Characteristics of ICL
- A vision solution for high near-sightedness, high far-sightedness and astigmatism in one step.
- The collamer® material is very well tolerated with excellent biocompatibility and durability.
- The ICL is not visible or perceptible in the eye and is positioned in front of the body’s own lens.
- The procedure is reversible and the ICL can be removed or replaced if needed.
ICL Treatment Steps
1. ICL Suitability Assessment
- All relevant eye parameters are measured
- Diagnosis of your suitability for the ICL
- Consultation on your optimal ICL treatment
2. Pre-treatment Examination
- A thorough preliminary medical eye examination is carried out
- Our ophthalmologist and specialist in refractive surgery explains all aspects of your treatment
- Detailed measurements are performed
- The examination lasts approx. 2 hours
- Cease contact lens wear one week (soft lenses) and two weeks (hard lenses)
- You will receive an aftercare set for the days after your treatment, its content and medication will be explained to you in detail by our staff.
3. On the Day of Your ICL Treatment
- Bring someone to accompany you
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Remove any makeup
- Eat a light meal beforehand
- The total duration of this outpatient surgery will be 10 – 15 minutes per eye
- Relax and let us take care of you
4. After Your ICL Treatment
- Do not rub your eyes in the days after treatment
- Antibiotic eye drops are to be used in the first weeks
- Artificial tear eye drops to be used as required
- Resume work after 2 – 4 days as needed
- No sporting activities, no swimming or sauna for 4 weeks
- Examinations after 1 day – 1 week – 1 month
- Driving can be resumed after doctor’s permission
Preparing The Eye
Eye drop anesthetics create a pain free procedure. The eye is opened with a key-hole incision in the corneal periphery that heals without a suture.
The implantable contact lens
With ICL, each patient receives a tailor-made artificial biopolymer lens implant that has lifetime durability. The ICL lens is flexible and foldable like a contact lens and is inserted into the eye in a matter of seconds with an injector through the small corneal incision.
Correction of ametropia by implantation of the ICL
Unlike a contact lens, ICL is positioned in the posterior chamber of the eye between the iris and natural lens. It remains there permanently and is neither visible nor perceptible. The custom made ICL collamer® lens together with the natural lens redirect the light to focus on the retina with optical precision. After the treatment the patient can see clearly again.
The advantages of ICL
ICL (Implantable Contact Lens) can provide vision correction solutions for patients with myopia exceeding -8D and hyperopia exceeding +3D, while also correcting astigmatism.
Leaving the cornea intact
LASIK involves removing some tissue from the cornea. Therefore, if you are someone who has a thin cornea, you may be deemed a weak candidate for Lasik since removing corneal tissue may be risky. EVO ICL does not remove any corneal tissue. Not only does this allow more people to safely undergo refractive surgery, it also makes any subsequent eye surgeries that may become necessary later in life easier to perform since the cornea is still intact.
Avoid dry eye
If your eyes are regularly itchy and uncomfortable, you may have chronic dry eye. Eye doctors often discourage patients with dry eye from having LASIK/Smile since it can worsen their symptoms. Even patients without dry eye develop temporary dry eye for several weeks after their surgery. Fortunately, EVO Visian ICL does not seem to significantly elevate your risk for having dry eye, and you should still be a great candidate for this refractive surgery even if you have been diagnosed with dry eye.
Reversibility
The benefits of EVO Visian ICL are intended to last throughout your life. However, if for some reason in the future you would like to undo this refractive surgery, you have that option. It may seem like an appropriate decision if your vision prescription changes dramatically, or if you experience a traumatic eye injury. Whereas LASIK and SMILE make permanent changes to your eye, you should experience no complications if you remove your ICLs.
Know more about ICL
If you have moderate to severe myopia (with or without astigmatism) and would like to limit your dependence on prescription eyewear, you may be an ideal candidate for ICL. To learn more about this procedure and all your refractive surgery options, please schedule a consultation with us.
ICL Contact Lens Implantation FAQs
What causes high myopia? What are the risks of high myopia?
High myopia is related to both genetic factors and eye habits:
- Genetic factors: If both parents have high myopia, their children are usually more likely to develop high myopia than others.
- Eye habits: Poor eye habits, irregular lifestyle, unbalanced diet, and insufficient exercise can also lead to high myopia.
Risks of high myopia include: potential complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, or retinal detachment.
When is an implant/lens surgery carried out?
ICL is mainly used in young patients aged between 18 and 38 when a laser treatment is no longer a sufficient treatment, for example, for refractive errors of more than -10 or +4 diopters, or if the cornea is too thin, implants are a good alternative.
Will I feel the ICL lens in my eye?
No, you will neither feel it, nor be able to see the intraocular lens.
There are two different types of Phakic Intraocular lenses: anterior chamber lenses and posterior chamber lenses.
Where is the anterior and/or posterior lens implanted?
The anterior chamber lens is implanted in front of the iris in the anterior chamber.
The posterior chamber intraocular lens is placed behind the iris and in front of the natural lens. It consists of Collamer, which is a biocompatible polymer.