Refractive lens replacement – an alternative to laser vision correction, but also something more.
Refractive lens exchange, or RLE(refractive lens exchange), involves removing a patient’s own lens and replacing it with a technologically advanced artificial lens to correct a visual defect. However, state-of-the-art implantable artificial lenses can be selected in such a way that they correct not only the refractive defect, commonly known as visual impairment, but also other ailments.
A few words about refraction
When refraction is zero, you have no visual defect and your ophthalmologist will tell you that you have a regular eye. The complex optical system of the eye then refracts light and focuses it on the retina. If, on the other hand, the image is focused in front of the retina, you have myopia. On the other hand, an image focused behind the retina determines hyperopia, and if there is no single focus, we are talking about non-opia, or astigmatism.
Refraction is the amount by which the power of our eye needs to change in order for it to become steady. What works in the eye for this power? It’s the cornea and the lens.
When you’re tired of wearing corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses, you can undergo a procedure of laser vision correction, which involves shaping the front surface of the cornea with a laser. The result is improved visual acuity in patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism.
If for whatever reason your ophthalmologist does not give you the go-ahead to correct your defect with a laser, you can opt for refractive lens replacement. This is a procedure that involves removing your own lenses and replacing them with technologically advanced artificial lenses to correct your vision defect, or lens implants.
And now for the most important thing: you can opt for refractive lens replacement as your first-choice surgery when you are facing severe farsightedness and, in some cases, myopia. There are times when you find yourself in a situation where you don’t qualify for laser correction of the defect, but you can undergo lens replacement.
In either case, if you opt for PREMIUM lenses, you will get rid of presbyopia and/or cataracts along with your vision defect. In a word: whether your problem is a refractive defect, i.e. a vision defect, or you additionally have presbyopia and/or cataracts, one treatment – refractive lens replacement – will free you from all of them.
Personalized parameters of the implantable artificial lens
During a refractive lens replacement procedure in a private clinic, it is possible to use a lens that is individually selected to meet the needs of a particular patient. Due to the fact that the artificial lens cannot be replaced, it is extremely important that during the procedure he receives such implants that will meet his needs to the highest degree.
Such personalized artificial lenses are the PREMIUM segment. You can choose lenses that allow you to:
- correction of astigmatism (toric lenses)
- correction of presbyopia (multifocal, or multifocal lenses – trifocal, multifocal, EDOF – with extended depth of focus)
- improvement of contrast vision (aspheric lenses)
- prevention of age-related macular degeneration – AMD (lenses with UV filter and blue light filter)
Everything you want to know about implantable artificial lenses, including PREMIUM lenses can be found here.
Importantly, refractive lens replacement surgery can also be performed on patients who have previously undergone laser vision correction.
Does it hurt to replace my own lens with an artificial one?
Refractive lens replacement is an outpatient procedure, or if you prefer: one-day surgery. You receive local anesthesia in the form of eye drops. Your own lens is crushed with ultrasound and suctioned out with a phacoemulsifier. An artificial lens is then inserted through the same micro incision through which your own lens was suctioned out, and a dressing is applied.
The procedure is painless, and healing of the surgical wound and vision rehabilitation happen very quickly.
