Implantable Contact Lens

Not a candidate for LASIK or PRK? Looking for an alternative?

ICL placement is a great alternative to laser surgery. These lenses are permanently inserted, much like in cataract surgery, but without removing the natural lens of your eye. Similar to a contact lens, an ICL allows your eye to focus. The lens fits inside the eye, just behind the pupil. Because the natural lens of the eye is not being removed, the patient retains the natural focusing capability of the eye for near focusing tasks. The placement of an ICL is reversible and so allows you to correct your vision without changing your cornea.

Implanting the contact lens is an outpatient procedure, and takes about 15 minutes. A few hours after the procedure you will be able to leave the clinic. One eye is done at a time.

What are the advantages of the Implantable Contact Lens?

Performance – provides excellent quality of vision with predictable and stable results

Simplicity – Inserted through a micro incision utilizing a procedure that is familiar to the surgeon. The lens is invisible to both you and observers. It requires no maintenance.

Versatility – Capable of correcting a wide range of nearsightedness and is removable if necessary

Frequently Asked Questions for the ICL

Who are candidates for an ICL?

If you are between 21 and 45 and nearsighted, you are an excellent candidate for the ICL. It is preferable that you have had no previous ophthalmic surgery or history of ophthalmic disease such as glaucoma, iritis, or diabetic retinopathy.

Exactly where is the Visian ICL placed in the eye?

The ICL is placed in the “posterior chamber,” behind the iris and in front of the eye’s crystalline lens. The lens does not touch an internal eye structures and stays in position.

What if your vision changes?

The ICL offers treatment flexibility. If your vision changes dramatically, the lens can be removed and replaced, or another procedure can be performed. With an ICL, you can wear glasses or contact lenses if necessary. The ICL does not help presbyopia (difficulty with reading in people over 40), but you can add reading glasses if needed.

Interested? Call us today to come in for a Free ICL evaluation with one of our technicians to see if you are a candidate.