If you’re tired of wearing glasses, but have been told that you’re not a candidate for LASIK, there is another vision correction option that may be right for you. It’s called Clear Lens Extraction and Replacement – CLEAR™ for short – and it’s designed especially for people who are over 40 and are not good candidates for LASIK. 

Unlike LASIK and other refractive surgery techniques that correct vision by changing the shape of the cornea, CLEAR™ corrects your vision by changing the focusing power of the eye’s lens. To do this, we replace your natural lens with a new intraocular lens (IOL). 

Like the lens of a camera, which focuses images sharply on the film, the eye’s lens focuses light and images on the retina at the back of your eye. With CLEAR™, your natural lens is replaced with an IOL selected to give you the best vision for your needs. CLEAR™ is well suited for people over 40 because that is the age that most of us begin to lose the ability to focus up close. This occurs when the natural lens becomes less flexible, and no longer accommodates as well to changing its focus from distant to near vision. Then reading glasses or bifocals are needed for close work.

Some IOLs used in CLEAR™ have a fixed focal length and do not accommodate. If you select this type, you may prefer to have your new lens provide sharp distance vision for driving, golf, and similar activities. Or you may want near vision for reading, computer work and other close activities. The choice is yours. Another option is a special type of accommodating IOL that allows the eye to focus both up close and far away. This unique lens allows the eye to focus naturally without glasses.

Before the procedure, your eye is carefully measured using precision state-of-the-art ultrasound instruments. These measurements are entered into a sophisticated formula to calculate the exact corrective power of your intraocular lens. The St. Luke’s ultrasound team is one of the nation’s leaders in achieving excellent visual outcomes. In fact, James P. Gills, MD, is recognized internationally for his contributions to improving the accuracy of IOL formula. 

If CLEAR™ is a good fit for you, your procedure will be performed by Pit Gills, MD, cataract and refractive surgery specialist at St. Luke’s, using the same advanced techniques that have been so successful in restoring sight for people with cataracts; many of them developed right here at St. Luke’s. These include the use of intraocular anesthesia, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for patient comfort, safety and rapid healing. In fact, most CLEAR™ patients are able to get back to their normal activities the very next day.