Contact lens implants
This method of vision correction is generally considered most suitable for patients who are below age forty five but who fall outside internationally accepted criteria for Laser vision correction. In contrast to refractive lens exchange, with implantable contact lens surgery the natural lens of the eye is not removed but an appropriately powered lens implant is placed inside the eye either behind the iris or in front of the iris.The choice of lens implant placement rests on a number of factors including the size of the prescription, degree of astigmatism and eye dimensions.
The procedure can be performed in most patients under simple eye drop anaesthesia and usually takes around 15-30 minutes. In many cases (depending on lens implant type) stitching may not be required. Patients undergoing this type of surgery will also require one or two tiny holes created in the peripheral part of the iris either prior to surgery or at the same time. This is done to help prevent the eye pressure going up after surgery.
The accuracy of this procedure is high, any significant residual optical prescription can be enhanced with surface LASEK/LASIK around two to three months after surgery. As with refractive lens exchange it is recommended that surgery is performed on one eye at a time with a one-two week interval between first and second eye. As with all vision correcting treatments it is never possible to offer a guarantee of achieving the desired position and patients must be aware that there is a very small risk of complications that could reduce the level of vision.
Advantages of Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL's)
- Typically ICL's will provide better vision quality than laser vision correction when treating higher prescriptions (more than -8.00 dioptres short sight or more than +4.00 dioptres long sight).
- The effect of ICL's is permanent whilst the implant remains in place
- ICL's are one of the few methods of vision correction that are fully reversible
- ICL's will allow natural near focusing for people who are not yet suffering from presbyopia.
At present I offer the following types of implantable contact lenses in my practice. Both these implants are positioned in front of the pupil and can be implanted with a 20-30 minute day case procedure.
Implantable Contact Lens Implants
Cachet Phakic Implant:
This is an implantable contact lens made from the patented Acrysof material that has a venerable safety record for use in the human eye. The lens itself is very well designed to be positioned in front of the Iris with minimal tissue contact and is thus building up an excellent long term safety record. It currently comes in a range that allows correction of -6.00 to -16 dioptres of myopia (short sight). It can be inserted via a cartridge through a 2.5mm incision thus not requiring sutures.
Summary : A worthy addition to the range of implantable contact lenses that I can offer to my patients.
Verysise/ Veriflex Implantable contact Lens implants: http://www.amo-inc.com/products/refractive/refractive-iols/verisyse-phakic-iol
This family of lens implants have perhaps the longest safety record of any implantable contact lens with over 160,000 implants used worldwide (company info). Both Verysise and Veriflex implants are designed to be placed in the front chamber of the ey - in between the cornea and Iris. They offer a permanent vision correction solution for many people who are outwith the internationally accepted range for LASER vision correction. The Veriflex lens is made from Silicone and can be inserted through a 3.0mm incision thus often not requiring sutures. Veriflex is currently only available for the correction of myopia. Its sister implant the Verisyse (identical to “Artisan”) is made from a material that has the longest safety record of all lens implants - PMMA - a type of hard transparent plastic that was used in creating the very first human lens implant in the late 1940’s. This lens is inserted through a 5.0mm incision and thus normally requires sutures. This lens can be made to order for varying levels of astigmatism and hyperopia (long sightedness/plus prescriptions). The range of prescriptions that can be corrected is very high. Both implants can be inserted under local anesthesia.
Physical Properties : PMMA (verysise) or Silicone (Veriflex), Optic size 5-6mm,, total size 8.5mm.
Summary : An excellent implantable contact lens that has a long established safety record.
The Refractive Package : Where needed, Inclusive Laser vision enhancement
Contact lens implants work best with a "zero" requirement for distance glasses. This is achievable in the vast majority of patients undergoing this type of lens implant vision correction, in my practice. If however we find that there is a small optical requirement to help get vision to the highest standard I will normally recommend Laser vision enhancement to "fine-tune" the focusing power of the eye with either LASIK or LASEK. This is an completely integral part of the service in my practice. Patients opting for implantable contact lens treatment in my practice will be afforded this added service entirely without further charge. In general however less than 10% of patients typically require laser vision enhancement in my practice.
If you are considering the benefits of contact lens implants please ensure that;
- your surgeon and your centre can also provide this special aftercare service.
- You clarify whether any further charges would apply if you were to require Laser vision enhancement.
- If your surgeon does not provide the Laser corrective procedure - please ask who & where you will you be referred to in the event you do require this service. Again ask for clarification regarding any further charges that may be applicable.
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