REFRACTIVE LENS EXCHANGE — RISKS AND LIMITATIONS

Risks and Limitations
Neither your surgeon nor the surgeon's staff can promise or guarantee that the procedure will be effective or make your vision better than it was before the procedure.

It is possible that the procedure or a complication arising from the procedure could make your vision worse or could injure your cornea or your retina, which could result in partial or total blindness, or could require a cornea transplant.

Certain inflammatory conditions can cause severe post-operative complications such as cornea or flap inflammation, or thinning of the corneal flap, which could result in permanent loss of vision.

In addition, because the procedure is fairly new, very little is known about the long-term effects of the procedure. During your preoperative examination, the likely outcomes (e.g. uncorrected vision) will be conveyed to you based on the level of your particular refractive error.

Although it is not possible to list every potential risk or complication that may result from the procedure, many of them are listed below. Click here to download a PDF with full descriptions of the Risks and Limitations.

• Under-correction or Over-correction
  
• Halos / Starbursts
  
• Equipment Malfunction
  
• Increased Light Sensitivity of the Eye / Fluctuating Vision
  
• Optical Imbalance
  
• Regression
• Increased Pressure in the Eye
• Fragility on Impact
• Eyelid Droop
• Corneal Ectasia
• Faulty or Improperly Created Flap
• Debris under the Flap or Infection under the Flap
• Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis or "Sands of the Sahara"
• Epithelial Erosion
• Epithelial Ingrowth
• Dry Eyes
• Vascular Occlusion
• Microscopic Corneal Surface Irregularities
• Excessive Corneal Haze
• Elevated IOP (Intraocular Pressure)

Related Information About Refractive Lens Exchange:

• Patient Instructions
• Surgery Center
• Financial Responsibility
• CapitalOne Healthcare Finance
• Informed Consent
• Refractive Lens Exchange Main Page
• Procedures Available Main Page
  

Commonly Asked Questions:

How soon after surgery will I see well?
Most patients notice an immediate improvement in vision. For most people, near, far and intermediate vision continues to improve over the next few weeks. Vision contines to improve as you adjust to seeing through the multifocal lens.

Will refractive surgery hurt?
The procedure takes about fifteen minutes and is usually painless.

Will I still need my glasses or contacts?
The goal of refractive surgery is to reduce your dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses.

Will my insurance cover RLE?
Most health care coverage considers RLE surgery an elective surgical procedure and does not cover it. For our RLE patients, we highly recommend CapitalOne Healthcare Finance. Find out more about it here.