ICL Lasik

                                    

Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL)

Phakic IOLs (intraocular lenses) are an alternative to LASIK and PRK eye surgery for correcting 

moderate to severe myopia (nearsightedness), and in some cases produce better and more 

predictable vision outcomes than laser refractive surgery.

Phakic IOLs are clear implantable lenses that are surgically placed either between the cornea and 

the iris (the colored portion of your eye) or just behind the iris, without removing your natural 

lens. Phakic lenses enable light to focus properly on the retina for clearer vision without 

corrective eyewear.

Implantable lenses function like contact lenses to correct nearsightedness. The difference is that 

phakic IOLs work from within your eye instead of sitting on the surface of your eye.

Also, phakic IOLs offer a permanent correction of myopia, unless the lens is surgically removed.

Unlike contact lenses, you can't feel a phakic intraocular lens in your eye (much like you don't 

feel a dental filling for a cavity) and, apart from regular eye exams, phakic IOLs typically do not 

require any maintenance.

Phakic IOLs vs. LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK, which uses a computer-controlled laser to reshape the cornea, is the most popular 

refractive surgery to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, in part due to continual 

technological advancements such as wavefront custom LASIK and femtosecond laser 

technology.

Not everyone is a candidate for LASIK, though. Contraindications to LASIK surgery include: a 

very high degree of nearsightedness (usually more than -8.00 D ) or farsightedness (above   

+4.00 D); having a cornea that is too thin or irregular in shape; eye conditions such as 

keratoconus; and chronic dry eyes.

For many people who are outside the treatment range of LASIK, phakic intraocular lenses can 

produce excellent results.

6800 Morrison Street, Unit 4, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 6Z8, Canada

After a thorough eye exam and health evaluation, your eye surgeon will advise on the best type 

of surgery for you.

Are You a Candidate for Phakic IOLs? 

Not all patients are candidates for phakic intraocular lens implantation, just like not all patients 

are candidates for ICL LASIK.

Some questions to help determine whether phakic IOLs are right for you include:

1. Is your myopia within the range for which the phakic IOL has been approved (up to 

around -20.00 D)?

2. Have you had a comprehensive eye exam to determine that your eye can safely 

accommodate an implantable lens? Of particular importance is the depth of the anterior 

chamber of your eye and the health of the corneal endothelium.

3. Are you between the ages of 21 and 40? Even if you are outside this age range, you may 

still be a candidate for a phakic IOL and should discuss with your eye surgeon. While a 

phakic IOL does not treat blurry near vision due to presbyopia, a normal age-related 

condition that generally starts in your early 40s, monovision IOL surgery can help.

4. Has your eyeglass or contact lens prescription changed in the past year? For vision 

correction surgeries, you must have had stable vision for at least a year.

5. Are your eyes healthy? Conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and untreated eye 

infections generally will prevent you from having a phakic IOL.

6. Are you in good health? Certain degenerative or autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's 

syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, HIV and AIDS, as well as certain 

medications such as steroids and immunosuppressants may interfere with healing and 

final outcomes.

Phakic IOLs: What to Expect

Before. If you wear contact lenses, you should stop wearing them at least one week before your 

pre-operative eye exam and/or consultation. Contact lenses can alter the shape of your cornea 

and therefore make your refractive error reading less accurate.

A week or two before your phakic IOL surgery, your eye surgeon may perform a laser iridotomy 

on each eye to prepare your eye for lens implantation. An iridotomy creates a small opening at 

the outer edge of your iris, allowing fluid to circulate and helps to prevent a possible increase of 

intraocular pressure after phakic IOL surgery.

6800 Morrison Street, Unit 4, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 6Z8, Canada