No readers now and no Cataract surgery later! It’s a win, win! Restore clarity and brightness to your vision with the new standard in RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange )—safer, gentler, and highly customizable—quite simply, this is the best technology in the world.
Why wait until you need your Cataracts removed? Laser-assisted RLE with multifocal intra-ocular lenses (IOL) make it so there are no needles, no blades, and no glasses afterward. This is the future of vision over 45!
Laser-assisted RLE is a precise treatment that’s highly customized to each patient. The method allows for little to no discomfort during surgery and a more rapid recovery. Patients will experience a gentler lens removal versus traditional techniques, reduced inflammation, and no need for glasses or contacts after surgery.
One size does not fit all. If RLE is recommended for you at your consultation, we will walk you through the process and answer all your questions, so you can make a confident, informed decision.There are different options for you to choose from when it comes to your replacement lens. Your doctor will help you determine the best option for you based on your anatomy, expectations, and lifestyle. RLE pricing can be found on our Pricing page.
These are not your parents’ lenses! Technologically advanced multi-focal lenses can give you back the eyesight of your youth. Combined with state-of-the-art laser assisted surgical equipment and over 80,000 successful lens replacement surgeries performed, our SHARPEVISION surgeons take RLE surgery to a new level.
A comprehensive, dilated examination is the only way to know which vision correction procedure is best for you. While your exam involves 3D diagnostic imaging of eye and loads of data, it is also our opportunity to learn more about you, your expectations & your lifestyle. All of these factors play an important role in determining if RLE is the best procedure for you. *Your visit will include dilation of your pupils, which will affect your eyesight for about 4-6 hours, as you may have experienced with a routine eye exam. Dilation is part of a comprehensive examination which is recommended every 1-2 years. If you prefer, we can defer that component, and it will not affect our ability to complete your vision correction consultation or your surgical outcome in any way.
The complete exam can take up to 90 minutes. After all the data is collected, our doctor will perform an eye exam, discuss the vision correction option(s) that is recommended for you, and answer any questions you have.
After you are deemed a good candidate for RLE, you will be scheduled for your IOL measurement appointment. Because every eye varies in size and shape, we need to use advanced 3D imaging equipment that builds a 3D map of each eye and tailors the lens and treatment to that map. This mapping technology allows your surgeon to create a customized treatment plan and lens type that matches the uniqueness of each of your eyes. Yes, they are different!
If you are in Seattle, your procedure will be performed in our state-of-the-art Surgery Suite. If you are in Austin, your procedure will be performed at Falconhead Surgery Center. When you arrive, you will be checked in and asked to sign an informed consent document. We will give you our Recovery Kit that has all the prescription drops and everything you will need for after your procedure. No trip to the pharmacy needed!
You will be taken to a room and given eye drops to prepare your eyes for your procedure. Depending on your surgery location, you will be given an oral sedative or an IV for relaxation. Most people feel sleepy during the procedure. Before your RLE, eye drops are used to completely numb the eye—no needles are used at all. Your surgeon then uses the laser to create a circular opening for accessing and removing the lens. This opening is about 10 times more accurate than what is achieved by hand.
After your surgery, you will spend a short period of time resting in the outpatient recovery area before you are ready to be driven home. You should expect to have blurry vision & mild soreness after the procedure. You will see your doctor the very next day for your post-operative evaluation at your SHARPEVISION location.
Our state-of-the-art Surgery Suite is complete with the latest and greatest in laser-assisted surgery featuring the Ziemer Z8 laser and 3D heads-up display that allows the surgeon to view the surgery on a large screen in addition to through the microscope.
Could RLE be right for you? Take our quick and easy candidate quiz to find out if RLE surgery could be your vision correction solution.
SHARPEVISION offers multiple types of advanced IOLs (intra-ocular lenses) for all types of eyes and patient needs. The list of IOL options gets longer every year as the technology gets better. It is an encyclopedia of info on the pros and cons, design types, outcomes, and side effects that our surgeons weigh based on what a patient wants to achieve with their vision, their hobbies and occupation, and their eye health history. Your doctor will then make a lens recommendation based on those factors and expectations, along with your unique eye anatomy. If you have specific questions about the lens type that is recommended for you, your doctor will go into more detail and supply you with educational materials. Check out Dr. Sharpe’s review of IOLS in use today by clicking the link.
Dr. Lancaster is a Cataract and Refractive Surgeon at SHARPEVISION in AUSTIN and CHICAGO. He has lived all over the world and is fluent in Spanish.
Meet Dr. Nicholas Lancaster
Dr. Shields specializes in Cataract surgery, advanced IOL, Refractive surgery, and micro-invasive Glaucoma surgery at SHARPEVISION SEATTLE-BELLEVUE. An overachiever, he graduated the top of his class in Medical school and has continued his excellence in his practice of Ophthalmology. We are proud to bring his expertise to our patients!
Meet Dr. Jerry Shields
Dr. Tian treats patients at SHARPEVISION in SEATTLE- BELLEVUE. He specializes in premium Cataract surgery and Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), as well as Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL).
Meet Dr. Jack Tian
Dr. Li is a board certified Ophthalmologist and Cataract surgeon who also specializes in Refractive Lens Exchange and Glaucoma. He is based at our SHARPEVISION SEATTLE- RENTON location for patient evaluations and follow-up appointments and operates at our ASC in SEATTLE-BELLEVUE.
Meet Dr. Abel Li
SHARPEVISION looks at things a little differently. Take RLE. Just because you’re having a procedure doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable. And just because you’re comfortable doesn’t mean you should have to pay more. Everything can be improved, if you look at it with the right set of eyes. And that’s what we’re doing for you. You get the best price combined with the best experience. Not just giving you a new view, but a new outlook. So when you leave here, you’ll be looking at things differently. You’ll be looking SHARPE.
Anyone can be affected by poor vision. We get to help people from all walks of life and hear some amazing stories along the way.
