ICL Contact Lens Implantation Surgery
Is a perfect Procedure to treat high Ametropia and thin Corneas!
The implantable contact lens or implantable Collamer® lens (ICL for short) is the solution for patients with a very high refractive error or a too thin cornea.
The unique Characteristics and Advantages of an ICL
- Excellent quality of vision 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 lens can remain in the eye for a lifetime
- The procedure is reversible and the ICL can be removed or replaced if needed.
- The treatment is permanent and pain free.
ICL Treatment Steps
Preparing the Eye
This outpatient procedure typically lasts 10 minutes per 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 without glasses and contact lenses.
ICL treatment steps
ICL Treatment Process
1. ICL Suitability Assessment
2. Pre-treatment Examination
3. On the Day of Your ICL Treatment
4. After Your ICL Treatment
- All relevant eye parameters are measured
- Diagnosis of your suitability for the ICL
- Consultation on your optimal ICL treatment
- 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.
- Bring someone to accompany you
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Remove any makeup and avoid wearing perfume
- Eat a light meal beforehand, please do not smoke.
- A mild tranquiliser will be offered to you
- The total duration of this outpatient surgery will be 10 – 15 minutes per eye over 2 days (1 day per eye)
- The treated eye will be protected by an eye bandage until the next day
- 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 for 3 days
- No swimming or sauna for 2 weeks
- Examinations after 1 day – 1 week – 1 to 3 months
- Driving can be resumed after doctor’s permission
The invisible Lens
People with extreme near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism or a thin cornea are typically not suitable for a laser eye treatment. Surrender to fate and accept glasses? Not with EuroEyes!
With the ICL, a phakic intraocular lens, EuroEyes can offer an excellent alternative treatment for near-sighted patients with a dioptre higher than -8 and for farsighted patients with a dioptre higher than +3 – even if the refractive error is combined with astigmatism. Contrary to a contact lens, the ICL will remain permanently in the eye but can be replaced at any time.
It is positioned between the iris and the natural lens. In cooperation with your natural lens, the ICL thereby ensures that the light is correctly focused on the retina, making it possible for you to see clearly once again. This procedure has been carried out for more than 25 years and is considered a safe method for the treatment of myopia, farsightedness and astigmatism.
And you can be sure that EuroEyes has implanted the most ICL contact lenses in Europe for the fourth year in a row.
With the ICL, a phakic intraocular lens, EuroEyes can offer an excellent alternative treatment for near-sighted patients with a dioptre higher than -8 and for farsighted patients with a dioptre higher than +3 – even if the refractive error is combined with astigmatism. Contrary to a contact lens, the ICL will remain permanently in the eye but can be replaced at any time.
It is positioned between the iris and the natural lens. In cooperation with your natural lens, the ICL thereby ensures that the light is correctly focused on the retina, making it possible for you to see clearly once again. This procedure has been carried out for more than 25 years and is considered a safe method for the treatment of myopia, farsightedness and astigmatism.
And you can be sure that EuroEyes has implanted the most ICL contact lenses in Europe for the fourth year in a row.
The advantages of Visian ICL
Refractive errors like nearsightedness and astigmatism make your vision blurry. If you would prefer not to wear glasses or contact lenses to overcome this blurriness, you may be a great candidate for refractive surgery. While LASIK and Smile are the best-known refractive procedures, they are not your only option. You may be excited to learn about EVO Visian ICL, a highly effective alternative to the traditional procedures. Below, our team of eye doctors review the advantages of Visian ICL.
-
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. -
AVOIDING 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. - PROTECTION FROM THE SUN’S RAYSUltraviolet light isn’t just bad for your skin — it can also damage your eyes. Research has linked unprotected sun exposure to retinal disorders, cataracts, and even tumors. Sunglasses remain the best way to protect your eyes from UV rays, but the collamer in EVO Visian ICL provides additional protection to further minimize your risks and block the sun when you leave the house without sunglasses.
- 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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ICL LENS
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. ICL is mainly used in young patients up to the age of 45, as the ability of the body’s own lens to accommodate is not impaired. Thus, it is even possible for people with extremely high refractive errors to live without glasses or contact lenses until the onset of presbyopia from approx. 45 years of age.
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.
There are two different types of Phakic Intraocular lenses: anterior chamber lenses and posterior chamber lenses.
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.
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.