Refractive lens exchange is offered by The London Clinic as an alternative to laser eye surgery for patients who are not suitable for LASEK/PRK or LASIK, or for people who need eyesight correction and who are already starting to form cataracts.
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What is it for?
An alternative to LASEK/PRK treatment
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What is refractive lens exchange?
Refractive lens exchange is a more extensive form of eye surgery than laser eye surgery. If you have refractive lens exchange, your natural eye lens is removed, and then replaced with an artificial lens made from silicone or high-grade plastic.
The optical properties of the inserted lens can correct almost any refractive defect, including short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism in some cases. Who benefits from refractive lens exchange?
Your sight can be corrected successfully by having the lenses inside your eyes replaced if you are:
- Aged over 40.
- You have the early signs of cataract formation.
- Your short or long sight is too marked to make you a good candidate for laser eye surgery.
Bioptics at The London Clinic
Bioptics is a technique used to solve more complex refractive eye problems; it involves having more than one technique. Patients will typically undergo refractive lens exchange to correct the majority of the refractive defect that is impairing their vision.
Then, once the eye has healed sufficiently, we can use LASEK/PRK or LASIK laser eye surgery to remodel the cornea to treat any residual refractive error.
This does mean multiple procedures and a more complex treatment plan for individual patients, but even those who thought their sight could not be improved by surgery can end up with 20:20 vision without glasses or contact lenses.
Treatment information
Refractive lens exchange: the procedure in detail
The patient experience with refractive lens exchange is very similar to that for cataract surgery. The operation is done as a day case procedure and you will not need to stay in hospital overnight. We will only perform refractive lens exchange surgery on one eye at a time, with the other eye done one to 2 weeks later.
Lens choices in refractive lens exchange
The lens choices available for refractive lens exchange are the same as for cataract surgery:
Monofocal lenses, which mean that you would still require glasses for certain tasks
Multifocal lenses, which allow you to see distance and near from each eye
Lens choice is very individual and will be dependent on your requirements and on our assessments of your eyes. Your consultant will discuss everything in detail before you need to make your decision.
Consultants
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
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0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.