Am I a Candidate for Clear Lens Exchange (CLE)?
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) is a procedure designed to correct both near vision and distance vision for patients who want to reduce their dependency on glasses and contact lenses. CLE is an intraocular procedure that is similar to cataract surgery, since it involves removing the natural lens of your eye and replacing it with an artificial one. In a cataract, the natural lens is cloudy. In Clear Lens Exchange, the natural lens is removed before it develops a cataract.
The artificial lens that is most commonly used with CLE replace to your natural lens is called a Multifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL). This lens may allow you to have good vision for near and far objects without the need for glasses. During the CLE procedure, a tiny ultrasound probe is used to break up and remove the lens of the eye. The Intraocular lens is then placed permanently in the location of the previous natural lens.
Because Clear Lens Exchange is a procedure performed inside of the eye, it comes with substantially increased risk when compared to LASIK. Infection or bleeding can lead to loss of the eye whereas devastating complications with LASIK leading to blindness are less than one in one million. On the other hand, everyone who lives long enough will develop cataracts and CLE is a way to prevent the need for cataract surgery. Potential complications of Multifocal Implants include decreased depth perception and haloes around lights at night. Clear Lens Exchange is generally only recommended for patients who are not good candidates for Laser Vision Correction or those nearing the time for cataract extraction.
When you come in for an evaluation for Refractive Surgery, we will discuss all of the viable options with you. CLE with a multifocal intraocular lens can be a great option for some and then those so corrected have the ability for good near and far vision in the same eye.
To find out if you are a candidate for Clear Lens Exchange, please contact our experienced Chicago eye doctors today to schedule a free consultation. Doctors For Visual Freedom has two offices in Illinois: one in downtown Chicago, and one in Arlington Heights.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Clear Lens Exchange. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
