Get Out of Readers & Prevent Cataracts with RLE | Lance Kugler, MD on KMTV Omaha Extra
Published by on June 13, 2025
Get Out of Readers & Prevent Cataracts with RLE
Stepping into your 40s and 50s often means reaching for reading glasses—and facing the inevitability of cataracts down the road. What if you could address both presbyopia (loss of near vision), distance vision, astigmatism, and future cataracts in one procedure? Lance Kugler, MD, of Kugler Vision visited with KMTV Omaha Extra to explain exactly how Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) does just that. Watch the video to see Dr. Kugler break down why RLE is becoming the go-to choice for anyone who wants crisp distance vision, comfortable near focus, and freedom from cataracts before they ever develop.
What Is Refractive Lens Exchange?
Refractive Lens Exchange replaces your eye’s natural lens with a premium intraocular lens that corrects both distance and near vision—and even astigmatism—in one procedure. As Dr. Kugler explains:
“In our 20s and 30s, the lens can focus from far to close. As we enter our 40s and 50s, we lose the ability to do that…so when you get to that point, we do what’s called Refractive Lens Exchange.”
That new lens not only restores your ability to see up close and far away, it also preempts cataracts entirely:
“You never get cataracts because we’ve replaced the lens.”
Key Benefits of RLE
- Clear Near and Far Vision: No more bifocals or separate reading glasses—your new lens handles both.
- Astigmatism Correction: Premium lens options can precisely correct irregular corneal shape.
- Lifetime Cataract Prevention: RLE gives you cataract-free eyes from day one.
- Growing Popularity: “It’s our most popular procedure now,” Dr. Kugler notes, driven by patients who want a single, permanent solution to their vision issues.
Who’s a Good Candidate for RLE?
Ideal for anyone experiencing presbyopia and who has reached age 50, RLE is also perfect for those who prefer to avoid future cataract surgery. Unlike LASIK or SMILE, which reshape the cornea, RLE works from inside the eye, making it an excellent option with the same IOL technology as advanced cataract surgery, but before significant cataract formation.
Learn More and Take the Next Step
Ready to see whether Refractive Lens Exchange is right for you? Visit our RLE procedure page to explore lens options and watch the full Omaha Extra interview above. Then call us at (402) 558-2211 or schedule your comprehensive EyeAnalysis Exam online.
Your future of flawless sight starts now with Kugler Vision’s advanced RLE solutions.
Kary: Hello. I’m Kary Wurth, and you’re watching Omaha Extra. Today, I’m with Dr. Lance Kugler with Kugler Vision, and thank you so much for having us in today.
Dr. Kugler: My pleasure.
Kary: All right. So, we’re talking about refractive lens exchange or RLE. Can you tell us what that is?
Dr. Kugler: So we all have a lens inside our eye, and in our 20s and 30s, the lens can focus from far to close, can change focus. As we get into our 40s and 50s, we lose the ability to do that. We start to need reading glasses, and pretty soon we need bifocals, we can’t see far, we can’t see close. So when you get to that point, we do what’s called refractive lens exchange or a lens replacement. And so we replace the lens that’s inside the eye with a new lens, and the new lens can see far and close. So the end result is we can fix far vision, close vision, astigmatism, and you never get cataracts because we’ve replaced the lens.
Kary: Right. So we can avoid that altogether, which is probably something that we’re going to deal with at some point, right?
Dr. Kugler: A lot of people don’t realize that it’s inevitable you’re going to have a new lens put in your eye because everybody gets cataracts as you get older. So when you have cataract surgery, that’s what we’re doing is we’re replacing the lens. So, refractive lens exchange is replacing the lens at a younger age, so you get the benefits of it without ever developing a cataract.
Kary: Okay. And you kind of mentioned it, but what are maybe some of the benefits that we can see from RLE?
Dr. Kugler: So yeah, like I said, we fix far vision, close vision, astigmatism, and you never get cataracts. So, it’s a pretty amazing procedure.
Katy: Yeah, it really is. And it is growing in popularity, as you’ve seen, as a way to avoid cataracts and other issues that may be going on with the eye.
Dr. Kugler: Yeah, it’s our most popular procedure now.
Katy: All right. So kuglervision.com, you can learn more. We’ll see you next time.
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