Our Procedures

All surgeries at the Halifax Vision Surgical Centre are performed on an outpatient basis using a local anesthetic. There is very little down time and recovery is fast with minimal restrictions, so you will be back to your regular routine in no time.

We offer many options for refractive eye surgery. Below are brief descriptions of each procedure and we look forward to discussing which one is right for you.

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

An RLE is an alternative procedure to laser vision correction and other refractive surgery procedures.
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An RLE may be the procedure of choice for patients who are too myopic (nearsighted), too hyperopic (farsighted), or have corneas that are too thin for laser vision correction. It is also a viable alternative for people over the age of 40 who wish to reduce their dependence on bifocals or reading glasses.

It is similar to cataract surgery with the main difference being that your natural lens is clear and not cloudy.

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Phakic Intraocular Lenses (Phakic IOL’s)

A Phakic IOL , is a procedure where the natural lens of the eye remains intact and an artificial lens is placed between two layers of the eye (the cornea and iris) as seen in the picture. This procedure is not an option if there is a cataract forming.

Typically this procedure is recommended for people between the ages of 20-40 who still have some ability to use their eyes for reading or are not currently wearing bifocal glasses.

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Cataract Surgery

A cataract is a progressive clouding of the eye’s natural lens that interferes with light passing through to the retina. Individuals with cataracts usually describe their vision as being similar to looking through a dirty windshield and a gradual blurring or dimming of vision.

Surgery is the only method used to remove a cataract, as it does not improve by itself.
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During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens in your eye is replaced with a clear artificial lens implant called an Intraocular Lens (IOL).