CLEAR® (Custom Lens Replacement)

Have you ever dreamed of a life without reading glasses and bifocals. Thankfully, custom lens replacement, or lens replacement surgery, is an innovation in laser eye surgery that allows for the replacement of the dysfunctional lenses that allows for restoration of your reading vision and prevention of future aging and including a future prevention of cataract formation.

A Revolutionary Solution for Presbyopia and Farsightedness

If you have presbyopia, the inevitable loss of reading vision in your mid forties, or farsightedness (hyperopia), you may know that LASIK or other forms of laser vision correction are not ideal treatments for age-related farsightedness. It’s frustrating when you are limited by glasses or contacts but cannot have laser eye correction to correct your eyesight. Thankfully, custom lens replacement, or lens replacement surgery, is an innovation in laser eye surgery that allows for the replacement of the dysfunctional lenses. The procedure is similar to cataract surgery, and involves lens replacement to treat cases of presbyopia, although you do not have to wait for your cataracts to fully develop if you are interested in vision correction. In addition, this procedure has become very popular due to the fact that it prevents cataracts, as the replacement lens implant is permanent and does not age. The Waring Vision Institute in Charleston, SC is well-known for its advanced treatments for age-related loss of reading vision. Dr. Waring is responsible for aiding in much of the development and research related to presbyopia, the first stage of the “dysfunctional lens syndrome” and the effective treatments for this condition. If you are looking for info regarding Implantable Contact Lenses click here.

The Ultimate in RLE: CLEAR® — Custom Lens Extraction And Replacement

CLEAR® is a uniquely effective treatment for DLS, or dysfunctional lens syndrome, a condition that affects a vast majority of men and women aged 40 and over. Through the natural course of aging, the eye’s internal lens becomes progressively more cloudy and unclear, and the eye begins to lose its ability to focus on objects near and far. Left untreated, DLS results in the need for glasses and contact lenses, and, continuing further, their eventual inability to help you see well. As DLS progresses, contacts, bifocals, and glasses are rendered useless if the condition isn’t effectively corrected. It is also significantly treats presbyopia.

CLEAR® restores perfect vision by replacing the cloudy lens with a crystal clear, restorative implant exchange that lasts a lifetime and prevents the continued deterioration of your vision as you age.

What is the CLEAR® Procedure?

CLEAR® is a custom lens extraction and replacement for the treatment of DLS. A procedure carefully and specifically designed to restore both close-up vision and distance vision with a crystal clear restorative implant that lasts a lifetime and prevents further progressive deterioration of vision due to cataracts.

Step 1: An advanced vision analysis helps us determine if a custom lens replacement is right for you.
Step 2: In the CLEAR® procedure, a laser is used to replace the dysfunctional lens.
Step 3: A crystal clear, restorative implant is used. It lasts a lifetime, and it prevents the progressive deterioration of your vision due to aging.

Benefits of CLEAR®

Lasts a lifetime
Prevents progress deterioration of the vision that typically occurs with aging
Prevents cataract formation
The rapid but highly exacting procedure takes less than 15 minutes to complete
Requires only mild sedation and results in only minimal discomfort
Vision recovery occurs within days

Risks of CLEAR®

The CLEAR® procedure is much like cataract surgery, one of the safest and most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. But as with all medical procedures, there are risks involved. These risks will always be thoroughly discussed with you prior to scheduling.

Nancy D.

Dr. Waring performed Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) surgery with amazing results. After years of extreme nearsightedness and astigmatism, I can now see better than I did with contact lenses. I am grateful beyond words to Dr. Waring and his staff for this amazing outcome.

Recovery after the CLEAR® procedure

Following the CLEAR® procedure, you’ll use eye drops to help ensure a safe and smooth recovery. The day of surgery, and while sleeping for the first week after the procedure, you’ll also wear an eye shield to prevent accidental rubbing and to protect the eye. Apply no pressure to the eye or surrounding areas throughout recovery, and avoid getting soap, water, or makeup in your eyes.

What Is Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome?

In your 40s or 50s, you’ll likely start having trouble with your reading vision, in a condition known as presbyopia. This is Stage 1 of dysfunctional lens syndrome. Left untreated, over time, the aging lens will continue to lose function and eventually become a cataract, at Stage 3 of DLS. Due to aging, the eye’s internal lens loses function and clarity, necessitating the need for reading glasses and bifocals, but eventually if left untreated, resulting in their inability to correct the condition.

Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome (DLS) At a Glance

Stage 1 DLS: The aging internal lens is still relatively clear, but has lost its ability to zoom and to focus well at up close objects such as books and computer screens.
Stage 2 DLS: The aging lens starts to get cloudy, resulting in reduced color vision, vision quality, and reading vision gets progressively worse.
Stage 3 DLS: In the final stage of the aging lens, the lens has become so cloudy that glasses, bifocals and contacts no longer allow you to perform daily activities.

If you are on this scale, you are likely a good candidate for the CLEAR® procedure.

Determining Candidacy

Custom lens replacement (RLE) is usually best suited for those who are not good candidates for LASIK or other form of laser surgery. Sometimes RLE is the only option for those who have presbyopia and moderate to severe hyperopia (farsightedness). There are many different types of laser vision correction available, but you may be a good candidate for RLE if:

You’re over 40
You have moderate or severe hyperopia
You have presbyopia and want to reduce the need for glasses or contacts
You want an alternative to LASIK or are not a good candidate for this treatment

A full disclosure of your medical history is important in any eye surgery or treatment. Certain medical conditions or prescription medications may pose the risk of complications for RLE. Dr. Waring can advise you if RLE is right for you, or another advanced treatment will be appropriate for your case.

Client Experience

Brooke Ryan describes her experience after her Custom Lens Replacement procedure.

Custom Lens Replacement Procedure

Before the procedure begins, our ophthalmologist will sterilize your eye and provide an anesthetic eye drop solution to numb your eye to prepare it for surgery.

The surgeon will make a small incision to access the natural lens. A laser is typically utilized to gently create the openings, soften the dysfunctional lens, and often treat astigmatism . Once the lens is removed, it is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL). There are four types of intraocular lenses:

Extended Depth of Focus IOL

Extended Depth of Focus IOLs have the unique advantage of elongating the focus continuously from distance to intermediate tasks such as the dashboard of the car, the computer and often smart phones and tablets, particularly if the font is enlarged. These lenses tend to create the best balance of quality of vision for intermediate and some near tasks. Occasionally a low power over-the-counter pair of reading glasses may be helpful for very small print or low light reading conditions.

Multifocal IOL

Multifocal IOLs work similarly to bifocal lenses on glasses. Around the periphery of the lens, a correction is made to allow for clarity when reading or doing other close-range activities. The middle of the lens is calibrated so that your central vision is still clear for distance ranges.

Monovision IOL

Monovision IOLs only allow for one “focus” although clients will get a different lens for each eye. The dominant eye will receive a lens designed for seeing distance while the non-dominant eye retains the ability to see close objects. A similar practice is sometimes used for contact lenses, and over time, the brain learns to favor a certain eye for specific activities.

Accommodating IOL

Accommodating IOLs are monofocal lenses, but the client can change the focus of the lens by shifting its position in the eye.

You and Dr. Waring can discuss which type of IOL is right for you based on your eyesight and any special needs and the advanced ocular analysis. Health insurance does not cover custom lens replacement, like it does not cover LASIK, and those who want to take advantage of the advances in clear lens implant surgery can discuss the many benefits of this advanced procedure. The entire procedure only takes 15 minutes per eye to perform. It is an outclient procedure so you will be able to return home the same day. Make plans for a friend or family member to drive you home from the surgery center.

Karen Hecker, CLEAR® Patient with Amazing Results

Risks & Recovery

The risks from CLEAR®, although very rare, include:

Blurred vision
Light sensitivity
Dislocated IOL
Infection
Bleeding
Glare, halos or starbursts from lights
Decrease or loss of visionIncreased eye pressure (can lead to glaucoma or other complications)

These side effects are uncommon, and the likelihood of developing them can be reduced even further by carefully following all aftercare instructions provided.

Most clients report almost immediate improvement in their sight, and can resume their normal activities the day following the CLEAR® procedure. You will have follow-up appointments to monitor your healing process and evaluate your improved vision. Most people who have the procedure see a dramatic improvement and may no longer need glasses or contacts, depending upon the type of lens placed in surgery.

Come to Charleston, SC for Your Vision Correction

Dr. George Waring and his staff at the Waring Vision Institute in Charleston, SC are committed to helping you improve your sight with advanced technology and compassionate care, and our facility is a premier destination for advanced vision correctly. Dr. Waring has been recognized as one of the nation’s top ophthalmologists in Castle Connolly’s Guide to America’s Top Ophthalmologists, and responsible for developing some of the most effective treatments for vision correction. Residents of Charleston as well as nearby Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, and Columbia as well as clients who live outside the state come to the Waring Vision Institute to take advantage of our advanced treatments, technologies, and various ongoing clinical trials.