doctor will numb the eye and then make a tiny incision to remove the natural lens using laser-assisted technology. 

The new customized IOL is inserted and positioned to permanently correct vision. The procedure is quick, taking about ten minutes per eye, and can provide you with greater visual freedom.

5 Benefits of an In-Office RLE Procedure

There are many benefits to having your RLE procedure in your eye doctor’s office, including:

More Convenient

An in-office RLE procedure saves you a trip to an outside facility. Instead, the entire procedure is done right at your eye doctor’s office. 

This is much more convenient than going to a separate surgery center, which typically involves additional pre-op appointments and coordination. Having your RLE procedure in your eye doctor’s office streamlines the experience.

Lower Cost  

Having your RLE procedure in-office at Ginsberg Eye avoids extra charges that may come with a procedure at a surgery center, resulting in significant cost savings. At Ginsberg Eye, our eye doctors and staff are equipped to perform the RLE procedure efficiently without accruing the overhead typical of surgery centers.

Quicker Procedure

In-office RLE is designed to provide maximum efficiency and simplicity during the procedure for your comfort. Specialized equipment, gentle topical anesthesia, and mild sedation are utilized, eliminating the need for IV sedation or lengthy operating room setups.

This results in a quicker, more streamlined process from pre-op to lens replacement. Little preoperative preparation is required prior to your in-office RLE procedure, allowing you to undergo vision correction at your scheduled time. 

Familiar Setting

Having your RLE procedure in-office also provides greater comfort, confidence, and peace of mind. You likely already know the office environment, staff, and eye doctor who will perform your procedure, as they are the same caring professionals you see for your general eye exams. 

This familiarity with the space and friendly faces means less anxiety about the procedure itself. The staff’s greater knowledge of you as an established patient also ensures more personalized care and attention before, during, and after your procedure.

Private & Intimate

In-office RLE allows for a private and intimate setting that focuses solely on you and your vision needs. At Ginsberg Eye, the in-office procedure space offers a quiet, intimate experience with no other patients around. 

From pre-op preparation to lens implantation and recovery, you are the sole focus and will not feel lost in a crowd. The intimate clinical environment also means specialized attention from your eye doctor and the staff members you already know.

Choosing an in-office RLE gives advantages in convenience, cost, speed, and customized care. 

Do you want to learn more about RLE or determine if you may be a candidate? Schedule an appointment at Ginsberg Eye in Naples, FL, today!