I Can’t See Up Close…Is There a Procedure for Me?

If you’re over 40 and finding yourself increasingly dependent on reading glasses or frustrated that contacts and laser vision correction may not address your near vision, there’s another option worth considering: Clear Lens Exchange. This modern refractive procedure can reduce (or even eliminate!) the need for glasses at multiple distances while also preventing cataracts later in life.*

What Is Clear Lens Exchange (CLE)?

Refractive lens exchange (often called Clear Lens Exchange) is a procedure in which the eye’s natural lens is removed and replaced with a customized artificial intraocular lens. It’s essentially the same technique used in cataract surgery, but performed before a cataract develops. Because the aging natural lens is the source of both reading difficulty and future cataracts, replacing it is truly a long term solution.

Why Choose Clear Lens Exchange?

As we age, the natural lens becomes less flexible, making it harder to focus up close. This condition, called presbyopia, is why menus get farther away and drugstore reading glasses multiply. Clear Lens Exchange can correct near vision, distance vision, astigmatism, and dependence on bifocals or progressives. Many patients also love the idea of addressing today’s visual frustrations while avoiding tomorrow’s cataract surgery at the same time.

How Vision Is Corrected

Today’s lens implants come in a range of technologies. Depending on your eye anatomy and goals, options may include multifocal, extended depth-of-focus, or toric lenses for astigmatism. The goal is to create a functional range of vision that matches your lifestyle, whether that means prioritizing reading, computer work, night driving, or overall freedom from glasses.

The procedure is typically quick and performed one eye at a time. Most patients notice vision improvement within days, with continued refinement as the eye heals. Because the cloudy lens that forms cataracts has been removed, you will never develop a cataract in that eye.

Who Is a Candidate for Clear Lens Exchange?

Clear Lens Exchange is often best suited for patients over 40-50, those who aren’t ideal candidates for corneal laser surgery or cataract surgery, and people who want a solution to their vision problems that lessens or eliminates the need for glasses or contacts.*  A detailed consultation with imaging and measurements can determine candidacy and select the most appropriate implant.

Schedule your Vision Correction Screening with Fisher-Swale-Nicholson Eye Center today!

*Vision results may vary.