Lasik Alternatives
Some patients might not be suitable for LASIK, or they simply might not wish to have this procedure done, yet they still want their vision surgically corrected. There are several alternatives to LASIK, however, that are available at Reingold Eye Center in Los Angeles for correcting your vision. Each type of eye surgery we offer has the same goal: reshaping the surface of the cornea to correct your vision.
What LASIK Alternative Procedures are Available?
Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA)
Intraocular Contact Lens (ICL)
Refractive Lens Exchange
Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA)
Advanced Surface Ablation is a relatively new laser vision correcting procedure with additional safety measures and features over LASIK. This makes it an ideal alternative for some patients who are unsuitable for or do not want that treatment. LASIK surgery involves creating a flap from the outer layer on the front of the cornea, but with ASA the surface skin cells (epithelium) are loosened with a diluted alcohol solution and removed. The surface of the cornea is then treated with the laser and covered with a bandage contact lens.
Intraocular Contact Lens (ICL)
An artificial lens, an intraocular lens, can be permanently placed inside the eye. In this procedure, the patient's natural lens is not removed as with cataract or lens replacement surgery. Depending upon its design, the ICL can either be placed in front or behind the iris, or between it and the eye's natural lens. In all cases, the artificial lens works with the patient's natural lens to improve the focusing power of the eye and can reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses.
The Phakic IOL procedure is intended for use in severely nearsighted or farsighted patients who may not be suitable candidates for other treatments, such as when the cornea is too thin. One advantage Phakic IOL treatment has is the possibility of replacing the implanted lens later, if your vision changes.
Refractive Lens Exchange or Clear Lens Extraction (CLE)
Refractive lens exchange, or clear lens replacement, is a procedure that can reduce your dependence on glasses or contact lenses. The eye has a lens that focuses incoming light on the retina, but sometimes it can't do this properly and the result is blurred vision from either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Refractive lens exchange corrects these conditions by replacing the eye's natural lens with an artificial one in a procedure called an intraocular lens implant. Unlike laser vision correction procedure, which involves reshaping the front surface of the eye, refractive lens exchange involves placing an artificial lens permanently inside the eye.
Refractive lens exchange is most often recommended for patients whose cornea may be too thin to reshape or who are otherwise not good candidates for laser treatments. It is not generally recommended for people under forty-five, although there can be exceptions. As with any surgery, complications are possible, but refractive lens exchange is generally considered to be quite safe.
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