Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) surgery

ICL surgery is an alternative solution to laser eye surgery and ideal if you have a high prescription. I use ICL implantation to treat patients under the age of 45 in whom laser vision correction is not possible, due to untreatable dry eyes, a thin cornea or where the patient’s glasses prescription falls outside of the standard range for laser vision correction (-10.0 to +4.0).

This is particularly relevant for those under 45 because having ICL surgery means you can retain the eye’s natural lens, and therefore the capacity for close-up vision.

They are also an excellent option for patients with very high astigmatism and some cases of keratoconus.

Some patients are not suitable for ICL surgery because the space where the lens rests is not large enough. The tests we carry out at your consultation will verify that there is sufficient space in your eye for me to place and house the lens safely.

Your in-depth consultation

Our optometrist will check your glasses prescription. They will analyse your eyes with a series of thorough and comprehensive tests to check your suitability.

As a highly trained lens replacement surgeon with extensive experience, I will discuss your specific requirements in detail. I will also carry out your ICL procedure and your checks at the follow-up appointments.

Before the ICL procedure, my expert medical team and I will review you and help you relax.

We will administer anaesthetic eye drops. Once they’ve taken effect, your treatment begins.

ICL implants are artificial contact lens-like implants that a surgeon can implant into the eye to correct your vision.

This visual correction method is an alternative to laser eye surgery for any glasses prescription – long- or short-sighted and even very high degrees of astigmatism.

They enable a much broader range of treatable prescriptions and are an option for patients who are not suitable for laser eye surgery because of a very high prescription or a very thin cornea, or both.

ICLs are made from a highly specialist material that is a hybrid of collagen and plastic. This makes them highly biocompatible and safe for long-term implantation.

The advantage of ICL surgery over refractive lens exchange surgery is that the patients retain the natural focusing ability of the eye, called the accommodation.

The ICL is practically invisible. It is an entirely reversible procedure because surgeons can easily remove ICL implants if necessary. This means that future advances in vision correction will still be available to you in the future and if your vision changes then it is still possible to correct it.

I will discuss and explain relevant risks with you at your consultation. In general, risks include:

• Overcorrection
• Undercorrection
• Infection
• Increased ocular pressure
• Repositioning
• Damage to the crystalline lens
• The rare early onset of cataract
• Small risk of halos, glare and double vision
• Less than 1% risk of retinal detachment

For many, ICL surgery is the only treatment available because they are not suitable for laser vision correction. Of course, you always have the option to stay with your glasses or contact lenses.

ICL lens implantation is a short, 15-minute procedure on each eye during which I place the ICL inside the eye through a microscopic incision.

I place the ICL behind your iris and in front of your natural lens. The procedure is totally painless, and I can treat both eyes on the same day.

The vision typically clears over 24 to 48 hours. It lasts until you develop normal age-related cataract at which time a surgeon can remove the lens implant and treat the cataract normally.

You can think of an ICLs like wearing a contact lens inside your eye instead of on the surface of it.

The ICL procedure

I make a small incision on the surface of your eye. Then, I fold the ICL and placed it into your eye using a special delivery device. This enables me to make the incision on the surface of the eye as small as possible. I inserted the lens into the eye through the delivery device, and it unfolds into position.

Rest and recovery

Afterwards, we will take you to our recovery suite to relax until you feel completely ready to return home.

Your aftercare

We will contact you the day after your Implantable Contact Lens procedure. We will arrange a follow-up consultation in the first week after your surgery to check on your progress, assess the results of your ICL procedure and provide expert aftercare. I recommend that you attend regular eye checks following this surgery.

Surgeons have implanted ICLs into 65,000 eyes worldwide. The safety and amazing improvement in vision quality has been proven over 15 years.

For ICL lens implant costs visit our pricing page, or get in touch to discover why Alex Shortt’s training and experience could make him the ideal surgeon for your ICL procedure.