To schedule a refractive lens exchange consultation near Modesto, Stockton, or Sacramento, contact Heritage Eye Associates today. We can help you select the right procedure for meeting your vision correction needs.
Heritage Eye Associates
445 West Poplar Street
Stockton, California
Ph. (866) 922-0405
Fax. (209) 465-2562
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In addition to a wide variety of laser vision correction procedures, including LASIK and custom LASIK, we offer an array of non-laser-based surgical procedures for vision correction. Some of these procedures are alternatives for patients who cannot have laser surgery, while others are designed to treat conditions that are not treatable with laser technology. By offering refractive lens exchange and other such procedures to our Modesto, Stockton, and Sacramento area patients, we hope to help more people enjoy the clear vision that they deserve.
Refractive lens exchange is very similar to cataract surgery in that it involves replacing the eye's natural lens with an intraocular lens implant. The techniques involved are very similar as well. The procedure can be performed using either conventional monofocal intraocular lenses or with more advanced multifocal lenses.
Refractive lens exchange is typically performed for one of three reasons. The first possible application of refractive lens exchange is to replace a lens that shows early signs of cataract formation. By treating a cloudy lens early, it is possible to avoid the process of gradual vision loss that accompanies the formation of cataracts. This option is particularly attractive to those who already depend heavily on corrective lenses and want to change that fact.
Refractive lens exchange can also be used to treat presbyopia as an alternative to monovision surgery. Monovision involves correcting one eye for clear distance vision and the other for clear near vision. After surgery, the brain learns to depend more heavily on visual input from whichever eye is best suited to the current conditions. Choosing refractive lens exchange with multifocal lenses allows our patients to avoid monovision surgery.
The third application of refractive lens exchange is to treat farsightedness so extreme that LASIK cannot be used. With LASIK, the cornea can only be safely reshaped enough to treat a refractive error of about +6.00 diopters. Patients with larger refractive errors cannot have LASIK performed, but undergoing refractive lens exchange at our practice serving Stockton, Sacramento, and Modesto is still a good option.
AK is short for astigmatic keratotomy. It is a treatment for astigmatism. The procedure closely resembles RK, using incisions in the steepest part of the eye to induce its surface to curve more evenly. AK is an alternative for certain patients who cannot undergo laser vision correction.
PRELEX, like cataract surgery, is a procedure that replaces the natural lens of the eye with an intraocular lens implant. The principle difference between PRELEX and cataract surgery is that PRELEX is performed to treat nearsightedness and farsightedness. PRELEX uses a premium multifocal lens implant to produce clear vision at a variety of focal depths, thereby reducing or eliminating your dependence on corrective lenses.
Contact Heritage Eye Associates today to explore the many procedures we offer, including refractive lens exchange. We serve patients from throughout Stockton, Modesto, Sacramento, and the communities that surround them. Schedule a consultation today so that we can help you see life more clearly.