West Coast Eye Institute specializes in a wide range of eye surgeries to correct refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Your surgical options for refractive errors include LASIK surgery, PRK surgery, and refractive lens surgery. These procedures address the root cause of your refractive errors, thereby liberating you from a lifetime of eyeglasses and contact lenses. Please contact us to learn more about your eye surgery options in Bakersfield, CA.
What is refractive lens surgery?
Refractive lens surgery is a lens replacement procedure meant for patients with refractive errors, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia, a type of age-related farsightedness. The refractive lens surgery replaces your eye’s natural lens with an artificial lens to improve your visual clarity. This can help you achieve crystal clear vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Refractive lens surgery treats the following conditions:
- Myopia (Nearsightedness): Objects far from your field of vision appear blurry.
- Hyperopia (Farsightedness): Objects close to your field of vision appear blurry.
- Astigmatism: All objects appear blurry, regardless of their distance, because of irregularities in the shape of your cornea.
- Presbyopia: Farsightedness occurring due to age-related changes in your eyes.
Am I a suitable candidate for refractive surgery?
Refractive lens surgery is suitable for patients with refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. This procedure can address complex vision problems that can’t be addressed with LASIK or PRK surgeries. However, it isn’t FDA-approved for all vision needs. Your eye surgeon will run advanced tests, examine your cornea and lens, and assess your overall health to determine if you’re a suitable candidate for refractive surgery.
What happens during refractive lens surgery?
Before your surgery, our refractive surgeon will discuss your specific needs and goals. After conducting a thorough examination, the surgeon will determine if you’re a viable candidate for refractive surgery. The procedure involves replacing your natural lens with an artificial lens. It’s a painless procedure because it’s performed after administering anesthetic drops. The entire procedure concludes within 15 to 20 minutes.
During the surgery, the eye surgeon will make a small incision in your cornea to access and remove the lens. Once the natural lens is removed, the surgeon will insert an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to correct your vision. The surgeon can use different types of lenses, such as accommodating lenses, multifocal lenses, monofocal fixed-focus lenses, and lenses for astigmatism. Your eye surgeon will select the ideal lens for your specific needs.
The entire procedure concludes within 30 minutes, following which you will rest briefly within the office. You should arrange to have someone drive you home and take a few days off work. Most people notice an immediate improvement to their vision, but the results will continue improving for several weeks. The surgeon will provide a list of post-surgery recovery guidelines to ensure you have a safe and smooth recovery process.
What are the side effects of refractive lens surgery?
You may notice some visual disturbances for the first few days, such as blurry vision, halos of light, and glares, especially at night. You may have a scratchy sensation in your eyes. The side effects will gradually dissipate over the week. You won’t feel the IOL in your eyes, nor will it be visible externally. You can resume most of your normal activities and driving a week after the surgery.
Schedule your refractive lens surgery in Bakersfield
West Coast Eye Institute is the leading ophthalmology practice in Bakersfield, specializing in refractive surgeries, including LASIK surgery, PRK surgery, and refractive lens surgery. Our Harvard-trained refractive surgeon carefully assesses your eye health and condition to recommend the ideal treatments for you. Please schedule an appointment to explore your eye surgery options in Bakersfield, CA.
