{"id":1978,"date":"2026-10-20T08:54:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-health\/lens-and-cataract\/disadvantages-of-lens-replacement-surgery\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:59:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:59:34","slug":"disadvantages-of-lens-replacement-surgery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-health\/lens-and-cataract\/disadvantages-of-lens-replacement-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"Replacement Lens Surgery Advantages and Disadvantages: What to Know Before RLE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  4. Replacement Lens Surgery Advantages and Disadvantages: What to Know Before RLE<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Replacement Lens Surgery Advantages and Disadvantages: What to Know Before RLE<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    \"Eye<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The main advantages of replacement lens surgery (refractive lens exchange, RLE) are freedom from glasses for about four in five patients with modern multifocal lenses, a stable prescription and no future cataract operation. The main disadvantages are halos and glare, a small risk of serious sight loss (about 1 in 500), a higher retinal detachment risk and a cost that is not covered by the NHS. At Laser Istanbul Clinic, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131 leads lens replacement.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Replacement lens surgery advantages and disadvantages at a glance<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    Replacement lens surgery, also called refractive lens exchange (RLE), clear lens exchange or “smart lens” surgery, removes your natural lens and puts an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) in its place. According to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth), it is identical to modern cataract surgery; the only difference is the reason it is done. Cataract surgery treats a cloudy lens, while RLE aims to reduce your need for glasses or contact lenses.<\/p>

    <\/th>Advantages<\/th>Disadvantages<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Vision<\/th>About 4 in 5 patients completely glasses-free with widely used multifocal lenses; about 95% satisfied<\/td>Halos, glare and other light-scatter effects are common in the early months; about 1% of multifocal patients cannot adapt<\/td><\/tr>
    Glasses<\/th>Often free of reading glasses and varifocals<\/td>Glasses may still be needed for some tasks, especially with a monofocal lens<\/td><\/tr>
    Long term<\/th>Prescription normally stable; no cataract later<\/td>A misty “capsule” can develop months or years later and needs a laser<\/td><\/tr>
    Safety<\/th>Quick day-case operation, usually 20 minutes per eye<\/td>Permanent serious sight loss in about 1 in 500; retinal detachment risk about five times higher for four years<\/td><\/tr>
    Practical<\/th>Elective: you decide if and when<\/td>Not covered by the NHS or private health insurance; hard to reverse<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    What are the advantages of replacement lens surgery?<\/h2><\/div>

    Before the downsides, it helps to know what you would be trading them for. According to the RCOphth:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t