Clear Lens Exchange

CLE for Over-40s
Clear Lens Exchange, or CLE, is a surgical procedure designed to reduce or eliminate the need for distance glasses or contact lenses for people over 40, and it can be used to treat both farsightedness and nearsightedness. Unlike other refractive procedures that change the shape of the cornea, CLE corrects vision by removing the crystalline lens in the eye and replacing it with a new artificial lens of a different focusing power, much like what happens in cataract surgery.

The technique for Clear Lens Exchange involves removing the natural lens of the eye by the use of ultrasound. In most cases, the focusing power of the natural lens is restored by replacing the natural lens with an intraocular lens implant. Clear Lens Exchange is becoming increasingly popular because it can treat a wide range of vision errors and has a low complication rate. Clear Lens Exchange can be a better alternative to other refractive surgery procedures for patients with high degrees of nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Clear Lens Exchange
Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
Clear Lens Extraction (CLE)
Refractive Lens Replacement (RLR)
Who is a good candidate for CLE?

Clear Lens Exchange is a good procedure for people who are very nearsighted (distant objects appear blurry) or farsighted (close objects appear blurry), people with early cataract formation, and individuals who want to treat presbyopia (gradual decline in the ability to focus on close objects) with a multifocal implant. For some patients, CLE can be a great alternative to LASIK.

Clear Lens Exchange is for those who:

• Are over 40
• Want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contact lenses
• Are both very nearsighted or farsighted with early cataract formation
• Very nearsighted or farsighted
• Want to treat presbyopia with a multifocal or accommodative implant
• Are looking for an alternative to LASIK
What to Expect on Surgery Day

Clear Lens Exchange is performed on an outpatient basis and only takes about 15 minutes! Upon arrival for your surgery, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb your eye during the procedure. The skin around your eye will be thoroughly cleansed, and sterile coverings will be placed around your eye to keep the surgical area sterile during the procedure. Your eye will be held open with an eyelid holder so you will not have to worry about keeping your eye open during the procedure. Under an operating microscope, your eye doctor will create a small incision on the eye. The natural lens is gently fragmented and removed by the use of ultrasound. Then a plastic intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted to replace the natural lens that was removed. Your eye doctor will determine which type of IOL is best for you (see below for IOL options). The incision is then closed and a protective shield is placed on your eye. Postoperatively, your eye surgeon will prescribe special eye drops and ask that you be careful not to rub or press on your eye.

IOLs - Multifocal IOLs

A multifocal lens implant is a lens that has a bifocal (or multifocal) correction built into the periphery of the lens. When the eye looks directly ahead, distance vision is available through the center of the lens.
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 see near. Many people who have tried monovision in contact lenses have had similar success with monovision IOLs.

Accommodating IOLs
The accommodating IOL is specially designed so it may move forward and backward within the eye in response to flexing of the same muscles that manipulated the patient's natural lens for accommodation. This is called pseudo accommodation. The vaulting movement changes the focal point and may allow a patient to accommodate. This accommodation may reduce the need for reading glasses, bifocals, or trifocals, and does not require any special exercise or thought process on the part of the patient.

What Are the Risks Associated With Clear Lens Exchange?
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 Clear Lens Exchange.

This article about Clear Lens Exchange has been provided courtesy of DoctorDirect.