Implantable Contact Lenses:
A New Option for Some Nearsighted Individuals
Many nearsighted patients who are not candidates for LASIK vision correction, and even some patients whose vision does not allow them to wear contact lenses, can benefit from implantable contact lenses.
McDonald Eye Associates uses the advanced Visian™ ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens). The Visian ICL has been successfully implanted overseas for years, but only recently received FDA approval. McDonald Eye Associates is pleased to offer this breakthrough technology to highly nearsighted patients.
What It Is
The Visian ICL is a small, foldable lens that is placed inside the eye to improve focusing power. The lens is positioned behind the eye’s iris (the colored portion of the eye), where it cannot be seen with the naked eye.
The lens remains in place in the eye without maintenance, although it can be easily removed or replaced by the surgeon if your needs change. One of the principle benefits of the Visian ICL over other implantable lenses is the material used to make it: Collamer®. Made primarily of collagen, Collamer is very compatible with the human body and extremely unlikely to cause adverse side effects.
The Visian ICL Procedure
One to two weeks prior to surgery, your McDonald Eye Associates surgeon will use a laser to make a small opening within your eye that allows fluid to pass between the eye’s lens and the front of the eye. This will not affect your vision.
The procedure itself is brief and painless, much like LASIK. It takes about 15 minutes and is performed while you remain awake and relaxed (you may be given a mild sedative to alleviate nervousness).
Your surgeon will first numb your eyes with anesthetic drops. Next, he will make an incision so tiny that it closes without stitches; competing technology requires an incision at least twice as large. A gel-like substance is then injected into the eye, followed by the Visian ICL.
Once the Visian ICL has been gently moved behind the iris, the gel is removed. The incision will heal naturally in a short amount of time. You will be allowed to return home shortly after the procedure; because you will not be allowed to drive immediately after the procedure, you should make arrangements to have a friend or family member bring you home.
Is It Right For Me?
The Visian ICL is designed to improve the vision of very nearsighted individuals, reducing and in many cases eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses. Your surgeon and the staff of McDonald Eye Associates will need to perform tests to determine if the lens is a good fit for you.
Seeing the Benefits
Worldwide, more than 50,000 Visian ICLs have been implanted with great success. In the U.S. clinical trial, the patient satisfaction rate was very impressive: 99.4% reported satisfaction three years after receiving the lens. Three years after receiving the Visian ICL, 95% of patients in the clinical trial had 20/40 vision, the benchmark for passing the driver’s test, without the aid of glasses or contacts.
For more information on the Visian ICL, click here to visit the manufacturer's site.
Click here to visit Improve Your Vision's ICL page.
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