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Refractive Lens Exchange

office hours

Monday To Thursday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Friday
7am – 3pm

Saturday To Sunday
Closed

Gelman Vision

Call Us Today! : 956-305-5795
Address : 5201 N G St, McAllen, TX, 78504

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Exchange Your Lenses and Start Seeing Better

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) Surgery

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) surgery uses ultrasounds to exchange your natural lenses for an intraocular lens (IOL). After the surgery, you may be able to either go without glasses or contacts or minimize how often you need to wear them.

Are You a Good Candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange?

Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for surgery. Find out if RLE is right for you by reviewing the qualifications below and discussing your eye health with our experienced vision care team.

  • Over 40 to 50 years old
  • Nearsighted or farsighted
  • Losing the ability to focus on close objects
  • Clouding of the lens—either from dysfunctional lens syndrome or cataracts
  • Want to treat presbyopia with a multifocal implant
  • Want to reduce your need for glasses or contacts
  • Want an alternative vision treatment to LASIK

What Happens on an RLE Surgery Day?

As you wait for surgery day to arrive, knowing exactly what happens before, during, and after surgery can be a big help. Calm your nerves, go in with determination, and have your questions answered with help from our experienced eye surgeons.

  • Arriving for Surgery

    When you arrive and check in for surgery, our caring team will help you prepare for the procedure. Along with a mild sedative, you’ll be given an anesthetic eye drop to numb your eye. The skin around the eye will be cleaned thoroughly, and covering will be put in place to keep the area sterile. From using anesthetic eye drops to numb your eye to prepping the skin around your eye, our surgery team will be there to help you every step of the way.

  • Starting the Surgery

    When you’re ready, the surgeon will use a special microscope to perform the surgery. Your eye surgeon will create a tiny hole in the eye in order to remove the natural lens and replace it with the correct intraocular lens (IOL). You and your surgeon will decide which lens is best for you before the day of the surgery. The small incision made in the eye is able to heal without stitches.

  • Recovering from Surgery

    The RLE surgery only takes about 7 to 10 minutes for each eye. After the procedure, your vision normally starts to clear within a couple of days.

Types of Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) Used for Refractive Lens Exchange

Monofocal IOL

These lenses are designed to clear your vision for either near or far-sightedness. You may still need to wear glasses to help you see far distances or read a book.

Toric IOL

Toric IOLs are just like Monofocal lenses but with an additional advantage: these lenses can be used in cataract surgery to correct astigmatisms as well.

Multifocal IOL

A great built-in bifocal, these Multifocal IOLs let you see far and near without needing to wear glasses.

Toric Multifocal IOL

Just like the Toric lenses, the Toric Multifocal IOLs can treat astigmatism. But these lenses also let you see near and far without wearing glasses.

Extended Depth of Focus IOL

With an extended depth for sharp vision without halos or glares, the Extended Depth of Focus IOL is used to give you a continuous range for near-sightedness.

Toric Extended Depth of Focus IOL

The Toric Extended Depth of Focus IOL is the same design the Extended Depth of Focus IOL, with a little extra. This lens enables your eye surgeon to treat astigmatism as well as cataracts.

 

Compassionate Vision Care at Gelman Vision

Since the Refractive Lens Exchange is considered a surgery, risks of this procedure can include bleeding, infection, and swelling. While these risks are uncommon, our experienced vision care team at Gelman Vision works to provide the best outcome possible to restore your vision!

Schedule An RLE Appointment