Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
As we reach our 40s, the eye’s natural lens gradually becomes less flexible, which can make focusing at different distances more challenging. This normal, age-related change is known as presbyopia. You may notice a need for over-the-counter reading glasses, or find yourself taking off your glasses or contact lenses to see clearly up close. Some people turn to monovision contact lenses, bifocals, or trifocals to maintain clear vision at multiple distances. Over time, these visual changes can start to interfere with an active, on-the-go lifestyle.
Understanding Changes in Your Vision
What is RLE?
RLE, also known as Refractive Lens Exchange, is a vision correction procedure that replaces your eye’s natural lens with an Advanced Lifestyle Lens. This helps correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, while also addressing age-related presbyopia. The goal of RLE is to provide vision that fits your lifestyle, offering clear vision at multiple distances and greatly reducing the need for glasses, contact lenses, and reading glasses. Another benefit of RLE is that because your natural lens has been permanently replaced with an Advanced Lifestyle Lens, cataracts cannot form, meaning you will never need cataract surgery in the future!
Benefits of RLE
Quick Procedure
No stitches & quick recovery
Outstanding Results
Excellent visual results with little to no dependence on glasses
Permanent Correction
Will never need cataract surgery
RLE Surgery Step-By-Step
Refractive Lens Exchange is performed just like advanced cataract surgery, there are no injections and no stitches. You may be given mild medication to relax you, and you’ll be awake and comfortable. Recovery is quick – you may resume most activities the next day.
Step One
The procedure is usually performed in about 15 minutes. In addition to numbing drops, you’ll be given IV relaxation medicine.
Step Two
After making a small incision, our doctors insert a probe to break up and gently remove the inflexible natural lens.
Step Three
The flexible advanced lifestyle lens is folded up and inserted into the lens capsule. It then opens and its haptics, or “arms” unfold to keep it in place.
Advanced Lifestyle Lenses
With RLE and an Advanced Lifestyle Lens, you will be able to enjoy all of your activities with clear vision and more freedom! These lenses can provide excellent distance, intermediate and/or near vision with little to no dependence on glasses.
An Advanced Lifestyle Lens provides the most independence from glasses and contacts.
- Enhanced Focus Lens
- Astigmatism Correction
- Provides excellent distance, intermediate and/or near vision with little to no dependence on glasses
RLE Recovery
Recovery is generally quick – most patients notice better vision soon after surgery and continue to see improvement in their vision over the following weeks. You will be prescribed eye drops to aid in the healing process. You will want to avoid rubbing your eyes, lifting heavy objects, and swimming for two weeks following your procedure. We will see you for post-op visits for several weeks to make sure your eyes are healing properly.
Would LASIK Be a Better Option?
If you are an RLE candidate, LASIK can provide great distance vision, but it cannot correct presbyopia – the aging of the eye that causes the need for reading glasses. The real issue is the lens inside the eye and not your cornea. LASIK will improve your distance vision but it won’t correct the gradual decrease in the quality of your vision due to aging of the lens inside of your eye. RLE can provide distance, intermediate, AND near vision with little to no dependence on glasses.
LASIK
All-Laser LASIK reshapes the cornea with advanced laser technology.
- Treat both eyes at the same time
- Over 99% of our nearsighted patients see 20/20 or better
- Accurate and safe
- Accurately corrects distance vision & astigmatism
- Cannot give range of focus. However, MonoVision LASIK is an option for those pre-adapted patients.
- Patients will eventually need cataract surgery
RLE
Refractive Lens Exchange replaces your eye’s natural lens with an Advanced Lifestyle Lens.
- Same procedure as cataract surgery
- Little to no dependence on glasses at all distances
- Your vision for life!
- Accurate and safe
- Patient will not need cataract surgery
- Only performed on one eye at a time
- Potential for some rings around lights or glare
See Life Clearly Without Glasses, Contacts, and Reading Glasses!
Call (706) 651-EYES or click below to request your complimentary consultation with our Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) experts today!
