Vision Correction Procedures

Clear Lens Extraction

Clear Lens Extraction, or CLE, is a surgical vision correction procedure designed to reduce or eliminate the need for distance glasses or contact lenses for people over 50, and it can be used to treat a wide range of farsightedness and nearsightedness. Unlike other refractive procedures that change the shape of the cornea, CLE corrects vision by removing the crystalline lens in the eye and replacing it with a new artificial lens of a different focusing power, much like what happens in cataract surgery. This procedure is the same as cataract extraction except that it is performed for the refractive benefit. Whenever the lens of the eye is removed, the surgeon has the opportunity to replace it with an artificial lens of appropriate power to correct for any myopia or hyperopia. Clear lens extraction is a good procedure for people who are very high myopes (usually greater than 12 diopters), high hyperopes (usually greater than 5 diopters), any myopia or hyperopia in people with early cataract formation, and individuals who want to treat presbyopia with a multifocal implant. For some patients, this may be a better option than LASIK. Clear lens extraction is becoming increasingly popular, partly because it has a low complication rate.

Clear Lens Extraction is for those who:

Are over 50

Want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on distance glasses or contact lenses

Are high myopes

Are high hyperopes

Have myopia or hyperopia in people with early cataract formation

Who want to treat presbyopia with a multifocal implant.

Clear lens extraction is performed on an outpatient basis. Upon arrival for your vision correction surgery, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb your eye during the procedure. The skin around your eye will be thoroughly cleansed, and sterile coverings will be placed around your eye to keep the surgical area sterile during the procedure. Your eye will be held open with an eyelid holder so you will not have to worry about keeping your eye open during the procedure. Under an operating microscope, the surgeon will create a small incision on the eye. The natural lens is gently fragmented and removed by the use of ultrasound. Then a plastic intraocular lens is implanted to replace the natural lens that was removed. The incision is then closed. The surgery lasts about 15 minutes. Following this procedure the surgeon will place a protective shield on your eye. Postoperatively, you will use eye drops as prescribed by your surgeon. Be careful not to rub or press on your eye.

The main advantages of Clear Lens Extraction are rapid rehabilitation, predictability of outcome, and excellent quality of vision, especially in people with severe refractive errors.

PRK

PRK, or Photo-Refractive Keratectomy, treats refractive errors by removing tissue from the surface of the cornea. PRK is another method of surgically reshaping your cornea using the excimer laser. It was the first procedure to use the excimer laser to treat many types of refractive errors and is still the procedure of choice for certain patients. With PRK, the very top layer of the cornea (epithelium) is removed, the excimer laser is used to reshape the surface of the cornea and the epithelium is then allowed to grow back in naturally. This procedure is most often used to treat low to moderate amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

PRK utilizes the same types of lasers as LASIK and achieves the same visual results. However, rather than creating a corneal flap, the skin of the eye is gently brushed prior to applying the laser. PRK has the advantage of not requiring the use of a microkeratome and not changing the strength of the cornea. Thus, it is the favored procedure in certain conditions where the cornea may be naturally weaker. It is also the recommended procedure of certain governmental and law enforcement agencies. For individuals that engage in activity where eye trauma is prevalent PRK may be the procedure of choice.

With either LASIK or PRK the surgeon maintains control throughout the vision correction procedure. First, the eye is numbed using eye drop "anesthesia." Then, the physician removes a thin, protective layer of tissue that covers the cornea, called the epithelium. During the procedure, the physician will instruct the patient to look directly at the laser's fixation light. Then, a small amount of tissue will be removed from the surface of the cornea. The amount of cornea removed depends on the amount of correction needed. The surgery takes fewer than 5 minutes and is virtually painless. Following the procedure, a special contact lens may be applied and is worn for 3-4 days or until the epithelium heals.

Because the epithelium was removed and is healing, patients usually feel some discomfort and experience blurry vision for up to seven days after the procedure. Eye drops and other medications are prescribed to ease discomfort. It can take a several days to a few months for patients to fully reach their optimal outcome from surgery.

Although most information that applies to LASIK also applies to PRK, there are some differences. With PRK, there are more post-operative visits and more post-operative eye drop usage. With PRK the visual recovery takes longer, and more often than in LASIK, only one eye is operated on at a time. We ask that prospective PRK patients refer to the specific PRK consent forms for more detailed information. They are also encouraged to inquire about details of PRK with Dr. Kelly.

The major benefit of PRK is that the integrity and strength of the corneal dome is retained. The precision and accuracy of the excimer laser has made PRK successful in the treatment of myopia. PRK is not recommended for everyone, but most patients are eligible for the procedure.

Call us at 1.877.377.EYES to set up your free vision correction procedure consultation in New York or Long Island, or sign up online.