Alternative Procedures

For the vast majority of patients who want freedom from their spectacles and contact lenses, laser vision correction is the most commonly considered procedure. However, not everyone is suitable for such treatment but fortunately there is a well established, alternative solution.

At Optical Express we are able to offer a free consultation, advice and treatment for solutions to a wide range of eye conditions such as:

Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)

Available since 1996, this treatment involves the insertion of a small lens into the eye. It is anchored in front of the crystalline lens behind the pupil of the eye, and functions much like a traditional contact lens except that it is left in the eye indefinitely and cannot be seen or felt by the patient. This method allows the eye to continue focusing naturally while safely adjusting the patient's refractive error to provide excellent image quality and can be removed at any time, providing a totally reversible procedure. Surgical results are effective immediately, with only a short recovery period.

Phakic Intraocular Lens (Phakic IOL)

Phakic IOL implants are a safe and effective option for patients with high myopia or hyperopia, or who have thin corneas and are unsuitable for laser eye surgery. Phakic lens surgery is similar to the implantable contact lens (ICL) in that an additional artificial lens is gently implanted in the eye to correct the refractive error. The results are immediate; the natural focusing ability of the eye remains and the procedure is fully reversible.

Cataract Surgery

A cataract forms when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing vision to deteriorate. While there are factors that may contribute to the formation of cataracts, this phenomenon is a natural part of the aging process; like greying hair and the loss of close up vision (presbyopia). Cataract surgery is a safe operation, performed on thousands of people each week. Furthermore, over 14 million procedures are performed annually worldwide - that's more than any other surgical procedure. Recent advances in microsurgical techniques and new developments in IOL treatments favour a successful operation which leads to the restoration of your vision.

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

This procedure is similar to cataract surgery. Where cataract surgery is necessary to replace a cloudy lens which gives poor vision, in a refractive lens exchange procedure the same lens (which may not be defective) is removed and replaced to correct your prescription. In cataract surgery the new lens is often of similar power to the existing one, whereas in refractive lens procedures the power of the new lens is calculated to compensate for your spectacle or contact lens prescription.

To ascertain which of these alternative procedures will best improve your vision an in depth consultation is needed with a Specialist Refractive Optometrist. They will determine what will be of most benefit to you, explain the procedure in detail and answer all your questions to allow you to make an informed decision.