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      What is lens replacement surgery?

      Lens replacement surgery (also called Refractive Lens Exchange, or RLE) is a sophisticated development of cataract surgery, one of the world’s most frequently performed surgical procedures. The natural lens of the eye is permanently replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) and typically takes 20 minutes per eye. .

      Lens replacement surgery is a safe and permanent way to correct both short-sightedness or long-sightedness, and prevent or remove cataracts.

      How does lens replacement surgery work?

      Your Consultant Ophthalmic Lens Surgeon will choose a lens customised to your vision and lifestyle needs. This artificial replacement lens could provide the benefit of being able to focus on near, intermediate and far objects, as previously provided by glasses or contact lenses. It can even correct astigmatism.

      The lens replacement surgery itself takes no more than 10 minutes, but you’ll have to rest about 30 minutes to an hour immediately after the procedure. As your eye will be anaesthetised with numbing drops, you will feel no pain. The discomfort and grogginess will gradually disappear while the anaesthesia is wearing off.

      The success rate is very high. Lens replacement surgery is safe, and life changing for millions of patients who have this successful procedure every year.

      All surgeries have some degree of risks, which is why you should discuss your procedure in detail with your eye surgeon. The risks of lens replacement surgery are low and complications are rare, and can be further mitigated by choosing a high-quality lens replacement provider.

      Lens replacement costs & finance options

      While the lens replacement treatment suitable for you will be determined according to your personal needs during our free initial consultation, we offer one clear set price for the treatment you select. We also offer a range of helpful financing, including up to 24 months completely interest free. Our indicative price range is below:

      Monofocal Lens Exchange

      Standard lens replacement surgery with monofocal lens

      Cost £3,295 per eye

      Multifocal Lens Replacement Surgery

      The most common form of lens replacement surgery to lose your glasses

      Cost £3,895 per eye

      Implantable Contact Lens

      Lens treatment preserving your natural lens

      Cost £3,995 per eye*

      *Pricing for complex lens replacement may vary. Lens replacement surgery is not covered by the NHS as alternatives exist such as glasses or contact lenses. Finance options are available.

      Fair & transparent pricing

      Our single price lens replacement packages include your consultation, surgery and full aftercare so the price you see is the price you’ll pay, with no hidden extras. Our commitment to helping you see more extends to our pricing; whatever your prescription, our prices are fixed and include the following.

      • All diagnostic eye assessments
      • An advanced technology artificial intraocular lens (IOL) specially selected to suit you by your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
      • The procedure and post-operative care undertaken in an Optegra eye hospital
      • All aftercare related to the procedure, including any further top up laser surgery required to achieve your required visual goals
      optegra-facility-resized

      About our immaculate eye hospitals

      Optegra eye hospitals are dedicated only to eye surgery, eye treatments and eye care. Our services includelaser eye surgery, lens replacement and cataract surgery and treatment for other medical eye conditions including glaucoma.

      Our hospitals and clinics provide a modern, calm and comfortable environment in which our patients can feel relaxed and well cared for through a patient-led, personalised treatment plan.

      As centres of eye excellence, we offer facilities with the most advanced surgical and technical equipment. Each location is staffed by a professional clinical team with leading NHS-trained Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons who are all Fellows of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. The Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) at each hospital ensures compliance with the best clinical practice.

      As well as purpose-built Optegra hospitals in Birmingham, Hampshire, London, North London, Manchester, Surrey and Yorkshire, we have conveniently located outreach eye clinics in Maidstone, Newcastle and Uttoxeter.

      Denise Welch on Lens Replacement Treatment at Optegra

      Denise Welch

      Actress & TV Personality – Loose Women, Hollyoaks & Coronation Street

      I highly recommend it, I honestly had no reservations about having it done. The private suite in Manchester is so relaxing and comfortable, and the team put me at ease and were so welcoming and informative. You may feel slightly nervous on the day which is natural, but it is the most painless procedure, it is a fast process, you feel nothing and it is life changing!

      Aftercare and recovery

      In the vast majority of cases, recovery from lens replacement surgery is a simple and painless process. You may not have sight immediately after the operation but it should return within a few hours. Your vision may be blurred for the first couple of days but normally improves quickly over the next two weeks.

      Should you experience a ‘gritty’ feeling, we recommend using eye drops. The grittiness will go away and is not permanent. We also recommend you take around 3 days off work unless you work in a dusty or smoky environment, in which case we advise you to take two weeks.

      Risks in lens replacement

      Like any surgical procedure, lens replacement surgery does come with risks. These include residual short or long-sightedness or astigmatism. Other refractive lens surgery problems can include infection in a fraction of cases and the membrane at the back of the eye may detach following the procedure. Occasionally, the macula (part of the retina) swells causing a decrease in vision however mild cases can be treated with eye drops.

      It is important to remember that risks in lens replacement, while present, occur very rarely. For example, infection only occurs in 0.05% of patients.

      What is Clarivu™?

      Clarivu™ was the Optegra brand name for its individually tailored, consultant-led vision correction package. Today’s known as Lens Replacement, it is a full package, including pre-assessments, cost of lenses, surgery and aftercare.

