Refractive Lens Exchange Reviews
Laser Eye Surgery Vs Refractive Lens Exchange
The cornea is the clear front part of the eye that acts like a window to control and focus the light that comes into the eye. When the cornea has an irregular shape, it causes refractive errors such as short sightedness, long sightedness, and astigmatism wherein the light does not focus properly, making certain vision distances look blurry.
To correct these various refractive errors in vision, prescription glasses or contact lenses are usually required. But sometimes, people prefer to be free from corrective eyewear to be able to enjoy life better without having to worry about broken or lost eyeglasses and eye irritation due to contact lenses.
Laser eye surgery is the most widely used method to surgically correct poor vision. Another procedure becoming popular especially among people over the age of 50 is refractive lens exchange. Both procedures can be used to treat blurry vision caused by refractive errors.
LASIK or laser in situ keratomileusis is the most used laser eye surgery method. It has continued to evolve over the years and newer techniques has made it safer than ever. It is popular because it a quick procedure that requires no overnight hospital stay. A patient simply walks in for the procedure and walks out afterwards.
Laser eye surgery takes place while the patient is awake with mild sedative given. In LASIK, the area of the cornea to be operated on is marked prior to surgery. In this method, a very thin flap is created and carefully lifted. The eye surgeon uses a computer to adjust the laser and the laser light pulses painlessly reshape the cornea, precisely removing very tiny bits of tissue. The procedure is completed in minutes but the higher the prescription, the longer the operation will take. After the procedure, a protective shield may be placed over the eye and a mild pain reliever is prescribed. Care should be taken and the eye should not be rubbed, poked, or touched during this time.
On the other hand, refractive lens exchange is an alternative to laser eye surgery. It is essentially a cataract surgery but used particularly for refractive purposes. In contrast to laser surgery which involves reshaping the cornea, RLE corrects refractive errors through the replacement of the lens of the eye with an artificial one to achieve sharper focus. The procedure is very much like cataract surgery. During the operation, a small incision is made along the edge of the cornea. A special fine probe is then inserted through the incision and this is used to gently break up and suction out the lens of the eye. An intraocular lens is then implanted in place of the original lens and this acts as a permanent lens replacement. After the procedure, the dependence on glasses and contact lenses is eliminated, there is quick recovery, and the results are permanent.
