Clear lens extraction and refractive lens exchange for the treatment of amblyopia

Treatment of amblyopia typically involves spectacles or penalization of the nonamblyopic eye with occlusive patching or pharmacological penalization. However, these methods can be ineffective or difficult in certain children who may be unable to tolerate or are poorly compliant with such therapies. Untreated high refractive error can result in dense amblyopia, and thus, other treatment methods are necessary in this subset of children. With technological advances in ocular surgery, clear lens extraction (CLE) and refractive lens exchange (RLE) have emerged as popular alternative treatments for amblyopia, as they may avoid some of the challenges surrounding traditional methods. CLE involves lensectomy for refractive purposes in patients without cataracts, while RLE involves lensectomy followed by intraocular lens implantation. The purpose of this review was to summarize the use of CLE and RLE for the treatment of amblyopia in the pediatric population, discussing indications, techniques, treatment outcomes, safety, and potential complications.