ICL FAQs
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IMPLANTABLE CONTACT LENSES
What are the best ICL surgery questions to ask your doctor?
IN THESE TOGGLES YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWERS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
The ICL lens is made of collamer. Collamer is collagen that the body tolerates well. This is what makes ICL unique among other lenses. The collagen or the collamer itself doesn’t build up any deposits, which means it remains clear throughout your life as long as it’s inside the eye. It is also made from a flexible material, making it easy to fold and inject into the eye through a very tiny incision.
ICL surgery has been in practice for over 20 years. It’s gone through several modifications to achieve better quality outcomes in terms of safety and efficacy. We are now dealing with the fourth generation of ICL. For the last five to six years, I have been providing the fourth generation lens, which has proved to be amazingly effective and safe.
The surgery itself takes no longer than 20 minutes. In fact, each eye takes around six to seven minutes to implant ICL in the eye. Of those seven minutes, there are a couple of minutes where the lens is prepared, folded, put it in the injector and then inject it inside the eye. And this is not really different from laser vision correction, which takes again, another seven, eight minutes.
Behind the pupil, we have the natural crystalline lens. The ICL sits in that space, between the crystalline lens and the pupil, making it undetectable.
What makes ICL so unique compared to phakic implants is that it sits in a very nice anatomical position and is stable throughout life.
One of the main advantages of ICL is that you still can have a top-up treatment afterwards. If we don’t achieve the target and you still have a small prescription after the surgery, we can exchange the lens for one with a different power, or we can do a top-up laser procedure. Laser is often possible since the residual prescription will be much less than before.
ICLs are designed to last a lifetime.
However, when you get to the age of 45-50, you develop presbyopia which is the need for reading glasses. There are various options to counteract presbyopia, such as exchanging your current ICL with a new one.
Initially, the eye feels a little bit gritty and uncomfortable. After two to three days, things get better and better, and the eye feels comfortable.
By the fourth week, I expect patients to finish the drops I prescribe and return to their normal life.
Patients typically feel comfortable within two or three days.
Visual restoration is pretty quick after ICL. The majority of patients will have 70% to 80% of restored vision by day one after the operation.
The vision will continue to mature and sharpen for three to four weeks after the procedure.
Patients may experience a gritty, dry eye which could last for three to four weeks. The eye should settle nicely by the end of the month.
The ICL does not cause any damage or harm to the eye. It is an add-on lens.
I will ask you to come back to the clinic for an eye health check every year. Here I will check the health of the cornea and eye pressure. The ICL is unlikely to cause any harm in the long term to the eye.
One of the main advantages of the ICL is that it can be exchanged and removed should your prescription change.
Patients love ICL. They are among the happiest patients in our practice. Vision improves very quickly after ICL surgery which creates a wow factor. Especially for those with very high prescriptions.
ICL patients hardly ever come back with any complications. I offer patients a safe and effective option that always meets their expectations.
I love seeing patients the next day when they return, very happy and pleased with the results.
Even 20 minutes after the surgery, when we check the patients, they already have amazing vision. Some patients even cry with happiness. It’s just amazing. It’s life-changing, and that’s what makes the surgeon’s job so satisfying.
When patients come for an ICL assessment, we look at the surface of the eye. It’s very important that we perform investigations and diagnostics to check for any dry eye.
We look to see;
- Is the eye functioning well as an optical system?
- Is the eye healthy?
- Is there good space for the lens inside the eye?
- Is the cornea healthy?
Knowing the answer to these questions will help us determine if the eye is ready to accept an ICL implant.
ICL is be the best option in this case, because the ICL implant does not induce dry eye disease in the majority of patients.
We do a lot of investigation to make sure the eye is healthy and that you meet the criteria for ICL. We have various options available and won’t direct you towards one option or another. We will present you with all your options and discuss these with you. Ultimately, you will choose what you feel better and most comfortable with.
You have to ensure that you’re dealing with a surgeon who offers you a safe option, which is effective and meets your expectations.
Once we have all of the necessary scans, we can arrange a video consultation. Here, we can discuss the outcome of the assessments and decide on the best option forward to free you from glasses and contact lenses.
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About the expert
Mr Hamada | Consultant Ophthalmologist and Corneal Surgeon
MD, MSc, DO (hons), FRCSEd, FRCOphth I am Samer, founder and consultant ophthalmic surgeon with over 20 years’ experience in ophthalmology. I am a world-renowned specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. I’m not only a leading surgeon but also the only dual fellowship trained in corneal diseases in children from reputable institutions in the UK. At Eye Clinic London I work closely with other consultant ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Our main aim is to make sure our patients get the safest and best treatments available to them. We put your safety before anything else so you can rest assured that if you choose us you will be in the best and safest hands.