Clear Lens Exchange

For people over the age of 40 considering a refractive surgery to decrease their dependence on glasses or contact lenses, Clear Lens Exchange is an excellent option! Clear Lens Exchange is an alternative procedure to laser vision correction and other refractive procedures. It corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia using a multifocal intraocular lens implant.

Like cataract surgery, this procedure involves removing the natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant., a multifocal IOL implant, or an accommodating IOL. It is important to speak directly with Dr. Benaim to determine the best IOL for you and your unique vision needs.

The Clear Lens Exchange Surgery

During a Clear Lens Exchange the natural lens inside the eye is removed and replaced with the artificial lens implant you and Dr. Benaim have selected. The main difference between standard cataract surgery and Clear Lens Exchange is that cataract surgery is performed to remove the cataract that is obscuring and clouding vision, while the Clear Lens Exchange is performed to reduce or eliminate a person's dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Patients who undergo a Clear Lens Exchange procedure will not need to have cataract surgery in the future. Since your natural lens has already been replaced with an artificial one you have eliminated the possibility of ever developing a cataract.

The procedure is performed on one eye at a time on an outpatient basis. The eye is numbed with a topical anesthesia, and the eye’s natural lens will be gently vacuumed out through a tiny incision.

Then, the intraocular lens is folded and inserted through the same incision. It is then unfolded and placed in the “capsular bag” that originally surrounded the natural lens. The small incision is self-sealing and usually does not require stitches.

Advantages of Clear Lens Exchange

The Clear Lens Exchange procedure has a very fast recovery time with a very predictable outcome. Dr. Benaim will discuss your specific lens options and will only perform the procedure if you are an excellent candidate.

This procedure can give you an excellent quality of vision allowing you to see clearly without the need for glasses or contact lenses. It will also prevent you from developing a cataract later on. Because the natural lens, where cataracts occur, is removed and replaced with an artificial lens it eliminates the possibility and allows you to have continuously clear vision!

To learn more about the lenses Dr. Benaim offers for Clear Lens Exchange, please visit our section on Bifocal Implants.