What Is Refractive Lens Exchange Surgery?
Would you like to decrease your dependence on contact lenses and glasses and prevent cataracts from forming? It’s possible with refractive lens exchange surgery, also known as RLE!
Caratacts and refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism can blur your vision. Through RLE, you can achieve clear vision and prevent future blurry vision due to cataracts.
Keep reading to learn more about refractive lens exchange surgery!
How Does RLE Work?
RLE is a permanent vision correction procedure. This procedure aims to decrease your reliance on visual aids.
RLE can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It can also treat the age-related eye condition of presbyopia, which is when your eyes lose the ability to focus on nearby objects.
The process eye doctors use during RLE is almost identical to cataract surgery. They both use a precise laser to remove the eye’s natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens.
The new artificial lens is called an intraocular lens implant or IOL. It allows you to see clearly, by correcting your refractive error.
RLE differs from cataract surgery because, in RLE, your eye surgeon removes your lens prior to clouding due to cataracts. Instead of treating a cataract that has already developed, you keep one from developing in the first place.
What Are the Advantages of RLE?
RLE comes with many benefits, which is why it has grown in popularity in recent years. The first advantage is that it does not require a lengthy recovery period.
Most patients are able to see the dramatic improvement in their vision right away. The procedure itself is short, only taking about ten minutes per eye.
Since the procedure can be performed right here in our office, it’s also more convenient. RLE is an outpatient procedure, meaning you can go home the same day!
The most significant benefit of RLE is the ability to achieve visual freedom. Every day, patients worldwide are experiencing clear vision without glasses or contacts for the first time in years or their life.
As an added bonus, they will not have to worry about a cataract forming down the road.
Who Is a Good Candidate for RLE?
Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process inside the eye. Many people begin to develop cataracts around the age of forty.
RLE is a good choice if you want to avoid developing a cataract in the future. Once your eye surgeon removes your natural lens during RLE, you will no longer be at risk for developing cataracts.
RLE can also be an excellent option for those who want to undergo a vision correction procedure like LASIK or PRK but do not qualify for those procedures. If you are over the age of forty-five and do not qualify for LASIK or PRK, RLE may be a great option for you.
In order to schedule the procedure, you will first need to visit your eye doctor for an evaluation to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure.
Are you interested in experiencing the life-changing results of RLE for yourself? Schedule a consultation at Ginsberg Eye in Naples, FL, today!
