Visian ICL™ - See What you've been missing

Advantages of the STAAR® Surgical Company's Phakic IOL – The Visian ICL™

For years, the only method of permanent vision correction that didn't involve glasses or contact lenses was corrective laser eye surgery. With the advent of the phakic IOL, however, patients can now enjoy the benefits of the Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer® Lens), which has several advantages over conventional cornea-based surgery. A phakic IOL is an implantable lens similar to a traditional IOL used in cataract surgery except it is used in conjunction with the eye's natural lens, not in place of it. Continue reading to learn why the Visian ICL is the phakic IOL poised to become the preferred choice for vision correction.

Quality of Vision


The main advantage of the Visian ICL over traditional corrective laser eye surgery is that patients may experience significant improvement in quality of vision after the lens is implanted 1. When compared to the results of corneal refractive surgery, the Visian ICL may produce superior vision quality as evidenced by fewer higher order aberrations. 2 Patients experience an almost immediate visual recovery.

Wide Treatment Range

The Visian ICL has proven to be effective in patients within a wide range of refractive errors. In fact, the phakic IOL can correct/reduce myopia from -3.0 to -20.0 with or without astigmatism* and hyperopia*. Before now, some of these individuals were not candidates for surgical eye correction. Clinical studies have shown how the Visian ICL is truly a breakthrough myopia treatment in terms of vision correction results. Because implantation of the phakic IOL does not require any structural alteration of the eye, results are predictable and very stable 3. Read more about the results of ICL corrective eye surgery.

back to top

Small Incision

The procedure used to implant phakic IOLs has its origins in cataract surgery, which is the most commonly performed eye surgery in the United States. The incision required to implant the foldable Visian ICL is tiny and located on the far edge of the cornea, where there is little danger of it interfering with vision. Once the lens is implanted, sutures are typically not needed to close the incision, further simplifying the procedure. Read more about the safety of the Visian ICL.

Lens Placement - Aesthetically Pleasing and Safe

Because the Visian ICL is implanted in the posterior chamber, behind the iris, unlike other phakic IOLs, the lens is invisible to both the patient and any observer. Also, its positioning in the eye maintains normal iris function, promotes stability, and may reduce potential complications.

Collamer Composition

Unlike other phakic IOLs, the Visian ICL is made from Collamer, a lens material exclusive to STAAR Surgical Company. Because of the collagen base in Collamer, it is biocompatible with the eye and may provide superior optical performance 3. Learn more about the composition and advantages of Collamer.

Proven Track Record

Over 15 years of research and development with improvements in lens designs has made the Visian ICL a leader in phakic IOL technology. There have been over 60,000 Visian ICL implants performed worldwide.

back to top

Removable

One of the most common concerns that people have about corrective laser eye surgery is that the results are permanent. When the surgery is performed correctly and there are no complications, this is fine. However, if a complication arises, patients may have to return for additional surgery. They may also find that they still need to wear glasses for certain activities or that they are experiencing heightened side effects like night glare and halos.

Concerns involving the cornea typically do not apply to the Visian ICL, as no natural tissues are removed or changed (reshaped) in any way during implantation. In the unlikely event that an ICL patient experiences negative side effects after surgery, the lens can be removed and/or replaced if necessary.

Complications Compared to Corrective Laser Eye Surgery (LASIK and PRK)

Patients undergoing corneal refractive procedures, such as LASIK and PRK, may be susceptible to side effects associated with corneal surgery including dry eye and thinning of the cornea. Since the LASIK procedure involves the cutting of the cornea, its complications may be more difficult to correct than the possible complications of the Visian ICL. In many instances a corneal specialist may be needed to correct LASIK side effects. All surgical procedures carry some risk; however, the side effects or complications related to the Visian ICL, in most cases, can be corrected by your own surgeon.

Read more about a comparison of the Visian ICL and LASIK complications to see why our phakic IOL is truly a breakthrough myopia with or without astigmatism* and hyperopia* treatment.

Now that you have read about some of the advantages of the Visian ICL, you may wish to learn more about its use as an alternative to corrective laser eye surgery; contact STAAR Surgical Company for clinical trial results and more. To find out if you are a good candidate for the phakic IOL, find a qualified Visian ICL doctor near you who is qualified to perform the Visian ICL procedure.

back to top

1. Sarver EJ, Sanders DR, Vukich, JA. Image quality in myopic eyes corrected with laser in situ keratomileusis and phakic intraocular lens. J Refract Surg. 2003;19(4):397-404.
2. Martin RG, Sanders DR. Higher order aberrations following implantation of four foldable lens designs. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS); June 21-26, 2003; New Orleans, La.
3. ICL in Treatment of Myopia (ITM) Study Group. United States Food and Drug Administration clinical trial of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) for moderate to high myopia. Ophthalmology. 2004;111:1683-1692

Trademark Information.

To learn more about the Visian ICL, an innovative phakic IOL, and its advantages over corrective laser eye surgery, contact us today.






Visian ICL Glossary

When researching Visian ICL, you may encounter unfamiliar terminology related to this and other products and procedures. For your convenience, the Visian ICL Glossary defines many of the ophthalmic terms used throughout this website.