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Clear
Lens Extraction, or CLE, is a surgical 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.
The Halpin - Poweleit Eye Center, located in the Cincinnati
area, specializes in clear lens extraction. 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.
When the lens of the eye is removed, the eye surgeon replaces
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.
Candidates for Clear Lens Extraction are those who:
• want to reduce or eliminate their dependence
on glasses or contacts
• are over 50 years of age
• 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.
The Procedure:
Clear lens extraction is performed on an outpatient basis
at Halpin - Poweleit Eye Center. Upon arrival for your 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.
An eyelid holder will be used to hold your eyelids open
so you will not have to worry about keeping your eye open
during the procedure. Under an operating microscope, the
eye surgeon will create a small incision on the eye. The
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, a protective shield is placed on your eye. Postoperatively,
you will use eye drops as prescribed by your surgeon. Be
careful not to rub or press on your eye.
Complications are uncommon with clear lens extraction. Infection,
bleeding and swelling, or detachment of the retina are some
of the more serious complications that may affect your vision.
Sometimes, several months or years following clear lens
extraction, a capsule behind the intraocular lens implant
may become cloudy. If this cloudiness blurs your vision,
a clear opening can be made in the center of the capsule
with a special laser during a clinic visit.
Following the procedure, patients may lose the ability to
accommodate from distance to near vision and reading glasses
may be required. Two options to help retain near vision
are multifocal lens implants or an option called monovision.
A multifocal lens implant is a lens that has a bifocal correction
built into the periphery of the lens. When the eye looks
downward, it automatically uses the reading portion of the
lens. When the patients looks directly ahead, distance vision
is available through the center of the lens. The second
option in lens implants is monovision. This option corrects
a patient's dominant eye for distance and leaves the non-dominant
eye slightly under corrected so the patient can retain the
ability to do near work. Many people who have tried monovision
in contact lenses have been very happy with this option.
The physicians at Halpin - Poweleit Eye Center will discuss
the risks and benefits of the procedure with you during
your preoperative evaluation.
Benefits of Clear Lens Extraction include:
• Rapid rehabilitation
• Predictability of outcome
• Excellent quality of vision especially in
people
with severe refractive errors |
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