Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)

This technology also known as phakic lens implantation (PLI) is best for those between the ages of 25 and 40.  This involves placement of a very thin lens inside the eye.  It is it an excellent choice for people who are not candidates for LASIK or PRK.  Measurement of the eye is necessary to establish suitability for this procedure.  It is best for Near-sighted correction but can be done for astigmatism (not FDA approved in the USA presently) or for far-sightedness.

The term phakic (from the Greek phakos, for lens) refers to an eye wherein the natural crystalline lens is retained, not removed as in cataract  surgery (if removed, the eye is referred to as aphakic). Phakic  lens implantation ("PLI") describes a procedure to insert  an additional lens into the eye, either in front of the iris or  just behind it. Phakic intraocular lenses are made from a soft,  pliable material, similar to the material used to make soft contact  lenses. The Visian ICL is one such design that was approved by the FDA for limited use. This revolutionary lens is made of Collamer®, a material made primarily of collagen that 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, Dr. Mellgren 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 eye. This will not affect your vision. The Visian ICL™ 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 anxiety).

Dr. Mellgren 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.

Currently, ICL is recommended only for correction of higher ranges of myopia (approximately -8.00 to -20.00 diopters) that are beyond  the range correctable by laser sculpting. ICL may be recommended  for persons who do not have adequate corneal thickness to support  laser treatment, as the higher the amount of correction, the deeper  the amount of laser sculpting. Some surgeons feel that the quality  of vision obtained after ICL is preferable to that obtained by LASIK  for a similar amount of correction, and this may represent a real  near-term advantage of ICL.

ICL does, however, carry longer-term risks related to cataract formation in some eyes, and to progressive compromise of the interior lining  cells of the cornea (called the endothelium) over time.

Download Visian Brochure: Visian