What’s the difference: PreLex™ and Cataract Surgery

07 Dec What’s the difference: PreLex™ and Cataract Surgery

PreLex™, like cataract surgery, involves replacing the aging, natural lens of the eye with an artificial lens implant, an IOL (intraocular lens). The purpose is to improve your vision.

In regular cataract surgery the natural lens has turned very cloudy and needs replacing -usually with a single-vision IOL. The artificial lens implant used does not correct astigmatism, near vision, or often even the full amount of distance vision. Post-op glasses are typically prescribed afterwards. In PreLex,™ the degree of natural lens cloudiness (cataract) is not the only or even the primary concern so much as the amount of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. A PreLex™ IOL is designed to correct these problems as well as replacing the natural lens with any degree of cloudiness.

PreLex™ does fix cataracts to whatever degree there may be natural lens clouding, but having a “medically necessary” degree of cataract is not a requirement. And if you do have significant cataract, you can usually also have PreLex™ done at the same time as cataract surgery.

So PreLex™ and cataract surgery are not the same thing but do have much in common. We chose the term PreLex™ to clarify these differences and to emphasize the superior visual outcome expected. We then trademarked it to make sure the term is used in the same precise way and is not used in a mistaken or misleading way.

Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. – Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic

Would you like to talk to someone here at Woodhams about PreLex™ or cataract surgery? Enter your information below and one of our patient care advocates will reach out to you or you can call us at 770-394-4000.