Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, occurs when the physical shape of your eyes focuses light in front of, rather than onto, your retina at the back of your eye. When it isn’t treated, severe nearsightedness can lead to blindness in several ways.
Ophthalmologist Randa Garrana, MD, and our team at Advanced Lasik offer a life-changing option for those with severe nearsightedness: implantable contact lenses (ICL).
While you require an individual assessment to determine the best course of treatment for your condition, ICL implantation is a good way for many people to resolve the daily hassles of coping with severe nearsightedness.
Let’s take a closer look at ICLs and their benefits.
A supplementary artificial lens that’s implanted directly in your eye in front of your natural lens, an ICL adds refractive value to your eye, moving the focusing point of your vision so that it lands on the retina — or the part of your eye that forms images and transmits them to the brain.
ICL implantation is a common procedure. It’s estimated that half a million ICL surgeries have been performed worldwide, using about a million artificial lenses.
If you’re a candidate for ICL implantation, the procedure — which addresses both eyes — takes about half an hour to complete. Effects are often quick to emerge, sometimes immediately after surgery, with your vision further refining over the first few days of recovery.
There are patients whose eyes aren’t physically suited for laser vision correction procedures designed to correct extreme nearsightedness. ICL represents a workaround for these limitations, meaning that people with high myopia can enjoy the benefits of a permanent, maintenance-free procedure to gain clear, in-focus vision.
Other benefits of ICL implantation include:
Some temporary side effects of the ICL procedure include elevated eye pressure and light sensitivity, but these usually subside naturally.
ICL surgery is one of the best options for patients with moderate to severe myopia. Conditions like chronic dry eyes, thin corneas, or large pupils can rule out laser procedures like LASIK, but have no effect on your ability to receive ICL implants.
Contact Advanced Lasik to learn more about ICL surgery and its advantages for your vision correction needs. We’re located in the Midtown East section of New York City, as well as Long Beach and Duarte, California. Contact our nearest location online or by phone to schedule your visit today.
