Eyes of York
1880 Kenneth Rd.
York, PA 17408
Map & Directions

Monday & Wednesday
» 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday & Thursday
» 7:30am - 5:00pm
Friday
» 7:30am - 12:30pm

Contact our York, PA office to schedule an appointment. Please fill out the contact form below.







PRELEX (Presbyopic Lens Exchange)

PRELEX is an option for people over the age of forty who want to reduce their dependency on glasses and contact lenses. Patients with minimal or no corneal astigmatism make the best candidates. The term PRELEX is used to describe a presbyopic lens exchange. Presbyopia is the loss of elasticity in the tiny muscles that focus the lens of the eye causing difficulty in reading at close range. People experiencing presbyopia after the age of forty require reading glasses or bifocal lenses. PRELEX corrects your vision by changing the focusing power of the lens of your eye. By using an accommodative or multifocal intraocular lens (IOL), patients can see near, far, and intermediate distances. Specifically, the natural lens inside your eye is replaced with an IOL implant, which has been calculated to focus your distance, intermediate, and near vision without the need for glasses. This is similar to cataract surgery except that there is no cataract present in the lens when it is removed.

How PRELEX Works

PRELEX is typically performed under local anesthesia with light sedation on an outpatient basis. The first step is to make a very small incision near the outer edge of the cornea. A small ultrasonic instrument is inserted through this tiny opening. The natural lens will be dissolved and aspirated with this instrument. Afterward, a flexible artificial prescription lens is then folded inside an injector and inserted through the same incision. The lens will unfold inside the eye and is supported by the same membrane structure which held the natural lens. Finally, the surgical corneal incision will seal without the need for stitches. For those patients who have some degree of corneal astigmatism requiring additional correction, excimer laser can be performed on the surface of the cornea to reduce astigmatism some time after the PRELEX is performed.

Benefits of PRELEX

The primary benefit of PRELEX is in changing the focusing power of the eye from within. Many vision correction procedures, such as iLASIK, change the focusing power of the eye by changing the curvature of the cornea. This will provide a single focus point for the eye and does not correct for Presbyopia.

PRELEX corrects vision by replacing the eye's natural lens with an accommodative or multifocal intraocular lens of the appropriate power for a given eye length and corneal curvature. Therefore, PRELEX creates a new visual system inside the eye, one that can provide the focusing power to see near, intermediate and far images with minimal dependence on corrective lenses.

back to top

You may be a candidate for PRELEX if you:

back to top

What to Expect

A preliminary screening will determine if you are a candidate for the PRELEX procedure based on your prescription and general health history. You can schedule a free personal evaluation to discuss your possible candidacy and learn more about laser vision correction.

The next step is a thorough and comprehensive eye examination with the doctor where all the preoperative testing, your overall medical condition and the health of your eyes are evaluated to determine your candidacy for the procedure. If you wear soft contact lenses, they need to be out for 7-10 days prior to this preoperative exam. Soft toric lenses need to be removed 14-21 days prior, gas permeable lenses 3-4 weeks prior, and hard contact lenses 4-6 weeks prior this exam. You will have many measurements performed to accurately calculate your deluxe intra-ocular lens and the decision to have an accommodative (Crystalens) verses a multifocal (ReStor Aspheric) implant will be made after discussion between you and your surgeon.

After your exam and measurements, we will schedule your surgery and all necessary follow ups as well as review your pre-op/post-op instructions and consent form.

On the day of surgery, you will be advised to refrain from eating anything after midnight the night before. Please leave any valuables at home. We ask you to wash your face well that morning. Please do not wear any makeup, cologne or perfume. You will need transportation to and from our office on the day of surgery since you will be administered some light sedation. The procedure itself is fast and simple, and will take just about 10 minutes to perform. PRELEX procedures are performed at the Eyes of York Surgical Center located on site.

After the procedure, and as with other vision correction procedures, you may experience some eye discomfort and light sensitivity for a few days. Many patients experience some dry eyes and glare in the early months of recovery. Most people resume normal activities within a day or two.

It is important not to rub or bump your eyes for the first few weeks. You should avoid getting substances like soap, shampoo, and hair spray in your eyes and refrain from wearing makeup for about one week. Stay away from swimming pools, hot tubs, and saunas for a minimum of one week. Remember to wear proper eye protection when participating in active sports and working with machinery, tools, or hazardous material. Longer waiting periods may be recommended for certain activities, as these are only guidelines. Most importantly, be sure to take your medication exactly as prescribed to ensure a successful recovery.

Unlike other vision correction procedures, PRELEX is performed on only one eye at a time. The second eye may be done one to several weeks later.

Click Here for Instructions for Surgery

back to top