LASIK vs. Refractive Lens Exchange

LASIK is ideal for correcting refractive errors and providing freedom from glasses and contact lenses. Sacramento LASIK surgeon Dr. Stephen Wilmarth can use this procedure to improve the shape of your cornea and eliminate nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia (loss of near vision with age) LASIK is performed with a laser that gently reshapes corneal tissue, allowing it to better focus light on your retina. It is not designed to treat vision disorders such as cataracts.

Refractive Lens Exchange

Refractive lens exchange (RLE) is a procedure in which the clear, natural lens of your eye is replaced with an artificial lens (intraocular lens or IOL). This procedure is ideal for correcting most visual errors and can restore the near vision that is lost with aging (presbyopia). This is the same procedure that is used to remove a cataract.  In this situation, there is no cataract. The clear, human lens is removed to improve your vision without glasses. Since your lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens, there is no need for cataract surgery in the future.

Everyone has unique needs. The best way to determine if LASIK or refractive lens exchange can benefit your vision is through a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Wilmarth.

If you live in the Greater Sacramento Area, Roseville, Rocklin, Folsom, or anywhere throughout Northern California and would like to learn more about your vision correction options, please contact Wilmarth Eye today to schedule an appointment.