Refractive Lens Exchange

The Permanent Solution

In some cases, patients might not be good candidates for LASIK or other refractive procedures to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. One of the alternatives is to consider Refractive Lens Exchange. This is the same surgery as used for patients who have cataracts, and is the most common surgical procedure performed in the U.S. The techniques are incredibly precise, and this option has been effective for many patients who were not laser vision correction candidates, but still wish to reduce their need for glasses or contacts.

Who is a candidate?

    Dr. Miller considers Refractive Lens Exchange for patients who meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Have a high prescription that is beyond the capabilities of traditional laser vision correction for farsightedness, or nearsightedness. 
  • Have cataracts in the early stages but still want to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and contacts without waiting for cataract surgery to be covered by their medical insurance.
  • Have no cataract, but wish to take advantage of the newer presbyopia-correcting implants (IOL) for better distance and near vision without glasses.

How does it work?

The natural lens is removed from the eye, and is replaced with a new lens implant that has a prescription built into the lens, reducing the need for glasses.

For a patient who has cataracts developing, Refractive Lens Exchange may be the permanent answer to both problems. By removing the cataract and replacing it with a lens implant, patients find the quality of vision is improved, and their need for corrective lenses is drastically reduced. Refractive Lens Exchange can also be an excellent choice for patients that don't have cataracts, but have very high prescriptions or a thin cornea, making them poor LASIK candidates. 

Of course, if no significant cataract is present, patients who choose Refractive Lens Exchange are not having "cataract surgery", and thus, this is not covered by medical insurance.

We are proud to offer the latest advances in lens implant techniques to our patients. With this kind of technology, Dr. Miller has the tools to give you the best outcome possible.

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