Clear lens exchange (CLE)
If you’re tired of wearing glasses, but have been told that you’re not a candidate for LASIK, there is another vision correction option that may be right for you. It’s called Clear Lens Exchange and it’s designed especially for people who are over 40 and are not good candidates for LASIK or for those who have early cataracts.
If you have early cataracts, you could choose to have a CLE instead of waiting for the cataracts to advance enough to require cataract surgery. Artificial (intraocular) lenses likely can provide significantly better uncorrected vision at that point, especially if you now require vision correction with glasses or contact lenses.
Unlike LASIK and other refractive surgery techniques that correct vision by changing the shape of the cornea, Clear Lens Exchange corrects your vision by changing the focusing power of the eye’s lens. To do this, we replace your natural lens with a new intraocular lens (IOL). This is done with a special ultrasound instrument and may be done with eye-drop anesthesia (similar to LASIK). The procedure can be performed without the need for stitches. A flexible lens implant of the proper power is then placed inside the eye through an extremely small incision to correct the refractive error. Following the procedure, patients may lose the ability to accommodate from distance to near vision and reading glasses may be required. Options to help retain near vision are multifocal and accommodating or premium IOLs. Another option, monovision, corrects a patient’s dominant eye for distance and leaves the non-dominant eye slightly under corrected so the patient can retain the ability to do near work.
A major appeal of premium IOLs, traditionally used in cataract surgery, is their ability to restore distance vision as well as improve near vision that enables functions such as computer use and reading for aging eyes. Visual recovery is quite rapid. As with LASIK, most clear lens exchange patients are able to return to work the day following their procedure.
Any surgical procedure comes with inherent risk. Although very uncommon, risks associated with CLE are similar to that of cataract surgery including bleeding, swelling, infection, retinal detachment, and capsular opacification. During your pre-operative consultation, your doctor will answer any questions and thoroughly explain these and any other risks associated with CLE.
While there are advantages and disadvantages to any lens implant style, the vast majority of patients who receive intraocular lens implants are able to function without glasses or contact lenses. No matter which style of lens implant is selected, it is important that the power (strength) of the implant is appropriate for your eye. A sequence of sophisticated preoperative tests and calculations are done in order to maximize the accuracy.
Call us today at 815-932-2020 or email us to schedule a Clear Lens Exchange and Lens Implant consultation. If you are not a candidate for Clear Lens Exchange, but would still like to improve your vision without glasses and contact lenses, you may be a candidate for LASIK or the VISIAN ICL.
