RLE, A Good Vision Correction Choice for Patients over 50.
50 years old is a special age for visual loss. Our natural lens starts to become less pliable and we loss our ability to accommodate and see up close. This is why we need to either take off our glasses to see how close [if you’re nearsighted] or get reading glasses through bifocals or progressive lenses.
If you are affected, you are in luck. There’s a relatively easy solution. To decrease your dependence on glasses and contacts, and see clearly like when you were younger, there is a safe, painless same-day procedure called RLE.
What is RLE?
RLE stands for “refractive lens exchange”; the eye’s natural lens is replaced with a custom IOL (intraocular lens). It is a procedure very similar to cataract surgery. The main difference is the lens replaced in cataract surgery is a cloudy and hazy lens to correct blur or light scatter as opposed to a clear crystalline lens in RLE.
RLE treats all range of visual errors including nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), presbyopia (problems with focusing up close), and astigmatism. Because RLE is nearly identical to cataract surgery, patients after RLE do not need cataract surgery anymore into the senior years.
What are the benefits of RLE?
RLE
• makes you less dependent on glasses and contact lenses, and often glasses-free
• is particularly advantageous for age-related vision problems such as presbyopia (the need for reading glasses), as there are few other options (lasik cannot correct for presbyopia)
• helps you to have a more active lifestyle with freedom from glasses and contacts
• eliminates the need for cataract surgery in later life
• corrects your vision if you are not a candidate for LASIK because of severe refractive errors or thin corneas or severe dry eyes
Am I suitable for RLE?
The patient’s prescription, corneal curvature and thickness, visual expectations, and age are important factors determining eligibility for RLE.
You are an ideal candidate if you:
• are over 50 years of age with moderate and severe refractive errors; nearsightedness, farsightedness, and / or astigmatism
• have presbyopia (it worsens between 50 years old and 60 years old) and want to reduce your dependency on reading glasses
• over 40 and not a candidate for LASIK; your glasses prescription higher than the normal range for Laser surgery, or if you have severe dry eyes or if you have thin corneas
• need vision correction and have early cataracts
How is RLE performed?
RLE is a quick, painless day procedure which typically takes 15 minutes per eye.
A tiny micro self-healing incision is made at the cornea’s edge (at the limbus) with a precise Femtosecond Laser or micro blades. The natural crystalline lens is removed with a micro ultrasound-based process, also known as phacoemulsification. The new replacement lens (IOL) is folded snd inserted through the same incision into the same space (capsular bag) of the crystalline lens. The new lens stays in place permanently where the natural lens used to sit. This procedure is done without any sutures or needles.
What type of replacement lenses, IOLs, are implanted in RLE?
There are several types of IOLs to fulfill the needs and goals of the patient. IOLs available for lens replacement surgery include:
• Multifocal lenses – enables good short and long-distance vision
• Monovision with monofocal lenses – correct one eye for distance and the other eye for short vision
• Monofocal lenses –provide clear vision at either a distance, intermediate or near ranges — but not all three at once. Usually, these lenses are used to correct distance vision, however then patients will need to wear glasses for reading, or less often, vice versa
• Toric monofocal lenses – to correct astigmatism, And again it only corrects for one distance
How long does it take to recover from the RLE procedure?
Patients most likely notice better vision within hours to 48h. It may be a few weeks before the vision reaches its maximum improvement.
How are the results of RLE?
RLE surgery has had years of successful history. Approximately 95 % of patients are satisfied with the outcomes of RLE, and many describe it as life-changing (1)
In another study, 73% of the patients said the treatment actually exceeded their expectations. (2)
What are the risks and side effects of the RLE?
Overall, RLE is a safe procedure; the surgery is not different from cataract surgery, which is one of the world’s most common and safest surgeries.
Like any other surgeries, RLE is not a risk and complication-free procedure. However, if there any rare issues are either, they are self-limited or easily treated.
Some of the complications are:
• Dry eye symptoms (temporary)
• Retinal tear or detachment (rare)
• Halos, glare, shadow or shimmering arc of light caused by the IOL (infrequent)
• Dislocation of the lens position (rare)
• Infection (rare)
• Bleeding inside the eye (rare)
Small targeting refractive errors (uncommon)
Most of the visual problems diminish with time, and patients are satisfied. But approximately 0.5% of patients can not adopt to a multi docks lens and undergo an IOL exchange.
0.1% of cases can end up in severe vision loss.
Common eye care problems such as glaucoma, diabetic eye and maculopathies can be easily monitored and treated as usual by your ophthalmologist or optometrist after RLE.
Are you wondering if refractive lens exchange may be the right vision correction procedure for you?
Please schedule a free virtual consultation from the comfort of your home or free in-person consultation with a specialist in one of our clinics at FVCL. There may be some in office testing we have to do prior to any surgery.
RLE surgery at BCLASIK – Fraser Valley Cataract and Laser
At FVCL, we pride ourselves on providing our patients with:
• Highly experienced Cataract/ RLE and LASIK surgeons
• More than 20 years of experience in vision correction
• Leading-edge technology
• Affordability and Financing
Click here to schedule your free consultation!