RLE can be a better option

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As we age, changes naturally occur inside the eye that LASIK cannot prevent or correct. After the age of 40–50, many patients begin developing presbyopia — the gradual loss of near vision that leads to dependence on reading glasses — along with early lens changes that eventually become cataracts. While LASIK reshapes the surface of the eye to improve vision, it does not address the aging natural lens inside the eye where these changes occur.

For this reason, Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) is often a better long-term vision correction option for patients over 50. RLE is the exact same procedure as modern cataract surgery, but it is performed before cataracts become advanced enough to qualify for medically necessary removal through insurance. Even mild cataracts or early lens dysfunction can impact visual quality, night driving, glare, contrast sensitivity, and reading vision — and patients with these early lens changes are often no longer ideal LASIK candidates.

During RLE, the eye’s natural lens is replaced with a premium intraocular lens (IOL) designed to correct vision at multiple distances. Depending on the lens selected, patients may achieve clearer distance, intermediate, and near vision while greatly reducing — or even eliminating — their dependence on glasses and contact lenses. The same advanced lifestyle lens options available to cataract surgery patients are also available to RLE patients.

RLE can also be an excellent option for patients with high levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism who may not qualify for LASIK because too much corneal tissue would need to be removed to safely achieve ideal results.

One of the greatest long-term advantages of RLE is that because the eye’s natural lens has already been replaced, patients will never develop cataracts in the future. Rather than correcting vision temporarily on the surface of the eye while the internal lens continues to age, RLE addresses the source of age-related visual changes before cataracts become more advanced.

At Stahl Vision and Eye Laser & Surgery Center of Ohio, our surgeons have extensive experience helping patients throughout the Dayton area determine whether LASIK or Refractive Lens Exchange is the best option for their vision, lifestyle, and long-term visual goals.