Brief Overview Of ICLs: Implantable Contact Lenses



Implantable contact lenses, also known as ICLs, are a popular alternative to LA Lasik surgery. ICLs are tiny plastic or silicone lenses inserted inside the eye, behind the cornea. These lenses bend the incoming light rays and can correct a very wide range of nearsightedness.

Like Lasik surgery Los Angeles intraocular implants have been used successfully for many years to help many people see better.  ICLs are also used to replace the eye's crystalline lens when it turns cloudy, forming a cataract. To treat cataracts, the natural crystalline lens inside the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. When used to treat nearsightedness, the natural crystalline lens remains inside the eye, and intraocular implants are placed in front of the crystalline lens. When the crystalline lens remains and an additional lens is placed inside the eye, that lens is known as a "phakic" lens.

Implantable contact lenses can be thought of as placing glasses or contact lenses inside the eye, to stay there indefinitely. In the hands of a skilled and experienced Lasik surgeon Los Angeles ICL treatment gives the eye another focusing lens to provide high-quality, close to normal vision.

A particular type of laser vision correction Los Angeles eye surgeons explain is a style of implant that is placed in front of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and is attached to the iris at each end. This is the Verisyse lens (outside of the United States it is known as the Artisan lens). Because the lens is in front of the iris, it can be seen in the eye under normal conditions. Another lens, known as the Visian lens, is placed behind the iris. The Visian lens is not visible inside the eye except with the use of a special microscope. The Visian lens is preferred by many top laser eye surgeons.

Implantable contact lenses are generally recommended for patients who are not good candidates for laser vision correction, either because the correction is too high or because the corneas are too thin. Certain physical characteristics of the eye may limit the ability to have phakic implants, including the size of the pupil (if too big, you could see around the lens, causing glare/halos), depth of the front portion of the eye, as well as the density of cells on the underside of the cornea. Be certain to consult your eye specialist to learn the best option for you specific needs.

During the implantation of a phakic implant, which is done as an outpatient in an ambulatory surgery center under local or topical (eyedrop) anesthesia, a small incision (a few millimeters) is made to allow the insertion of the implant. Most patients experience little to no discomfort during the actual procedure, which usually takes around 30 minutes. Like Lasik, many patients remarkably report an instantaneous, dramatic improvement in their vision.

For many, implantable contact lenses can produce a very high quality of vision. If the lens is inappropriate for any reason (for example, if the vision in the eye changes), then the lens can be removed. Currently, the implantable contact lenses are limited to the correction of nearsightedness, but in the future astigmatism and farsightedness will be treatable as well. Presbyopia, which is the need for reading glasses, is not treatable with phakic lenses, though monovision is certainly an option. For additional information about Lasik and ICLs, please visit www.cornell-eye.com to learn more.

Lasik And Reading Glasses

 
Trends: many people over the age of 35 give consideration to Lasik surgery Los Angeles laser eye surgeons advise that if you are over this age, you need to consider the options of laser eye surgery seriously, especially when you consider that most people your age will develop or already have developed an eye condition called presbyopia. As people age, the eye’s lens loses its ability to quickly focus from viewing things at a distance to viewing things close up — this is called presbyopia. Presbyopia is the reason why people over the age of 40 generally need reading glasses.

The good news is that if you never really needed glasses to see from far distances, you may only need reading glasses when you develop presbyopia, according to a top local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles and Beverly Hills patients, in such cases, mostly use a “Ben Franklin” style half-glass with magnification. There are some surgical options to reduce the need for reading glasses, including monovision (see below), Conductive Keratoplasty and Refractive lens exchange with the Crystalens, Restor or Rezoom intraocular implant lens.

Over the age of 40, Los Angeles Lasik surgery patients all need reading glasses, unless they want to try monovision. Monovision is a very important concept for all patients over 40 to understand. If you are nearsighted, you know that you can read without your glasses, although if you are very nearsighted, you may have to hold objects rather close in order to see them. And according to an experience local Lasik surgeon Los Angeles patients over the age of 40 who undergo laser vision correction, will no longer be able to see objects close-up without reading glasses, unless they choose to have monovision correction.

If you are mildly nearsighted and love to read without glasses, then laser eye surgery may not be a good option for you, unless you choose monovision. Some patients may get rid of distance glasses but need new reading glasses. For many people, the ability to see clearly at a distance is worth the loss of uncorrected reading vision. If you are farsighted, then you already know that you need glasses to see clearly in the distance as you have gotten older, and even stronger glasses for reading. You will have two options, either to correct both eyes for distance and wear reading glasses, or consider a monovision correction.

There are surgical options to reduce the need for reading glasses. The best procedure available today for patients between 45 and 60 who have good distance vision without glasses is conductive keratoplasty, which is an FDA approved procedure that creates a mild form of monovision with an excellent safety profile. Other procedures involve going inside the eye for a refractive lens exchange, whether with the Crystalens®, Restor® or Rezoom implant lens. These procedures are generally better in the age group over 55 who need some glasses for distance vision or have some cataract formation. Nonsurgical options are monovision with contact lenses or reading glasses.

Contact the Beverly Hills LASIK Center today at http://www.cornell-eye.com/ to see what refractive surgery treatment options our Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and surrounding area patients have available to you.