Starting your day with sharp vision and enjoying sports and activities without corrective eyewear is a liberating experience. Many people desire to live free from prescription eyeglasses that fog and scratch or contact lenses that irritate or dry out. Visian ICL is an implantable Collamer® lens that offers excellent vision correction without a permanent commitment like laser eye surgery. Our ophthalmologists at Austin Eye Clinic offer Visian ICL and other vision correction procedures.
What Is Visian ICL?
Visian ICL corrects myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism by implanting the contact lens device inside the eye, between the iris (pigmented portion of the eye) and the natural eye lens. The implantable Collamer® lens is comprised of a biocompatible material that provides clear, crisp eyesight without the hassles of contact lenses or prescription glasses. Visian ICL is an alternative option to LASIK, PRK, and refractive lens exchange that offers many benefits, including being reversible if the patient desires.
Visian ICL Accommodates Higher Refractive Errors
This implantable lens is an excellent option for people with high prescriptions that make them ineligible for LASIK. Visian ICL is FDA-approved to address nearsightedness between -3.00 and -20.00 diopters (D), whereas LASIK maxes out at -12.00 D. Visian ICL also corrects astigmatism between 1.00 and 4.00. Treating high refractive errors with Visian ICL instead of laser vision correction involves fewer risks and side effects.
Visian ICL Does Not Increase Dry Eye Risk
LASIK and PRK work by reshaping the cornea to improve vision, which removes corneal tissue and disrupts corneal nerves. These changes can increase the risk of post-operative dry eye, which can be especially concerning for patients with existing dry eye disease. Visian ICL does not raise the chances of dry eye and has had a high safety profile since the lens earned FDA approval in 2005.
Visian ICL Is Reversible
The Visian ICL procedure is quick and minimally invasive, taking about 10 minutes or less. One of the highlights of this vision technology is that the implantable lens can be removed or replaced if the patient is not satisfied with their results because it does not alter the eye structures. However, removing the lens means that patients will rely on contact lenses or glasses again.
Research Shows Visian ICL Improves Vision and Quality of Life
An FDA clinical trial for Visian ICL implanted the lens in 294 patients and followed their progress for three years. The large cohort study found that after three years, 59.3% of patients achieved 20/20 or better uncorrected visual acuity (meaning without corrective eyewear), and 94.7% had 20/40 or better uncorrected visual acuity. After three years of follow-up, 94.5% of patients were within .5 D of their targeted refraction.
Schedule Your Visian ICL Consultation in Austin
If you’re interested in Visian ICL, contact our eye doctors at Austin Eye Clinic. Schedule an eye exam and consultation by calling (512) 250-2020 or filling out our online contact form.
