| |
Refractive Lens Exchange or Clear Lens Extraction
|
 |
In this approach to correcting vision, the lens of the eye can be removed and permanently replaced with a new, clear, artificial lens. The lens implant can be chosen to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and presbyopia (reading difficulty). If you have noticed that this sounds very much like cataract surgery, you're correct. The difference is that in the Refractive Lens Exchange procedure there is no significant cataract or clouded lens but rather a clear or relatively clear natural lens in the eye. The eye's natural lens can be removed even though little or no clouding is present and sometimes this is an advantage in providing the best vision correction. Because little or no cataract clouding is present in this procedure, it is also referred to as Clear Lens Extraction.
The same types of lens implants used in cataract surgery are also used in Refractive Lens Exchange/Clear Lens Extraction surgery. Lenses exist to fit virtually all needs. This can include highly-refined, single-focus lenses that can even correct astigmatism. These lenses fix focus for one distance, usually either driving distance or reading distance. When both eyes are to have surgery, the choice of lens implant strength or focus can be made so that one eye sees best off in the distance and the other eye can read; this is called Monovision and it is a method that has been used for many years with good success. The monovision method, used for years with contact lenses, is still used extensively for LASIK patients who are 40 years or older and desire maximum freedom from both distance and reading glasses.
There are also new, high-tech, multifocus and accommodating lenses. One of the newest, high-tech lenses is the AcrySof ReSTOR multifocal lens. This lens offers the ability to focus for near and distance vision so that most patients can read, use a computer, watch TV and drive without having to use glasses. In fact, 80% of ReSTOR patients used no glasses. Other multifocal lenses include the AMO Array and the AMO ReZoom lens. The Eyeonics Crystalens is a lens designed to accommodate (change shape) to be able to focus at varying distances; this lens has had mixed reviews and seems not to work as predictably as the ReSTOR lens. |
|
|
|
