Contact Lens Implants
Contact Lenses, or “phakic implants”, are a relatively new surgical option with promising results. The technique is somewhat similar to a “clear lensectomy” but appears to offer an alternative for both improved results as well as superior safety.
The Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) is a lens that is permanently implanted in the eye behind the iris and in front of the natural lens. It is called a phakic intraocular lens because the eye still has its natural lens. The Visian ICL has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe nearsightedness. Myopia, the clinical term for nearsightedness, is a condition that causes light rays to focus in front of the retina, causing distant objects to look blurry or distorted. The amount of myopia is measured in “diopters,” a technical term used to describe the power of the lens. The Visian ICL is approved for treatment of myopia between the ranges of -3 diopters to -20 diopters, with up to 2.5 diopters of astigmatism.
Contact lens implants may be used in combination with the LASIK procedure as a means of improving the results of either surgery alone. While LASIK does not affect the lens of the eye and its function of the “fine tuning” focus, LASIK can help reduce or eliminate other refractive errors such as myopia, astigmatism or hyperopia which may be added contributing factors in diminished visual acuity. LASIK can be performed as a complement either before or after having contact lens implant surgery.
As a consummate expert, Dr. Rahmani can discuss contact lens implant surgery and/or the LASIK procedure with you in a free personal consultation.
