Today, surgery to replace the eye’s lens is a typical treatment for numerous visual issues. Reading vision issues, astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, or a combination of these issues are all conditions that can be corrected with lens replacement surgery.
Which procedure is better, RLE or LASIK?
Refractive eye surgery includes both LASIK and RLE. In other words, they are methods to fix refractive defects. Our surgeon will make an incision to replace your natural lens with a synthetic one during RLE. In contrast, LASIK involves making a flap in your cornea and using a laser to reshape it to improve eyesight.
For myopia and hyperopia correction, LASIK is a standard option. RLE would repair any refractive error, including presbyopia, and prevent age-related cataracts from developing later in life. However, it may be more appropriate for people over 50.
What distinguishes cataract surgery from RLE?
Modern cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange (RLE) are the same procedure. In both procedures, a synthetic lens is inserted into the eye through a small incision to replace the native lens.
The sole distinction is that RLE is conducted to lessen reliance on glasses or contact lenses. In contrast, cataract surgery is mainly undertaken to cure blur or light scatter produced by a cloudy natural lens.
After LASIK, is lens replacement still an option?
The short answer is yes, you can. In contrast to lens replacement, which replaces the lens inside the eye, LASIK addresses the cornea. One will not preclude the possibility of the other. High-quality trifocal lenses can also be employed to correct vision at all distances.
Why choose to have surgery for new lenses?
You might be wondering if lens replacement surgery has any benefits in light of the accessibility of laser eye surgery. However, surgery to replace the patient’s lens is frequently the best action.
- Patients with cataracts will receive treatment that includes lens replacement surgery.
- Patients looking for an effective alternative to laser eye surgery should consider lens replacement surgery. Individuals with weak corneas, strong prescriptions, or other difficulties fall under this category.
- Due to their increased risk of getting cataracts, patients over 50 may elect to have their lenses replaced, preventing them from ever needing cataract surgery.
Replacing your refractive lenses
One kind of lens replacement surgery is refractive lens exchange. The RLE process typically lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Our animated demonstration of the process is provided below: How is surgery for Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) carried out?
You won’t be able to feel the lens in your eye, and it won’t be apparent to others the way a contact lens can. There are numerous varieties of lenses, such as mono-focal and multifocal lenses.
You can only choose between near and far vision with mono-focal lenses. However, for some patients, we can implant a near lens in one eye and a distance lens in the other (called monovision). The range of vision provided by mono-focal plus lenses—also referred to as premium mono-focal lenses—is broader than that of mono-focal lenses.
With near and far vision, a multifocal lens offers a greater chance of independence from glasses or contacts. There are trifocal and EDOF lenses in this group. Because they offer near, intermediate, and distance vision, these are highly popular.
You can get toric lenses to treat astigmatism and lessen any distortions you might be feeling. You can convert toric lenses into mono-focal and multifocal lenses to correct your astigmatism.
Refractive lens exchange side effects
Refractive lens exchange can have specific adverse effects that can persist from a few days to a week. If your symptoms persist after this, we advise speaking with our ophthalmologist.
Possible adverse outcomes include:
- A dry eye
- A red eye
- Hazy vision
- Sensitivity to light
- ‘Scratchy’ or itchy feeling
- Halos and glare surrounding lights
- Pain or sensitivity in the eyes
There are hazards with surgery, like with any procedure. However, problems are uncommon following RLE/lens replacement surgery. We will go over these hazards with you at your initial consultation.
Advantages of RLE
RLE is a safe and successful operation for people over 50, whereas LASIK has no upper age limit. RLE, as opposed to LASIK, is a more long-lasting treatment for presbyopia and can address any refractive issues you might have, including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Furthermore, you won’t need another cataract operation in the future. You can eventually become more independent from glasses thanks to the implanted lenses, which are permanent and last the rest of your life.
A few advantages of RLE are:
- sharper focus
- Enhanced vision
- stops cataracts
- diminished glare and halo
- A colour distinction is made easier
Various lens types
The illness being treated and the patient’s personal preferences are just two of the numerous variables determining the type of IOL implanted. For any form of vision correction, quality lenses are now available in a wide range of prescriptions and materials, including multifocal lenses that we can use for both near- and far-sightedness. By changing the cornea’s curvature, toric lenses can treat astigmatism and improve how the eye focuses light.
The cornea has not been laser-treated, according to conventional treatments. There are techniques to measure the correct lens power more precisely using complex corneal imaging and calculation formulas. Two to three patients undergoing prior laser eye surgery are treated each week at the Centre for Sight, with remarkable and consistent results. We are proud of our stellar track record in the “art form” of cornea evaluation for trifocal lenses, for example, and correct lens calculation.
Mono-focal lenses provide a single clear focus for activities like driving and watching TV, often distance vision. You’ll likely require glasses for close-up activities like reading, cooking, and texting. On the other hand, trifocal lenses let you concurrently concentrate on several objects at various distances. They can deliver near, intermediate, and distance vision through one lens and, you guessed it, without the need for glasses, even though this lens isn’t suitable for everyone’s eyes.
