Refractive Lens Exchange – A Great Answer for Aging Eyes

“Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative”
– Maurice Chevalier, French singer and actor (lived to age 83)

Middle age woman with young girl using laptop computer

Maurice is right. It’s better to grow old than make an early exit! But there’s no denying that age has an impact on our eyesight. If you are between the ages of 45 to 70, you may already be noticing that it’s becoming harder to focus on objects that are close at hand. You’re experiencing a natural process called presbyopic hyperopia. This happens to almost everyone, even if you enjoyed 20/20 vision all your life.Thankfully, you have some alternatives to relying on reading glasses as you age. For many patients, Boydvision’s Laser Blended Vision Correction is the answer. Laser Blended Vision creates an overlap in the field of vision as a “blend zone”, which is tolerated by 97% of the population. It’s a popular and effective solution. But there may be reasons why it’s not right for you. Dry eyes and other pre-existing corneal problems may rule it out as an option.

For those patients who aren’t suitable for blended vision, Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) may be the right solution. With this procedure the original lens in the eye is replaced with a new flexible artificial lens, designed to specifically compensate for this condition.

In the picture above you can see where the crystalline lens in located in the eye (yellow highlighted label). Its job is to focus light on the retina, so the images your brain receives are sharp and clear. But over time, the lens hardens and can’t change its shape adequately to focus on nearby objects. Refractive Lens Exchange replaces the lens with a multifocal lens implant that uses concentric rings to enable focusing on near and far objects. You keep your distance vision and gain back a big part of your close-up focusing power.

Now let’s be clear. This isn’t going to give you the razor-sharp eyesight you had as a ten-year old! But compared the hassle of reading glasses, or the frustration of dim light and small print, RLE is definitely an alternative to consider when laser eye surgery isn’t suitable for you. Still not convinced? Here’s another great reason to consider RLE.

RLE also tackles the problem of cataracts. Because cataracts are created as your natural lens grows cloudy over time, the RLE replacement lens usually eliminates the likelihood you’ll need to undergo cataract surgery later in life. Additionally, RLE can be a stand-alone procedure, or chosen in conjunction with laser eye surgery. Either way, this fast and effective operation is an increasingly popular choice with many of our patients. It takes less than an hour. There are no stitches, very little discomfort, and a fairly short recovery time. RLE may be the answer to your vision issues. Why not book a free consultation so you can find out for sure?

Learn more about Laser Blended Vision Correction
Visit Boydvision’s web page on Refractive Lens Exchange