      Clarivu eye lens replacement surgery, also known as Refractive Lens Exchange, Refractive Lens Replacement or Clear Lens Surgery, is a procedure where the natural lens of the eye is permanently replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). This proven procedure has been performed thousands of times and typically takes just 20 minutes per eye.

      Ricky Hatton on his lens replacement treatment at Optegra – ‘Life Changing’.

      Even on the day of the op I could tell there was a big improvement, my vision was considerably different. By day two it was pretty much bang on perfect, but over the next few weeks my eyesight has just got better and better, and now I can see brilliantly! It has actually changed my life and made it so much easier. It is night and day!
      Ricky Hatton, MBE

      Former Boxing Champion

      Lens Replacement FAQs

      At Optegra we understand that everyone’s eye health needs are completely different. It is natural to feel nervous or hesitate before your lens replacement treatment, so here are the answers to the most asked questions about lens replacement treatment.

      Yes. Refractive eye surgery is extremely safe when it is performed at one of our specialist eye hospitals by one of our world class, NHS-trained Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons. Our technical and surgical equipment is the most advanced that is available and you can be assured that all of our facilities boast the utmost in professional standards and quality of care.

      When you choose Optegra for lens replacement surgery, you can be completely confident that you will be in safe, competent and knowledgeable hands.

      Lens replacement surgery is a permanent answer to vision problems such as presbyopia (the gradual loss of your eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects), astigmatism (near vision and blurred distance) and cataracts, as well as long-sightedness (hyperopia) and short-sightedness (myopia).

      If you are completely dependent on glasses or daily or monthly contact lenses, refractive lens surgery can provide you with a life-long and life-changing solution to your current eyesight issues. Put simply, lens replacement is an investment in your future.

      The majority of people with astigmatism are born with it, but in some cases, it can develop later in life. Astigmatism is caused when the cornea or lens is, or becomes, irregularly shaped. People with astigmatism can suffer from symptoms including blurred vision, headaches, eye irritation and even nausea.

      The good news is that astigmatism can be treated with refractive lens surgery, such as LASIK or corrective lenses. Therefore if you’ve been diagnosed and you want to correct the issue, gain a new lease of life and say goodbye to unpleasant symptoms, you should book a free consultation with Optegra.

      Refractive eye surgery and LASIK are both surgical procedures that can improve your vision.

      In refractive lens surgery, the surgeon removes the natural lens inside of the eye and replaces it with a lens that corrects your prescription. LASIK is a corneal surface layer surgery; the surgeon uses lasers to create a flap in the cornea. The flap is lifted and the surgeon reshapes the cornea using lasers. The flap is then replaced and the cornea begins to repair itself.

      Most people return to work around 3 days after having lens replacement surgery, although, this will depend on the nature of your profession. Your vision will gradually improve over the first couple of weeks following our treatment. Providing you do not work in a dusty or smoky environment (which we recommend avoiding for around two weeks after the surgery), you should be able to go back to work after three days, or whenever your eye feels comfortable again.

      Yes. Many of our patients elect to have both eyes treated on the same day if they have been found to be suitable for this. Although in some circumstances your consultant may advise treating each eye separately.

      The lens replacement surgery procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and is painless. Afterwards, you may experience itching and mild discomfort; this is normal and should disappear in just one or two days.

      You won’t be able to drive after lens replacement surgery so you’ll need to make sure you plan your return home and we highly recommend you have someone accompany you. If you’re using public transport, we don’t advise taking the tube if you’re traveling through London.

      Your surgeon will need to give you the go ahead to be able to drive, which they will do in your aftercare assessment. Once they have given you the all clear you will be able to drive again. Normally, this only takes a couple of days although it can take up to a week.

      The lens used in the procedure can focus at different distances, which could give you clearer close up vision but not all patients will be able to stop wearing glasses or contact lenses for all tasks.

      Refractive eye surgery tends to be best suited to people who are over the age of 50 as this is when presbyopia normally develops. However if you are under 40 and you have a high prescription and have been diagnosed as someone who is unsuitable for laser eye surgery you may also be a good candidate for lens replacement.

      The Consultant Ophthalmic Lens Surgeon that you see at your free consultation will determine if lens replacement surgery is for you by carrying out a series of tests.

      Yes, but it may restrict the range of lenses available to you. Your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon will discuss all your options at a free consultation.

      Yes, if you already have a cataract or the beginnings of one it will be removed during the procedure. Lens replacement surgery also prevents you from ever needing cataract surgery.

      During cataract surgery, the lens that has become cloudy is replaced with an artificial lens.

      Choosing the best implant for cataract surgery depends on your eye conditions. At your pre-operative appointment, the ophthalmologist will discuss the best options with you. The choice will depend on your vision, what glasses you usually use and whether you have a cataract in your other eye. The final choice of lens can usually be altered at any point up to your operation.

      Yes, we offer interest free finance for up to 24 months. Additional credit is also available beyond 24 months if required.

      By Author: Amir Hamid

      Mr. Amir Hamid is our Medical Director for Vision Correction and an expert refractive surgeon, based in London.

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