ICL Eye Surgery

ICL Eye Surgery: Eye lens replacement surgery

The Phakic ICL is designed to reside inside your eye where the natural lens is still intact. It’s like inserting the patient’s own glasses or contact lenses inside the eye.

The lens does not alter any structures within the eye or on the cornea and can easily be removed or replaced if required.

Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) is ideal for patients with symptoms of myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and/or astigmatism. ICL’s are also suitable for patients whose corneas are too thin, too flat or too steep to undergo large amounts of laser reshaping required for LASIK.

The Toric Implantable Collamer Lens (built-in astigmatism) is an option that can be used in those with keratoconus or mild keratoconus as long as the cornea is stable and good vision can be obtained with glasses.

The custom-made lens is an ultra-thin, foldable lens, which is inserted into the eye through a tiny sutureless corneal incision during a 30-minute local anaesthetic procedure. The Phakic ICL does not affect the appearance or colour of the eyes.

ICL & vs LASIK

In a recent study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, the authors Allon Barsam, MD and Bruce DS Allan, MD of the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London concluded that, “the results of this review suggest that phakic IOLs (ICL) are safer than excimer laser surgical correction (LASIK) for moderate-to-high myopia in the range of -6.00 to -20.00D, and phakic IOLs are preferred by patients.

“While phakic IOLs might be accepted clinical practice for higher levels of myopia (greater than or equal to 7.0D of myopic spherical equivalent with or without astigmatism), it may be worth considering phakic IOL treatment over excimer laser correction for more moderate levels of myopia (less than or equal to 7.0D of myopic spherical equivalent with or without astigmatism).”

Want to find out if ICL Eye Surgery is right for you?