SIOUX FALLS, SD – October 09, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

Vance Thompson Vision, an ophthalmology practice located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has published new patient education content about refractive lens exchange (RLE) as a vision correction option for adults over 45. The practice offers RLE alongside LASIK, PRK, ICL, and advanced cataract surgery for patients throughout South Dakota and the surrounding region. The new content, titled “Refractive Lens Exchange in Sioux Falls: The Vision Correction Option for Patients Over 45”, explains how RLE addresses presbyopia, the age-related stiffening of the eye’s natural lens that typically begins in the mid-40s and gradually leads to a reliance on reading glasses.

RLE is a procedure that replaces the eye’s natural lens with an intraocular lens (IOL), using the same surgical technique as cataract surgery but performed before cataracts develop. Because the natural lens is removed during the procedure, patients who undergo RLE will not develop cataracts in that lens later in life. Patients in Sioux Falls, Brookings, Mitchell, Watertown, and Yankton considering RLE can choose from three IOL types: monofocal lenses, which provide clear distance vision and typically still require reading glasses for close-up tasks; multifocal lenses, which are designed to correct near, intermediate, and distance vision; and extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses, which provide a continuous range from intermediate to distance with reduced reliance on glasses for many activities. The Sioux Falls practice also offers LASIK and PRK for younger patients with stable prescriptions, and ICL for patients whose corneal anatomy makes laser correction less suitable.

The new content notes that LASIK reshapes the cornea but does not address the aging lens, which is why many patients over 45 still require reading glasses after LASIK. RLE, by contrast, replaces the lens itself, treating the underlying source of presbyopia. The content also addresses a common question from patients in Sioux Falls: whether to pursue RLE now or wait for cataracts to develop and undergo cataract surgery later. Cataracts can take years or decades to significantly affect vision, and RLE allows patients to address vision changes before that timeline. As part of the evaluation process for patients traveling to Sioux Falls from Mitchell, Watertown, and other regional communities, the practice uses diagnostic tools including corneal topography, which maps the surface of the cornea and informs lens selection. RLE is performed as an outpatient procedure, and many patients begin noticing improved vision within 24 to 48 hours, with vision continuing to stabilize over the following days to weeks.

“Patients in their mid-40s and 50s who have worn glasses or contact lenses for decades often find that LASIK alone does not give them the result they expected, because the lens itself is changing with age,” said Vance Thompson, MD, board-certified ophthalmologist…st and founder of Vance Thompson Vision. “Refractive lens exchange addresses the lens directly, which is the source of the change. Being trained in multiple vision correction procedures, including LASIK, PRK, ICL, and lens-based surgery, means we can recommend the procedure that fits each patient’s anatomy and visual goals rather than a single approach for everyone.”

Dr. Thompson has performed more than 100,000 vision correction surgeries and has served as principal investigator or medical monitor lead in more than 100 FDA-monitored clinical trials. He completed his medical degree at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine, his ophthalmology residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a refractive and cataract surgery fellowship at Hunkeler Eye Centers in Kansas City. He is a professor of ophthalmology at Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota and a co-author of the textbook Refractive Surgery.

Vance Thompson Vision is located at 3101 W 57th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, and serves patients traveling from Sioux Falls, Brookings, Mitchell, Watertown, and Yankton. The practice is accessible from Interstate 29 and is approximately 15 minutes by car from downtown Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls office is the flagship location for refractive and lens-based surgery within the regional Vance Thompson Vision network, which includes a fellowship training program for ophthalmologists who lead its other offices. Driving directions from downtown Sioux Falls to the Vance Thompson Vision Sioux Falls office are available via Google Maps.

For more information about refractive lens exchange and other vision correction services at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, visit the Vance Thompson Vision website or view the practice’s Google Business Profile. The practice serves patients throughout South Dakota and the surrounding region with a range of refractive and lens-based procedures, including LASIK, PRK, ICL, RLE, and advanced cataract surgery.

###

For more information about Vance Thompson Vision – Sioux Falls, contact the company here:

Vance Thompson Vision – Sioux Falls
Vance Thompson Vision
(605) 361-3937
info@vancethompsonvision.com
3101 W 57th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108

Media gallery

About The Author
PressAdvantage