What is ICL?

ICL is an abbreviation for ‘Implantable Collamer Lens’, and it’s also called ‘Intraocular contact lens’ in Japanese.
By putting the lens into your eyes, the vision can be corrected. To be specific, a thin and soft artificial lens will be inserted into the spaces between iris (the brown part which adjust the amount of light getting into your eyes) and the crystalline lens (which adjust the focus), which is called the ‘posterior chamber’.
The lens is permanently installed and can significantly improve the vision.

By the way, LASIK corrects the vision by reshaping the cornea ( the outermost membrane that cover the eyeball). Since ICL does not cut the cornea, the shape of the cornea won’t change, which is a big difference.
It’s possible to remove the lens, and also change the lens when it’s necessary to redo the surgery or the vision has been changed.

The reason to choose ICL

The following reasons make ICL attractive.

1. Without cutting cornea

There is no need to cut the cornea for ICL surgery.
Especially for people with thin cornea and cannot receive LASIK, or who reject cutting their cornea, is a big merit. Since the vision can be corrected while maintaining the shape of cornea, it is said that it less affects the structure of eyes.

2. Easier to get a stable vision

Since the ICL lens are put into your eyes, an extremely stable correction vision is its characteristic. The vision can be improved directly after the surgery, and most of the cases are that stable vision can be maintained a long time after the surgery. The surgery success rate is high, and most of the patients can get a satisfactory result.

3. Removable

Some may concern that once the lens are put into your eyes, it can not be removed.
However, ICL lens are removable, which means that the lens can be removed out after surgery if necessary. For example, to address the changeable vision with age or if other eye diseases develop.

The procedure of ICL surgery

The procedure of ICL surgery is as follow.

1. Preoperative examination

First of all, there are two suitability examinations before accepting ICL surgery.
The examinations are to confirm the shape of the eye, the prescription, the cornea thickness, whether your eye condition is suitable for the ICL surgery and the most suitable lens power.

2. Surgery

The surgery is usually performed under a part anesthesia and can be done in a short time.
To be specific, a small 3mm incision will be made in your cornea and then the lens will be putted in. The lens will naturally unfold, and both ends will be placed under the iris and fixed in the correct position.

3. Postoperative care

After the surgery, you need to apply the eye-drops to protect your eyes, and it’s necessary to take regular check-ups within a certain period of time.
The vision can be recovered at once, and in most of the cases, patients can be able to go back to their daily within several days.

Disadvantages of ICL

ICL has many advantages but there are also some points need to be noticed.
For example, the cost is often not covered by the insurance, and is generally more expensive than LASIK. There is also rare risks of infection and inflammation, so it is recommended to find a trustworthy clinic to do the surgery.
By understanding these demerits, it is important to discuss with your doctors before the surgery.

Summarize

ICL is an excellent option for people who want to correct their vision but hesitate to do the LASIK, or who want to address fluctuating vision.
Since ICL does not cut the cornea or affect the shape of your eyes, and it’s possible to remove the lens, making more people reassured. For people who are troubled by the vision, it’s significant to consult with the expert doctors and find a way that suit yourselves best.

Our clinic is now holding free sessions about ICL.
Please feel free to contact us.