To understand the difference between Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) and LASIK, we need to cover a little bit of eye anatomy.
If you look at this image, there are two key parts of the eye to focus on:
- This part here — the front of the eye — is called the cornea.
- And this part further back is called the lens.
When we perform LASIK surgery, we laser the cornea to change the refractive power of the eye and give you improved vision.
Refractive Lens Exchange is very different. Instead of lasering the cornea, we actually go in and remove the lens — the part of the eye that would eventually become a cataract.
After removing the natural lens, we place a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) inside your eye. These lenses come with various options: some are adjustable, others are fixed, and all are designed to improve your vision — both at distance and up close — on a long-term or even permanent basis.
