Implantable contact lenses (ICLs), also known as implantable collamer lenses, free you from the drudgery of conventional contacts or eyeglasses. At Advanced Lasik in the Midtown East section of New York City, Long Beach, and Duarte, California, we offer ICL procedures as part of our vision correction services.
In this month’s blog, board-certified ophthalmologist Randa Garrana, MD, takes a closer look at ICLs, including what happens if you develop cataracts after getting these implantable vision correction devices.
The ICL sits over and in front of your eye’s natural lens, behind the iris. While the ICL is a set-and-forget surgery, you might wonder about the future, when normal aging often includes the formation of cataracts.
ICLs don’t replace your natural lenses, so it’s still possible for cataracts to form, slowly clouding your vision and potentially changing your corrective lens prescription. In fact, ICL surgery statistically increases your chances of developing cataracts, though this risk is small.
The clouding of proteins within your eyes’ lenses is a natural by-product of getting older. Not everyone forms cataracts at the same rate, and the impact on vision varies from one person to the next (and similarly, can also vary from one eye to the other).
When you’ve already had ICL surgery and cataracts begin to form, there’s no need for concern. ICL surgery is reversible, and the ICL can often be removed as part of the cataract treatment procedure itself. More on that in a bit.
Cataracts are typically slow to develop, so you’ll likely have years between the first signs and any substantial vision changes. Often, the first stage of cataract care with ICLs is annual monitoring.
As your cataracts get worse, however, they cause vision changes that become increasingly impactful on your life. Part of the cataract process is balancing these changes with the timing of your cataract surgery. The presence of ICLs may factor in when cataracts begin to change your refractive prescription.
In most cases, cataract surgery with ICLs is a comprehensive procedure. We remove the ICL and then the clouded natural lens before implanting a new intraocular lens (IOL).
The IOL is a replacement for your natural lens. As such, it becomes part of the light-refracting surfaces in your eyes.
You have options with your choice of IOL after cataract removal. At the basic level, monofocal IOLs provide a sharp single-distance focusing ability. Other options provide adaptive and multifocal capabilities.
At Advanced Lasik, we’re refractive cataract surgery specialists, so you can discuss all your options with us. After cataract surgery, you’ll no longer need your ICLs.
Have a question about cataracts or ICLs? We can help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at Advanced Lasik today. We have one East Coast office in Midtown East, New York City, and two West Coast offices in Duarte and Long Beach, California.
