What are Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs)?
Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs) are often referred to colloquially as “implantable contact lenses”. It is a procedure done to correct refractive errors like myopia (short sightedness), hyperopia (long sightedness) and astigmatism. It is an alternative for people who are not suitable for or who do not want LASIK.
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| The Staar ICL is implanted into the eye to correct refractive error and eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. |
What is an ICL surgery?
The ICL is inserted into the eye through a small incision, and is positioned behind the iris and in front of the natural lens. This is done painlessly under local anaesthesia.
This is different from LASIK, which cuts and permanently reshapes the cornea with a laser.
Choosing between ICLs and LASIK depends on individual needs, eye condition and lifestyle. Some people choose ICL over LASIK because LASIK permanently alters the cornea and may lead to cornea-related issues in the long term.
ICL is placed in the space behind the iris and the lens of the eye.
In LASIK, a flap needs to be cut in the cornea so that cornea tissue can be shaved off to remove the myopic power.
Benefits of ICL
FAQs
All surgeries, no matter how small, carry some minimum risks.
For ICL surgery, risks may include cataract formation, increased eye pressure, infection, night glare & haloes and over or under-correction. However, studies have shown these risks are extremely low.
Unlike LASIK, ICL surgery can be done for people with more severe myopia regardless of their cornea thickness.
And unlike LASIK, ICL surgery does not irreversibly alter the natural cornea. As it does not require creation of a LASIK “flap” on the cornea, there are no concerns about flap infections, cornea scarring, dry eyes, and other flap related complications.
Since there is no flap cut into the cornea, ICL surgery does not cause dry eye syndrome. And since there is also no removal of cornea tissue, ICL surgery does not lead to increased risk of abnormal cornea thinning over the long term.
One of the biggest long-term advantages of ICL is that since it does not involve reshaping the cornea, future cataract surgery can be done with fewer concerns. With LASIK, changes made to the cornea lead to more unpredictable outcomes when cataract surgery is eventually needed. Furthermore, post-LASIK individuals requiring cataract surgery have a more limited range of lens implants to choose from compared to those who never had LASIK or who had ICL surgery.