Cataract and refractive lens exchange surgeries improve vision

Cataract and refractive lens exchange (RLE) surgeries offer solutions for vision impairment, particularly for the approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide living with presbyopia, according to a 2019 World Health Organization report.

Refractive lens exchange involves removing the eye's natural lens through phacoemulsification and replacing it with a high-technology intraocular lens (IOL). While similar to cataract surgery, the primary goal of RLE is refractive and functional, aiming to correct ametropia and reduce dependence on glasses for both near and distance vision.

Dr. Danilo Boscoli of Visare Hospital de Olhos notes that because the lens loses elasticity and accommodation capacity during aging, the lens can be replaced before a visually significant cataract develops. Both procedures utilize similar technical steps, including micro-incisions and capsulorhexis.