Carter Eye Lasik Vision Correction Blog

Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) is a type of cataract surgery and a great option for those who wouldn't be the best candidates for LASIK. Other names for CLE are Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) and Refractive Lens Replacement (RLR). Monovision and presbyopia are two of the many problems CLE can fix.

About the CLE Procedure
The patient's lens is replaced with a plastic or silicone intraocular lens (IOL) that is formed to correct far-sightedness and near-sightedness. CLE, however, is not considered an option for correcting astigmatism. This may require either LASIK, PRK or All-Laser procedures.

Keep in mind that traditional IOLs cannot accommodate the difference between viewing long and close-up distances, but newer innovations like Crystalens and ReZoom can. CLE is often the solution of choice for early-stage cataract treatment—especially when the person has presbyopia.

Two advantages of CLE are that it is a proven procedure, successfully performed for many years, and it minimizes any potential for damage to the cornea. On the downside, myopia sufferers increase their risk of vitreous or retina problems and this type of surgery can't accommodate very well.

CLE is the type of surgery best performed by a well-rounded vision correction surgeon with an extensive cataract treatment background. Dr. Harvey Carter, in Dallas, Texas has performed virtually every type of cornea-based corrective surgery.

The Carter Eye Center offers a consultation to see if CLE or another type of surgery would be the best option for you. Please contact Dr. Carter and his team of vision correction professionals today. We serve patients in and around the DFW Metroplex.

PRK, which stands for photorefractive keratectomy, is one of the older vision correction procedures still widely performed today. Historically, this was the most common type of refractive surgery worldwide, and the Food and Drug Administration approved the special excimer laser and its cool, ultraviolet beam of light in 1995.

How PRK Works

PRK is painless and in clinics like The Carter Eye Center, it is performed on an outpatient basis. And besides the mild sedative at the outset of the surgery, no other sedation is needed and the surgery takes only a minute. The laser beam is hyper-accurate and removes microscopic pieces of corneal tissue to slightly bend the shape of the cornea. This is called ablating, and the end result is a rounder cornea that focuses light better than before.

Both nearsighted and farsighted individuals can benefit from PRK, and astigmatism sufferers can have this fixed as well because of the fact that it reshapes the eye.

At The Carter Eye Center, we help determine if PRK would be the ideal treatment—or if another is a better option—for you through a number of ways. Through corneal topography, we first "map" the shape of your cornea to give an accurate picture.

Corneal topography, along with an idea of your medical history, then helps us determine the next steps. If you would like to know more, as well as receive a free consultation, please contact Dr. Harvey Carter and his team of experienced professionals today. We serve clients in and around the DFW Metroplex.