What is Refractive Lens Exchange? KTAR’s Mike Broomhead shares his RLE experience

PHOENIX — For Mike Broomhead, the signs were becoming hard to ignore. 

His distance vision was still pretty good. Up close was another story. Reading without glasses had become nearly impossible. The font on his phone kept getting bigger. And after years of depending on reading glasses, Broomhead decided it was time to find out if there was another option. 

The KTAR host went to K2 Vision in Scottsdale, where an eye exam determined he was a candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange, or RLE. 

Not long afterward, Dr. Andrew Kopstein performed the procedure. 

“I had it done on a Friday,” Broomhead recalled. “On Sunday morning, I woke up and I was able to read my phone. I was able to read things on a page. I was able to read my computer screen without readers for the first time in 20 years.” 

His assessment since then is even more direct: “It’s the best medical decision I’ve made in 20 years.” 

What is Refractive Lens Exchange and how does RLE work? 

Refractive Lens Exchange is a vision correction procedure that replaces the eye’s aging natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens, or IOL. Unlike LASIK, which reshapes the cornea, RLE addresses age-related changes in the natural lens itself. 

As people age, that natural lens becomes less flexible, making it increasingly difficult to focus on things up close. This age-related change, known as presbyopia, is why many people begin reaching for reading glasses in their 40s and 50s. 

Depending on the patient and the type of IOL selected, RLE can reduce dependence on reading glasses, prescription glasses and contact lenses and provide vision at multiple distances. 

Because the natural lens is replaced during RLE, it also cannot later develop a cataract. 

Why does near vision get worse after age 40 or 50? 

The reading glasses in the kitchen become another pair in the car. Then one at work. Then another beside the bed. 

Difficulty reading without readers, blurry or changing vision, trouble seeing in dim light, difficulty driving at night and increasing dependence on corrective eyewear are all reasons adults may begin exploring their vision-correction options. 

For Broomhead, one of the biggest changes following RLE has been rediscovering ordinary things he had almost stopped thinking about. 

He now talks about sitting down in a restaurant and reading the menu without glasses — or needing to use his phone as a flashlight just to make out the words. 

“I cannot believe how well I can see,” Broomhead said. “I’m seeing at a distance very clearly. I am seeing up close and reading off a page without glasses for the first time in 20 years.” 

RLE vs. LASIK: Which vision correction procedure is right at different ages? 

One reason vision correction can be confusing is that there isn’t one procedure that is best for everyone. The right solution depends on a person’s age, prescription, eye health, anatomy and individual vision goals. 

Together, King LASIK and K2 Vision offer vision-correction options for virtually every stage of adult life. For many younger adults, LASIK may be the appropriate choice, reshaping the cornea to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. For younger and middle-aged adults who may not be ideal LASIK candidates, EVO ICL offers another option by placing an implantable lens inside the eye while leaving the natural lens intact. 

As patients reach their 50s and beyond, however, age-related changes to the natural lens itself often become a bigger part of the vision problem. That’s where Refractive Lens Exchange can become an important option. Rather than reshaping the cornea or adding a lens while leaving the natural lens in place, RLE replaces the aging natural lens with an advanced intraocular lens selected around the patient’s vision and lifestyle goals. 

“What the patient’s goals are, how their lens looks, what their prescription is, how that lens has aged over time” all factor into determining the appropriate procedure, says Dr. Joseph King. 

That ability to offer different solutions at different stages of life is central to the relationship between King LASIK and K2 Vision. King and Kopstein co-founded K2 Vision in part because LASIK, while highly effective for appropriate candidates, does not address every vision problem. 

“As miraculous as LASIK can be, it’s not always the right solution to someone’s vision problems,” King says. “That’s why Andy and I started K2 Vision — to provide life-changing vision-correction procedures for people who may not qualify for LASIK.” 

Why experience matters when choosing an RLE surgeon 

Together, Drs. Joseph King and Andrew Kopstein have performed more than 300,000 vision correction procedures. 

Both doctors now perform Refractive Lens Exchange at K2 Vision in Scottsdale, bringing decades of refractive and lens-based surgical experience to Valley patients. 

“People come to see us because they want freedom from their glasses and contacts to enjoy what they like, what they do,” Kopstein says. “They want to enjoy their activities. They want to see their loved ones.” 

Advanced lens technology also allows the procedure to be customized around a patient’s eyes and visual goals. 

Broomhead received Light Adjustable Lenses, which allowed his vision to be evaluated and adjusted after surgery. 

Who is a good candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange? 

RLE is often considered for adults in their 50s and beyond who are experiencing age-related changes in vision, increasingly rely on reading glasses or progressive lenses, or may no longer be ideal candidates for LASIK. 

But age alone doesn’t determine whether someone is a good candidate. Eye health, prescription, anatomy, lifestyle and individual vision goals all matter, making a comprehensive evaluation an important first step. 

K2 Vision offers a free RLE consultation, where patients can ask questions, find out whether they may be candidates, discuss available lens options and review pricing and financing before deciding whether to move forward. 

People who want to explore their options first can also take K2 Vision’s 60-Second Vision Self Test online. 

K2 Vision’s Arizona center is located at 21803 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, in Scottsdale. 

For Broomhead, the payoff can be found in some pretty ordinary moments. 

Reading the phone. Working at the computer. Looking across a room. Ordering dinner without first finding the readers. 

For more information about Refractive Lens Exchange or to schedule a free consultation, visit K2 Vision RLE. 

This article is sponsored by K2 Vision.