AN ALTERNATIVE TO LASER EYE SURGERY: VISIAN ICL SURGERY
Intraocular Contact Lens (Visian ICLs):
The Visian ICL, also known as intraocular collamer lenses, delivers such precise results that they have become a popular vision correction solution especially with people who have high focus errors that can’t be corrected by laser eye surgery, or who are concerned about laser eye surgery.
The Visian ICL is gently placed inside your eye between your iris (the coloured part of your eye) & the natural lens to focus what you’re looking at. You can’t see the ICL, it’s invisible to you & other people. The procedure is painless & takes about 10 to 20 minutes. And ICL lenses provide UV protection while giving sharp vision.
ICL lenses are like biocompatible contact lenses which remain in your eye. Unlike other surgical treatments like lens exchange or LASIK, no tissue is removed. So, if necessary, the ICL lens can be removed & you return to wearing your glasses again.
Mark has given hundreds of people precise, clear vision with ICL lenses over the last 20 years. One of them, Amreeta, was featured on the BBC’s “One day that changed my life” program.
"Mark, you are a genius! So patient with me as I turned into wimp of the year. And with such a calm nature. The surgery is so well worth it - just go for it! Be brave!"
All About Intraocular Contact Lenses (ICL)
The intraocular collamer lens is called a phakic lens. It is an artificial contact lens type lens which is placed between your own natural lens & the coloured part of your eye, called your iris. The lens creates naturally clear vision if you’re ready for a life free from glasses and contact lenses.
At your consultation in Birmingham, your eye will be scanned with a number of advanced technology eye instruments. Mark, the surgeon, reviews the scans, examines your eyes, discusses your suitability & the risks of surgery. The Visian ICL lens requires at least 2.8mm of space to be implanted into your eye, so accurate measurements of your eye are important.
Precise calculations then determine the correct ICL lens size & power for you.
Mark has been an eye surgeon since 1996 & has corrected people with high focus error up to minus 30 since then. Like with all surgery, there are risks with ICL surgery. Therefore talk to Mark Wevill who is one of the UK’s most experienced ICL surgeons about the benefits, risks & potential complications of surgery. ICL lenses changed our patient Amreeta’s life (read more …). So when you are ready for freedom vision why not make an appointment with Mark at the Birmingham eye clinic to see if you’re suitable for ICL treatment.
The ICL is gently inserted into the space between your iris and your natural lens. The procedure is usually painless & takes about 10 to 20 minutes to change your life.
No needles or injections are involved. Recovery is also quick and people usually see very well the next day. So this phakic lens implant may be the ideal vision correction solution for you & may produce clearer vision than laser eye surgery especially in eyes with high focus errors.
ICL’s are usually best for you if you are aged between about 20 & 50. If you are older & your natural lens isn’t functioning well, then you may have better vision if the lens is replaced than with an ICL procedure. Read more about lens replacement here.
ICL lenses have been approved for use in Europe since 1997. More than 1 million ICL lenses have been implanted worldwide. Mark has used the Visian ICL & similar lenses such as the Verisyse & Artisan or Artiflex & other phakic lenses since 1998.
Mark implanted the latest Evo plus Visian ICL’s in Amreeta’s eyes before she went on a 3 month trip of a lifetime to the east where she skydived, rode elephants & held pythons. Her consultations, surgery and amazing results were all done right here in Birmingham and were featured on the BBC1 programme “One day that changed my life” in September 2018.
- Reversible: ICL surgery is reversible, allowing for lens removal or replacement if necessary.
- High Myopia: Suitable for individuals with high degrees of myopia (nearsightedness).
- Clear Quality of Vision: ICL’s have less risk of dry eyes which can affect vision clarity. And ICL’s deliver a better quality of vision than LASIK for very short sighted eyes.
- Stable Results: ICL Vision correction is stable sooner than high myopia laser eye surgery and is may be more stable in the long term too.
- Quick Results: Immediate improvement in vision within a day or two.
- Low Discomfort: Generally minimal discomfort during recovery.
- Predictable Outcomes: Highly precise and predictable results.
