About Lens Implants
About Lens Implants
Visian ICL™
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. The lens is intended to correct moderate to severe nearsightedness (myopia). This type of lens is called a phakic IOL because the eye still has its natural lens.
Am I a candidate for the ICL?
The best candidates for the Visian ICL are between the ages of 21 and 50, moderate to severe myopia with or without astigmatism. It is best if the candidate has not had any previous ophthalmic surgery and does not have a history of ophthalmic disease such as glaucoma, iritis or diabetic retinopathy.
What are the advantages of the ICL?
The Visian ICL is capable of correcting wide range of myopia (up to -20D) without the removal or destruction of corneal tissue. The ICL is a small, foldable, injectable lens that is inserted through a tiny, 3 mm incision that does not require sutures. The ICL provides predictable refractive outcomes and excellent quality of vision due to its placement inside the eye, as well as its optical performance.
What if a my vision changes?
If there are major changes in your vision, the Visian ICL can easily be removed and replaced, or another procedure can be done at any time. With the ICL, one can still wear glasses or contact lenses if necessary. The ICL does not help presbyopia, or the need for reading glasses due to age.
Can the Visian dry out or get dirty like a contact lens?
No. The Visian ICL is designed to remain in place within the eye without maintenance. An annual examination done by your ophthalmologist is recommended to make sure that everything is fine.
Can the ICL be seen by the naked eye?
No. Because the lens is positioned behind the iris, neither you, nor an observer will be able to identify the lens in place. The cosmetic appearance of the Visian ICL is perfect, and there is no way for a non-professional to notice that a visual correction is in place.
What are ICLs made of?
The material is called Collamer, a collagen co-polymer that contains a small amount of purified collagen. It is very biocompatible (doesn’t cause a reaction inside the eye) and stable. It also contains an ultraviolet light filter.
What is involved in the ICL procedure?
The ICL surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, which means that the patient has surgery and leaves the same day. Please note that someone will have to drive the patient to and from surgery. A light, topical or local anesthetic is administered and there is very little discomfort and normally no pain associated with the procedure. Some drops or perhaps oral medication may be prescribed and a visit is usually scheduled the day after surgery.
Dr. Bearie will make a tiny incision in the eye after applying topical anesthesia. The lens is injected into the eye. The ICL gently unfolds and is placed behind the iris.
How long does the ICL stay in the eye?
ICLs are intended to remain in place without maintenance. If it becomes necessary, for any reason, they can be easily removed by Dr. Bearie.
Can the ICL be felt once they are in place?
The Visian ICL is not typically noticeable after it is implanted. It does not attach to any structures within the eye and does not move around after is placed.
VerisyseTM Phakic IOLs
The Verisyse™ Phakic IOL is used to treat moderate to severe myopia, the medical term for nearsightedness. With over 18 years of use and 150,000 procedures performed worldwide, results prove that the Verisyse™ design is safe and effective for very nearsighted people who are tired of thick glasses and are not candidates for Custom LASIK.
How Verisyse Works
Dr. Bearie will place the Verisyse Phakic IOL behind your cornea and on top of your iris. This gives your eye another focusing lens that provides high-quality, high-definition vision like a normal eye. The word “phakic” means that your natural crystalline lens is left in the eye. This is important because your natural lens plays an important role in helping your eye adjust between seeing objects that are near and far. Although the Verisyse Phakic IOL is intended to be permanent, the procedure is reversible if desired.
Are You a Verisyse Candidate?
A series of tests performed in our office will help you decide if the Verisyse™ procedure is right for you. In general, the requirements for Verisyse are:
- Your eyes are healthy with no eye disease, iris, pupil or corneal abnormality, or history of retinal detachment.
- Your nearsightedness can be corrected with lenses between -5.0 to -20.0 diopters.
- You have 2.5 diopters or less of astigmatism.
- Your eyes are stable and your nearsightedness has not changed more than 0.50 diopters for 6 months prior to surgery.
- You are not currently pregnant or nursing.
How Effective is the Verisyse Lens?
Patients who choose the Verisyse lens usually have been frustrated with glasses and contacts for a very long time. Their degree of near-sightedness is such that it was often difficult for them to be fitted with glasses or contacts. FDA trial data indicates the vision improvement with Verisyse is substantial. This chart shows the vision Verisyse patients have in their first implanted eye at 3 years post-op without the use of any glasses or contacts.
Does the Effect Last?
The correction provided by Verisyse has proven effective over time. While only 60% of patients were correctable to 20/20 before their procedure, more than 80% were capable of achieving 20/20 vision more than 2 years after their Verisyse implant. The vision provided by Verisyse improved rapidly, and did not vary with any statistical significance after that initial post-operative period.
How Does Verisyse Compare With LASIK?
Verisyse clinical investigators conducted a randomized comparison of Verisyse with LASIK in myopic patients correcting between -9D and -19.5D of nearsightedness. (El Danasoury MA, et al. Ophthalmology. 2002;109:955-964) Sixty-one patients (90 eyes) with a mean refraction of -13.5D were studied. 30% of patients received the Verisyse in one eye and LASIK in the other eye.
Results provided in the table below demonstrate that both patient groups ended with similar refractions post-operatively, varying from Plano to -1D, a significant improvement from the -13.5D pre-operatively. However, the extreme flattening of the cornea that occurs with LASIK has caused surgeon-concern about vision quality post-LASIK. As demonstrated in the chart below, patients with extreme nearsightedness did better with Verisyse in their visual acuity, lines of vision gained, and minimal loss of contrast sensititivy.
Verisyse
|
LASIK
|
|
| Mean Post-Op Refraction (SE) | -0.64 +/- 0.8D | -0.87 +/- 0.8D |
| Uncorrected Visual Acuity, % 20/20 or better | 21% | 12% |
| Uncorrected Visual Acuity, % 20/40 or better | 88% | 58% |
| Loss of 2 or more lines of Best Corrected Vision | 0% | 15% |
| Gain of 2 or more lines of Best Corrected Vision | 16% | 2% |
| Decrease in contrast sensitivity of 2 or more lines | 5% | 15% |
About the VerisyseTM procedure
Implanting the VerisyseTM Phakic IOL is an outpatient procedure that takes around 15 to 30 minutes. Usually, one eye is treated at a time.
- Drops will be placed in your eyes in order to reduce the pupil size.
- Dr. Bearie will use an instrument to comfortably hold your eyelids open during the procedure.
- A local anesthetic is given to numb your eye, so the procedure is virtually painless.
- A small incision is made in the cornea for the VerisyseTM Phakic IOL to be placed in the space between the iris and the cornea.
- The Verisyse Phakic IOL is centered in front of the pupil (the black part in the center of your eye), and is gently attached to the iris (the colored part of your eye) to hold the lens in place.
- The small incision is closed with microscopic stitches that dissolve on their own.
- A temporary shield will be placed over your eye to protect it during the time just after the procedure.
How VerisyseTM looks in your eye
Diagram of an eye with the VerisyseTM Phakic IOL.
