Is RLE Different Than LASIK?

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Would you like visual freedom? What do you think it feels like to live a life free from glasses, contacts, and poor eyesight?

There are numerous options available today that can give you the visual freedom you have always dreamed of. LASIK vision correction is the most well-known of these treatments.

But there are others available, and some may be more suitable for you than LASIK. Keep reading to learn more about one of these options, RLE, and how it can give you the best vision of your life!

What is RLE?

Refractive lens exchange, or RLE, is a medical procedure that removes the natural lenses in your eyes and replaces them with an intraocular lens or IOL. The procedure is very similar to cataract surgery, but you don’t need cataracts to get RLE.

The key to RLE is the IOL that you select for your procedure. There is a wide range of IOL options available for you to choose from. They range from the most basic monofocal IOLs to premium IOLs.

If you elect to undergo RLE, you are looking for visual freedom, no more glasses or contacts. In that case, you want a premium IOL.

These lenses can often give you the best eyesight of your life. They can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

If you have suffered from one or more of these conditions for your whole life, RLE can help you achieve better vision.

During the procedure, your natural lenses get removed by your surgeon. After they are out, the IOLs can replace them.

The role of the lens in your eye is to focus light that enters your eyes onto your retina. New lenses can focus the light entering your eyes better than your natural lenses can.

There may not be anything wrong with your natural lenses, but a healthy lens may not be able to focus light that comes through an irregular cornea. That is what causes the most common refractive errors.

The new lenses can focus light that comes through an irregular cornea. That’s how they give you the best eyesight of your life.

Is RLE Different Than LASIK?

Although LASIK and RLE correct the same common vision problems, they are different procedures. LASIK corrects the shape of your cornea so light can enter your eye without irregular refractions caused by a misshapen cornea.

RLE does not change your cornea. Instead, it corrects the light entering your eye after it passes through your irregular cornea. That way, it can focus cleanly on your retina.

RLE replaces your natural lens to compensate for your irregular cornea. LASIK reshapes your cornea.

Who Should Get RLE?

LASIK is a very successful medical procedure. Part of the reason it is so successful is that it has stringent candidacy requirements.

If you do not meet all the criteria to undergo LASIK, you cannot get it. RLE can be an excellent option for people who cannot get LASIK.

One LASIK requirement is that you must have the right size and shaped corneas. LASIK corrects your vision by reshaping your corneas, so you cannot get it if they do not meet the requirements.

RLE does not alter the shape or size of your corneas. If you cannot get LASIK due to an issue with your cornea, RLE may be a suitable option for you.

In the end, both procedures achieve the same result. Visual freedom for you and all the benefits a life free from visual aids provide for your life.

Are you ready for visual freedom? Schedule a consultation at EnVue Eye and Laser Center in Oxon Hill, MD, today! Find out how you can achieve visual freedom!

CALL OR TEXT 301-895-0466 Request Your Appointment Online Self-Test Book a Virtual LASIK/SMILE Consultation
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