Lens exchange (RLE, CLE)
With RLE (refractive lens exchange) or CLE (clear lens exchange), the natural lens is replaced with an artificial lens. This method, which is the same as that for cataracts, is used exclusively on people with very severe defective vision, pre-existing lens clouding or age-related long-sightedness, or when implantation of additional lenses is not possible for anatomical reasons.
- Short-sightedness: from -20 dpt
- Long-sightedness: from +10 dpt
- Corneal irregularity: possible
Surgery is performed in the out-patient department under local anesthetic. The operation comprises 2 main steps:
Removal of the patient’s own lens
The front capsule of the human lens is opened in a 5 millimeter circular incision at the edge of the cornea. Using special instruments and ultrasound, the natural lens is liquefied and suctioned off through the capsule bag.
Insertion of artificial lenses
The artificial lens is inserted into the eye through the same opening and placed at the same point as the natural lens.
Artificial lenses are adjusted individually for each patient and the material lasts for life.
The patient loses his accommodation capability almost completely through the removal of the natural lens and implantation of a monofocal lens. For that reason, the procedure is only used on patients in whom age-related longsightedness has already set in. The use of multifocal lenses in order to better see nearby objects is a potential alternative to monofocal artificial lenses.
Prerequisites for lens exchange:
- High refractive error
- Reduced accommodation capability
- No other procedures are possible
- High degree of suffering
Further options
If, after a lens exchange, minor defective vision is still present, additional application of the standard LASIK method offers a possibility of final correction (bioptics).
