Standard implants are locked to a prescription estimated before your procedure. The Light Adjustable Lens is different — your Westlake surgeon refines it once your eyes have healed, using light, until the result fits the life you lead.
The RxSight Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is the only FDA-approved cataract lens that can be customized after surgery. Made from a light-sensitive material, it's fine-tuned with brief, non-invasive UV light treatments once your eyes have healed — so your prescription is based on how you actually see, not pre-surgery estimates. Westlake Eye Specialists offers it in both the original LAL and the newer LAL+.
Every set of eyes balances distance and near a little differently. Slide between them to feel the trade-off — then imagine choosing your sweet spot after surgery, with your vision already healed. That's the Light Adjustable Lens.
Both are adjusted with light after surgery. The difference comes down to your eyes, your screens, and your day-to-day.
Your surgeon will recommend the right version during your evaluation.
A quick introduction to how the RxSight Light Adjustable Lens customizes your vision after cataract surgery.
A standard lens commits you to a prescription before your eyes have healed. The LAL flips that order — here's what that changes.
Your lens power is set once your eyes have healed and stabilized, using real-world vision instead of pre-op math.
You test-drive each setting in everyday life, then return to refine it — so the final result is one you've actually lived with.
Prior LASIK, PRK, or RK makes standard lens calculations hard to nail. Adjusting after surgery sidesteps much of that guesswork.
Light treatments can fine-tune astigmatism directly in the lens, sharpening the result without a separate toric implant.
The LAL is placed during your cataract surgery, just like any other implant.
Over about two to three weeks, your eyes settle and your vision stabilizes.
You return for two to four quick, painless in-office light treatments, refining your vision between visits.
Once it's right, lock-in treatments make your result permanent — and the UV glasses come off.
One commitment: you'll wear the provided UV-protective glasses during waking hours until your final lock-in.
See how an in-office light treatment fine-tunes the Light Adjustable Lens between visits.
The Light Adjustable Lens rewards experience and judgment. These are the surgeons behind it at Westlake Eye Specialists.
Founder of Westlake Eye Specialists with 18 years in Central Texas, named an Austin Top Doc four years running. Harvard / Mass Eye and Ear fellowship-trained, and the first surgeon in the U.S. to implant the ReSTOR Active Focus Toric lens.
View Dr. Vendal's profile →
Board-certified, an AAO Fellow and ASCRS member who has performed more than 25,000 refractive procedures. He brings a decade of premium-lens and laser-cataract expertise to patients across Austin and the surrounding area.
View Dr. Barker's profile →
A cataract and refractive specialist based at our New Braunfels location and former Medical Director at EyeSight Hawaii. She pairs advanced lens technology with a patient-first, heart-centered approach to care.
View Dr. Makin's profile →A consultation confirms it, but these patients tend to benefit most from the LAL or LAL+.
Both are RxSight Light Adjustable Lenses your surgeon can fine-tune after surgery. The LAL+ is the newer generation — it adds built-in blue-light filtering and is designed for improved contrast and reduced glare, which many screen-heavy patients prefer. Your surgeon recommends the right version for your eyes and lifestyle during your evaluation.
Yes, and you may be an excellent candidate. Eyes with prior LASIK, PRK, or RK are notoriously difficult to measure for a standard lens, which is exactly where the LAL excels. Because it's adjusted after surgery based on how you actually see, it sidesteps much of the guesswork prior corneal surgery creates.
Most patients have two to four in-office light treatments to dial in their vision, followed by lock-in treatments that make the result permanent. Each visit takes only a few minutes, is painless, and is performed by your Westlake Eye Specialists team.
The lens responds to UV light — that's how it's adjusted. Until your vision is locked in, everyday UV exposure could change it before you're ready. You'll wear the protective glasses we provide during waking hours until your final lock-in is complete, after which they're no longer needed.
Cataract surgery itself is typically covered by insurance and Medicare. The Light Adjustable Lens is a premium upgrade and is usually an out-of-pocket cost. We offer financing options and will review your specific pricing during your consultation.
The Light Adjustable Lens is available through our Austin, Kyle, Killeen, and New Braunfels locations. Call (512) 472-4011 and we'll help you find the most convenient option for your consultation and light treatments.
Part of the Westlake Eye Specialists network, also serving Georgetown and South Austin. Call (512) 472-4011.
Find out whether the LAL or LAL+ is right for you. Request a consultation with the Westlake Eye Specialists team in Austin, Kyle, Killeen, or New Braunfels.
Request a Consultation (512) 472-4011The material on this page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Candidacy for the Light Adjustable Lens is determined during a comprehensive eye exam. RxSight®, Light Adjustable Lens™, and LAL+™ are trademarks of RxSight, Inc.
