Refractive Lens Exchange in Calgary
Am I a candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange?
Do you experience problems with your vision and live in Calgary?
Looking for a way to permanently improve your sight?
refractive lens exchange
Clarity Laser Vision offers Refractive Lens Exchange as a fantastic alternative for patients who are not candidates for procedures like PRK and LASIK. What makes Refractive Lens Exchange unique is its technique: instead of changing the structure of the cornea like laser vision correction, it actually exchanges the natural lens itself.
Your lens is the transparent structure behind the iris that bends light rays in order to clearly project images onto the retina. Refractive Lens Exchange offers a form of surgical vision correction by replacing the natural lens with an artificial implant called an intraocular lens (IOLs.) These IOLs can improve how the light is focused on the retina, thus providing clearer vision and reducing the dependence on prescription eyewear.
advanced intraocular lenses
Clarity Laser Vision will help you decide on the best IOLs for your specific treatment. We offer a wide range of IOLs with diverse features, from standard monofocal IOLs to PREMIUM IOLS. Each IOL will have its own sets of benefits and setbacks, so it’s important to consult with an expert like Dr. Al-Ghoul to decide on the best one.
premium iols for refractive lens exchange
For patients who don’t qualify for laser eye surgery, intraocular surgery can be a very safe and effective alternative for vision correction. Intraocular surgery corrects vision by inserting a lens implant into the eye, almost like permanent contact lenses. Intraocular surgery can either be phakic, meaning the lens implant is inserted over the natural lens, or it can be a refractive lens exchange, in which a lens implant replaces the natural lens.
The lens implants are commonly referred to as IOL, or intraocular lens. While standard IOLs have been the most commonly used for decades, there are some setbacks. For one thing, standard IOLs are monofocal, so they can only correct vision at either near, intermediate, or far distances. You will need to depend on prescription lenses for whatever is not corrected. However, leading eye care centres like Clarity Laser Vision provide a number of premium IOLS that offer more advanced features than standard IOLs.
Types of Premium IOLS
- Accommodative: these lenses have the ability to move the eye to focus on near, intermediate, and far objects, much like how a real lens focuses.
- Toric: These are similar to standard IOLs, but they have the added benefit of treating astigmatism, which is not usually directly treated by a lens exchange.
- Extended Range: these IOLS have an intermediate to the distant range, which is perfect for everyday use like driving or using a computer.
- Multifocal: These lenses have multiple concentric circles with different focusing distances, thus allowing the patient to see at near, intermediate, and far distances.
- Light Adjustable Lenses (LAL)™️: These lenses offer a groundbreaking advancement in implant surgery, because it allows customization of vision after surgery. To learn more, click here.
Along with other features, premium IOLS provide a wide range of clear vision from near to far distances, thus further reducing the need for eyeglasses or contacts. You need to pick the premium IOLs that’s right for your eyes and your prescription, so remember to consult with an ophthalmic surgeon with extensive experience with premium IOLs like Dr. Al-Ghoul.
who’s a candidate for refractive lens exchange?
If a patient has a high level of nearsightedness or farsightedness that prevents them from receiving laser eye surgery are in the presbyopic age (40 and older), then refractive lens exchange may be a far more preferable and effective treatment. Refractive lens exchange is also a very common treatment for older patients. Because refractive lens exchange removes the natural lenses, it actually removes the need for primary cataract surgery.
Refractive Lens Exchange is also a better treatment for presbyopia, a common vision condition that develops with age. With presbyopia, your lenses start to harden and lose flexibility, impeding your ability to focus on objects nearby. By replacing the impaired natural lens, Refractive Lens Exchange corrects the refractive errors associated with presbyopia.
safety of refractive lens exchange
Because it is an intraocular surgery, there are slightly higher risks associated with Refractive Lens Exchange. However, having an experienced, highly-trained surgeon like Dr. Al-Ghoul can drastically lower these risks and complications while creating optimal results. Some complications of refractive lens exchange are:
- Continued need for prescription glasses for certain distances
- Increased risk of retinal detachment
- Increase in surgical complications like infection, dryness, swelling, hemorrhage etc.
- Visual disturbances from the lenses that cause haloes and glares in night vision