Suitable for people with thin corneas.
BENEFITS OF ICL LENSES
More about ICL's
ICL’s are one type of intraocular lens implants known as phakic or additional lenses as they are implanted into an eye with the original natural lens still in place. So ICL’s are implanted in addition to the natural lens in the eye. Another procedure known as refractive lens exchange (RLE) involves removing the natural lens & replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Both are good procedures but the reasons for doing them differ.
ICL’s are tiny lenses which are placed in front of the natural lens which is left in position. It’s like wearing a small, soft contact lens inside your eye. It’s only about 12mm long, 7mm wide and less than 0.5mm thick in the middle. It doesn’t cause dry eye syndrome & the daytime & night visual clarity is excellent. It is great for people with thin corneas. Other benefits of the treatment include built in UV protection in the lens, quick recovery & the lens can be removed if necessary.
There are different ICLs which can correct short sightedness (myopia), far sightedness (hyperopia) & toric ICLs can be used to correct astigmatism.
So, if you would like to find out if your eyes are suitable for Visian ICL intraocular lens surgery, please call us.
Frequently Asked questions
The main difference between Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) and traditional contact lenses is that Visian ICL is implanted into the eye, while traditional contact lenses are worn on the surface of the eye. Visian ICL is a long term vision correction solution to correct focus errors like myopia (nearsightedness), while traditional contact lenses are removable and usually require daily insertion and removal. Visian ICL’s are also a different shape, are smaller and are made of a different soft material to usual contact lenses and do not make eyes feel dry or uncomfortable like contact lenses do. In fact there is hardly any similarity between them except that as with contact lenses, ICL’s can be removed.
Visian ICL is designed to be a long-lasting vision correction solution but is not necessarily permanent. It can last indefinitely if there are no complications or changes in your vision, but it can also be removed or replaced if needed. It offers a more permanent vision correction option compared to traditional contact lenses, which need to be replaced regularly.
Yes, there are age restrictions for undergoing ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) surgery. Typically, candidates for ICL surgery are between the ages of 18 and 50. It is essential to have a stable prescription and good eye health before considering ICL surgery.
After Visian ICL surgery, you should follow our recommendations for post-operative care. Typically, you’ll have a couple of follow-up appointments in the first few weeks after surgery with less frequent check-ups afterwards as advised by us. The exact schedule may vary depending on your individual healing progress. And you will need to return yearly afterwards for follow up appointments.
After ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) surgery, it’s generally advisable to avoid activities and environments that may increase the risk of eye injury or infection during the initial healing period. This can include:
1. Swimming: Avoid swimming in pools, hot tubs, the sea, rivers and lakes for a few weeks to minimize the risk of infection.
2. Strenuous Exercise: Avoid strenuous exercise or activities especially those that increase the risk of eye trauma for a few weeks.
3. Dusty or Dirty Environments: Try to avoid dusty or dirty environments that could irritate your eyes or increase the risk of infection.
4. Rubbing Your Eyes: Avoid rubbing or touching your eyes to prevent moving the lens or introducing infection during the healing stage.
Always follow our post-operative care instructions to ensure the best possible outcome and minimise risks.
Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) surgery is a vision correction procedure that involves implanting a micro-thin, biocompatible lens behind the iris and in front of the eye’s natural lens.
It is used to treat focus errors of the eye including near-sightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Laser eye surgery can achieve the same results, but Visian ICL’s are a better option for people with thin corneas or those who aren’t suitable for laser eye surgery for other reasons.
The usual lens implants, such as those used in lens replacement and cataract surgery replace the natural lens of the eye with an artificial lens. The Visian ICL doesn’t replace the eye’s natural lens. It is an additional lens placed into the eye just in front of the natural lens to correct vision. The natural lens is left in the eye. The main advantage of Visian ICL is that it can be removed if necessary.
Book a Consultation
The price of Visian ICL surgery varies depending on the type of ICL lens you need. But we want to make the cost of implantable contact lens surgery & the remarkable care we give you affordable.
Contact us today to book a consultation to find out everything you need to know before making your final decision.
