Improved Vision With Contact Lens Implants
Lasik laser eye surgery is not for everyone. There is an alternative eye surgery for those who cannot benefit from Lasik Laser Eye Surgery.
The federal government approved a procedure, called "ICL," (implantable contact
lens) just five months ago as an alternative to laser eye surgery. Doctors said
that even with the latest generation of laser equipment, there’s still a small
portion of patients who just aren’t suited for laser eye surgery usually because
their corneas are too thin, weak or flat.
Doctors have been implanting contacts for years, but the new twist in ICL is a
foldable lens. Because of it, doctors make only a tiny incision in the patient’s
eye. They use a small tube to insert the ICL behind the iris. They then close
the eye in front of it, holding the lens in place, making it virtually
invisible, and it heals fast.
The downside is that ICL is available only to those who are nearsighted between
ages 20 and 45. It is an internal surgery, which slightly increases the chances
of infection, though studies show the chances are about one in 1,000 cases. ICL
is currently several hundred dollars more expensive than Lasik.