A small number of people have refractive errors that are too large or eye conditions that are not appropriate for laser vision correction. In these situations, the Herzig Eye Institute is able to offer two other types of treatment: refractive lens exchange and intraocular contact lens (ICL) insertion.
(Clear Lens Extraction)
For patients with very high levels of nearsightedness or farsightedness, and for people who have early lens opacities. In addition, people in their middle years may appreciate the dual advantage of a refractive lens exchange: not only will it correct nearsightedness or farsightedness, but it also prevents any future need for cataract surgery.
Unlike laser vision correction, which alters the shape of the cornea, refractive lens exchange changes the focusing power of the lens within the eye. During refractive lens exchange, the eye’s natural lens is removed and replaced by a lens implant, which has been selected to compensate for the eye’s refractive problems. In effect, the lens implant acts like a permanent contact lens within the eye, with newer lens designs offering both distance and reading vision.
The Procedure
The refractive lens exchange is the same procedure as modern cataract surgery. At the beginning of the surgery, a small incision—an eighth of an inch, or 3.5 mm—is made either in the sclera or in the periphery of the cornea. A delicate instrument is inserted through the incision to create a circular opening in the front of the lens capsule. A suction tip is then inserted into the lens capsule, and the gel-like natural lens is removed. Once the natural lens has been suctioned out, a lens implant is inserted into the lens capsule. Antibiotic solutions are placed around the new lens to reduce any risk of infection, and the surgery is usually completed without stitches, since the incisions are designed to be self-sealing.
(ICL™)
For patients who are at least 18 years of age, with high levels of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism that are too extreme for laser vision correction, and for whom laser vision correction on the cornea is not safe.
The Procedure
The ICL™ is a very thin intraocular lens designed to rest in front of the eye’s natural lens, just behind the iris. The ICL™ is inserted through a small, 3mm corneal incision. The eye is made numb using anesthetic eye drops, and there is very little discomfort associated with the procedure. The surgery typically takes 15 to 20 minutes to perform, with only one eye being treated at a time. The second eye is usually treated several days after the first eye.
If either one of these procedures is more appropriate for you, it will be discussed with you in detail.
A related link to information on ICLs can be found at www.staar.com
