Refractive Lens Exchange & Lens Replacement Surgery
If presbyopia is affecting your quality of life, consider visiting Dr. Goosey to discuss possible treatment options. Below, we explain presbyopia and how innovative surgical options, such as lens replacement surgery and refractive lens exchange can help you to regain your near vision. These procedures involve removing the eye’s natural crystalline lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens, which can restore near vision. Each year, over 15 million cataract and lens exchange procedures are performed worldwide, recognized for its safety and predictability. Lens replacement surgery is the one of the safest, most commonly performed medical procedures, with the lowest rate of complications of any surgery performed in the United States.
Refractive Lens Exchange
Refractive Lens Exchange RLE, also known as lens replacement surgery, involves replacing your eye’s natural crystalline lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Thisallows the patient to see clearly at near, intermediate, and far distances with both eyes, providing binocular vision, which is much better than monocular vision. The procedure corrects your refractive errors and provides sharper focus, reducing the need for reading glasses or bifocals. RLE is for patients who want the vision that comes with having cataract surgery, but do not meet the insurance low vision criteria for coverage.
As people are living longer and lead more active lives, there is a growing desire to reduce dependence on glasses and contact lenses. At Dr. Goosey’s office, we specialize in helping you achieve vision similar to what you enjoyed in your younger years. With a variety of technologies available, you can experience a new level of visual freedom – imagine not needing glasses to see your phone, watch, computer, books, or even the food on your plate!
Call our office at 713-558-8777 to schedule an appointment to see
if Refractive Lens Exchange is right for you!
Understanding Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a condition tha causes a gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects, often requiring the use of reading glasses. The term “presbyopia”comes from the Greek, meaning “aging eyes.”This condition typically starts to affect people in their early to mid-40s, and continues to get worse until the age of 65. Unlike other vision-related issues like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye and not caused by injury or refractive procedures. Much like death and taxes, it is one of those certainties in life that no one is immune to. Presbyopia is the reason why many people have to start wearing reading glasses or bifocals.
Signs of Presbyopia
- Difficulty seeing up-close
- Struggling to view a computer screen
- Needing reading glasses or bifocals
- Holding objects further away to read
Surgical Options for Correcting Presbyopia
While some intraocular lenses only allow for clear vision at one distance, multifocal intraocular lenses help your vision near, far, and everywhere in-between. When considering an intraocular lens implant for correcting presbyopia, there are three different options to choose from: multifocal, toric, and monofocal IOLs. The two most common options are multifocal and monofocal lenses.Studies have shown that patients withbilateral multifocal lenses are more likely to be spectacle-independent compared to those with monofocal or accommodating lenses.
Monovision Intraocular Lens Implants
Multifocal IOLs use optics that provide distance and near vision in each eye, unlike monovision, which uses different focal points for each eye. Most patients achieve better near vision with the multifocal implants than doing a refractive procedure with monofocal IOLs.
Accommodating Intraocular Lens Implants
The Accommodating IOLs are designed to mimic how your eyes’ natural crystalline lenses worked before presbyopia set in, allowing some flexibility in focusing between near and far. However, while accommodating IOL’s can move slightly to change focus, the range of vision they provide may not meet your expectations. Dr. Goosey believes that while the concept of accommodating IOLs is promising, the technology needs further development before he can recommend it widely. Studies suggest that patients are much more likely to be glasses-free after a lens exchange with a multifocal IOL compared to an accommodating IOL.
Blended Vision Intraocular Lens Implants
Blended Vision, also known as Monovision, corrects one eye for distance and the other for near vision, helping patients regain their near vision without glasses.
While Blended Vision is not right for everyone; many patients adjust very well and enjoy freedom from reading glasses or bifocals. Dr. Goosey often uses contact lenses to simulate post-surgery vision, helping patients decide if Blended Vision is the right choice for them.