Refractive Lens Exchange

Laguna Hills CA patients enjoy lasting vision correction with Refractive Lens Exchange

A leading cause of blindness, cataracts affect more than 24 million adults aged 40 and older in the U.S. The National Institutes of Health reports around half of Americans will have cataracts by age 75. In turn, cataract removal represents one of the world’s most common surgeries. Since the risk of developing cataracts increases with age as the eye itself undergoes natural changes, cataract surgery is typically associated with older patients in their sixth, seventh and eighth decades of life; however, more midlife patients are electing to undergo cataract surgery early, decades before the conventionally-accepted age for cataract treatment.

So, Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) in Laguna Hills CA at the Orange County Eye Institute is performed similarly to traditional cataract surgery – removing the eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) – only without the presence of a cataract. For many board-certified Ophthalmologist Dr. George Salib’s patients, RLE provides a lasting solution to age-related presbyopia or severe hyperopia (farsightedness), freeing them from the hassles of reading glasses and contact lenses.

The benefits of RLE

Since the eye’s lens gradually ages, losing its youthful flexibility while gaining cloudiness, a midlife patient may have no unaided near vision and poor clarity. This patient may opt to replace his or her 40- to 50-year-old natural lens with a premium implant that allows for independence from corrective eyewear, as well as sharper vision at various distances – far, intermediate, and near. Advancements in both IOL technology and alternative techniques to LASIK have afforded opportunities for specialists like Dr. Salib to quickly deliver a long-term enhanced vision to midlife patients. You may be a great candidate for RLE if:

• Your eyes are free of macular pathology, disorders such as age-related macular degeneration.

• You don’t have irregular astigmatism or significant amblyopia.

• You seek near vision correction but aren’t interested in monovision alternatives.

Dr. Salib may also suggest RLE as an alternative to procedures like LASIK. Research indicates that midlife patients have a good chance of developing a cataract within 10 to 15 years. So, opting for RLE instead of LASIK helps to avoid a second surgery, offers independence from eyewear, and eliminates the challenges of IOL power selection post-LASIK once cataract removal becomes apparent. Furthermore, not every patient is a candidate for corneal ablation treatments like LASIK.

​​​​​​​Minimize surgery, maximize your quality of life. There are many considerations associated with Refractive Lens Exchange. Call (949) 770-1322 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Salib at the Orange County Eye Institute in Laguna Hills, CA.