Refractive lens exchange
Refractive lens exchange (RLE) surgery is the implantation of an artificial lens in place of the natural lens in the patient’s eye, which corrects vision defects. It is an alternative method for patients who, for various reasons, do not qualify for laser correction.
Typically, RLE is used in patients over 50 years of age, struggling with presbyopia. Unfortunately, as we age, our eyes lose their ability to accommodate quickly, so it is difficult for mature people to read or see a bus number approaching from a distance.
Refractive lens replacement is also used for patients who do not qualify for phakic lens implantation.
You need to know that in eyes with astigmatism, we use multifocal toric lens replacement, which corrects the refractive error and allows you to see far away and read without glasses.
RLE prevents problems with cataracts, a disturbance in the transparency of the natural lens that causes vision to deteriorate despite the best-fitting glasses.
People with presbyopia may benefit from RLE due to the deterioration of accommodations that enable close-up vision.
Is refractive lens replacement painful?
No, this microsurgical procedure is completely painless. What’s more, it only takes more than ten minutes and does not require a long recovery process. After a few days, the patient can return to all activities.
What is the qualification for refractive lens replacement?
The specialist makes the decision to carry out the procedure based on the patient’s examination and detailed medical history.
The following tests are performed during the visit:
- far and near visual acuity
- slit-lamp examination
- fundus of the eye
- biometrics
- measurement of intraocular pressure
- the number of corneal endothelial cells under mirror microscopy
- corneal topography
- optical tomography of the anterior and posterior segment of the eye
The main contraindications to refractive lens replacement are:
- certain diseases, e.g. haematological and endocrine diseases
- retinal detachment
- corneal degeneration, macular degeneration
- unstable refractive error
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