ICL TREATMENT STEPS

Preparing the Eye
This outpatient procedure typically lasts 10 minutes per eye. Eye drop anesthetics create a pain free procedure. The eye is opened with a key-hole incision in the corneal periphery that heals without a suture.

The implantable contact lens
With ICL each patient receives a tailor-made artificial biopolymer lens implant that has lifetime durability. The ICL lens is flexible and foldable like a contact lens, and is inserted into the eye in a matter of seconds with an injector through the small corneal incision.

Correction of ametropia by implantation of the ICL
Unlike a contact lens, ICL is positioned in the posterior chamber of the eye between the iris and natural lens. It remains there permanently and is neither visible nor perceptible. The custom made ICL collamer® lens together with the natural lens redirect the light to focus on the retina with optical precision. After the treatment the patient can see clearly without glasses and contact lenses.

THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS AND ADVANTAGES OF AN ICL

• Excellent quality of vision for high nearsightedness, high farsightedness in combination with astigmatism in one step
• The excellent visual quality
• The collamer® material is very well tolerated with excellent biocompatibility and durability
• The ICL is not visible or perceptible in the eye and is positioned in front of the bodies own lens
• The lens can remain in the eye for a lifetime, procedure is reversible and the ICL can be removed or replaced if needed
• The treatment is permanent and pain free

1. ICL Suitability Assessment

• All relevant eye parameters are measured
• Diagnosis of your suitability for the ICL
• Consultation on your optimal ICL treatment

2. Pre-treatment Examination

• A thorough preliminary medical eye examination is carried out
• Our ophthalmologist and specialist in refractive surgery explains all aspects of your treatment
• Detailed measurements are performed
• The examination lasts approx. 2 hours
• Cease contact lens wear one week (soft lenses) and two weeks (hard lenses)
• You will receive an aftercare set for the days after your treatment, its content and medication will be explained to you in detail by our staff.

3. On the Day of Your ICL Treatment

• Bring someone to accompany you
• Wear comfortable clothes
• Remove any makeup and avoid wearing perfume
• Eat a light meal beforehand, please do not smoke.
• A mild tranquiliser will be offered to you
• The total duration of this outpatient surgery will be 10 – 15 minutes per eye over 2 days (1 day per eye)
• The treated eye will be protected by an eye bandage until the next day

4. After Your ICL Treatment

• Do not rub your eyes in the days after treatment
• Antibiotic eye drops are to be used in the first weeks
• Artificial tear eye drops to be used as required
• Resume work after 2 – 4 days as needed
• No sporting activities for 3 days
• No swimming or sauna for 2 weeks
• Examinations after 1 day – 1 week – 1 to 3 months
• Driving can be resumed after doctor's permission

GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT ICL

The Development of the ICL Lens

The implantable contact lens (ICL) is the result of years of research and development, and has been on the market since 1993. With an ICL not only nearsightedness or farsightedness can be corrected, but also astigmatism. The thoroughly tested procedure is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

These innovative lens implants have led to an immense advancement within lens surgery. Today, the ICL lens is the pioneer of lenses that are implanted as an addition to the natural lens. The results are outstanding. EuroEyes offers a wide variety of the latest generation of lens types that can be adapted precisely to the individual requirements of your eyes.

Phakic Lenses

Phakic intraocular lenses can be used either in the anterior chamber or in the posterior chamber of the eye. This depends on the medical circumstances. The anterior chamber lens is placed between the iris and cornea. The posterior chamber lens, however, is placed between the iris and the natural lens. Decisive when selecting the right lens is the patient's age, as well as the amount of available space in the eye. With an ICL not only nearsightedness or farsightedness can be corrected, but also vision disorders in combination with astigmatism.

For the correction of a vision disorder that is combined with an astigmatism, the so-called toric ICL is used. It is individually produced for each patient and an implantation plan is provided by the manufacturer for an accurate positioning of the lens. This is particularly important for the correction of astigmatism, because not only the dioptric power, but also the axis – and thus the position of the lens – is of great importance.

The ICL consists of a unique high-quality material. The most significant feature is its excellent tolerability. It is highly biocompatible and is therefore accepted very well by the body – this ensures that the lens can remain permanently in the eye. It provides reliable, predictable results, an excellent quality of vision and the treatment success manifests itself in no time.

Although the lens should remain permanently in the eye, the ICL implantation can be removed in individual cases – the implantation is therefore reversible. Thus, for example in case of emergency, where the eye has been injured e.g. due to an accident, the lens can be removed or replaced. In rare cases (5 percent in 5 years) it is possible that an early clouding of the natural lens occurs (cataract). In this case the two lenses would be exchanged and replaced with new intraocular lenses.