Implantable contact lenses (ICL) offer highly effective vision correction and is suitable for patients with a very wide range of prescriptions.
The soft, flexible implants are similar to traditional contact lenses. They are implanted within the eye between the natural lens and the iris. You cannot see or feel ICLs after implantation, and they do not need to be cleaned.
All consultants who perform ICL surgery are EVO ICL accredited.
Implantable contact lenses can be used to treat a wide prescription range to deliver clearer, improved vision without permanent modification of the cornea such as with laser eye surgery. There is no thinning of the corneal and no risk of laser-induced dry eye.
You cannot see or feel ICLs after implantation, and they do not need to be cleaned. The artificial lens also contains UV protection, which prevents UV rays from affecting the eye and contributing to eye disorders. Another benefit of ICL is that the lens can be removed at a later date if clinically required, for instance, if cataract surgery is required later in life.
ICL can help patients who may not be suitable for other types of vision correction treatment and those seeking a removable/interchangeable vision correction option for future flexibility and peace of mind.
ICL are preferred to refractive lens exchange in younger patients because the natural lens is still flexible enough to allow you to read without glasses after correction of your distance vision.
Professional footballer Lucy Bronze was fed up of using contact lenses whilst training and playing. She had implantable contact lens and is now glasses and contact-lens free.
There are many forms of vision correction and your consultant will discuss the best option for you and your eye health. This information does not constitute a recommendation for a particular type of vision correction.
Credit: uk.discovericl.com
The Evo ICL has been a procedure that's changed my life completely. My biggest regret is literally the fact that I didn't do it sooner
Hi my name is Lucy bronze I'm 32 years old and I'm a professional
footballer. The moment between my opposition moving and me responding to it, is milliseconds.
Being able to see clearly in that is so important.
I'm short-sighted and I think the worst my prescription got to was around minus 3.
I wore glasses from the age of about 9. The amount of times I broke my glasses - they fell off headed the ball and they snapped they fallen off again picking them up in the middle of the game
Then I became a teenager and was able to use contact lenses for when I was playing sport. I had quite a few problems with contact lenses. I think that's any contact lens wearer will tell you you wear them past a few hours and you start to feel irritated - dry eye, rubbing your eyes, you're waiting to get home or to bed so you can finally take them out and just put your glasses on for a moment.
It's like when you take your shoes off at home and you get to put your feet up that was that feeling get to take my lenses out finally.
I play in high pressure games and high pressure moments and there is that thought, especially going up for a header, and thinking if someone catches my eye or they poke me in the eye my lens could come out.
I did have a few times a lens coming out. This actually happened during a league game. I think it was for 5 or 10 minutes I was probably playing with one eye open - I couldn't see properly.
It could have happened at any moment in any game. It could have been a really big problem. My bad eyesight was definitely an inconvenience for me, not just in my football and my lifestyle, but in all ways of life.
I'm someone who's very active. I want to go swimming. I want to play on the beach. I want to do all these things. It was becoming just too difficult and I thought you know what, that's it I need to do something about it. I looked at lots of different options to correct my vision but the Evo ICL was the one that stood out the most to me.
The benefits outweighed the risks particularly when I found out that the lens that's implanted can be removed by my consultant. I thought if my eyesight does change with age, I had the option to do things with that and being in control of those kind of things particularly when it comes to your eye really appealed to me.
There's no reshaping of the eye because there's no lasers so essentially my eyes are are still exactly the same.
I actually wasn't nervous at all about the procedure. I was just excited. It was something that I've wanted for so so long. The procedure was even better than expected - it was pain-free and super quick for me. I remember texting my mom I'm going in. I think I text her 15 minutes later I said "oh I'm finished now" and she was like "are you sure it's been done?" and I was like "yeah it's simple".
My recovery from the procedure was unbelievable. I was back playing sport and training, playing football within two to three weeks. My life is definitely simpler now on and off the pitch.
It improved my eyesight to even better than 2020 which is amazing. Being on the pitch the first few times and thinking wow everything's
clearer whether it's the ball or the opposition or my own teammates just having that precision vision.
It's really been life changing.
Your eyes will be assessed during the initial consultation and your prescription checked by an optometrist. A full medical history will also be taken to ensure the consultant is aware of any medical conditions that may affect your ability to undergo surgery. Your consultant will then be able to advise you on the most suitable procedure for you, as well as discussing the possible alternatives with you.
At Moorfields Private, your chosen consultant will supervise every stage of your care from start to finish for complete continuity and peace of mind.
During ICL surgery, either both eyes are treated on the same day, or the second operation typically a week after the first. Anaesthetic and sedatives are administered prior to treatment to ensure you experience minimal discomfort. A small keyhole incision (2-3mm) is then made in the edge of the cornea and the ICL is folded and inserted into the eye through this. Using a special delivery device, the lens implant is correctly positioned behind the iris and unfolds into place.
You may experience some side effects after the procedure, such as blurry vision, sensitivity to light, discomfort of the eyes and glare from lights in the dark, but these are only temporary.
If you are driving to your surgery appointment, you will need to arrange someone to drive you home on the day of your procedure. Everyone heals at different speeds and you should not drive until you feel completely comfortable doing so. Recovery time for ICL is fairly short and most patients can see well enough to return to work the day after surgery. You will return for a check-up at Moorfields a few weeks after your surgery.
ICL is one of the vision correction solutions available at Moorfields Private and is suitable for patients with a very wide range of prescriptions, from low to severe myopia and hyperopia, with or without astigmatism, as well as those who are either not suitable for or reaching the borderlines of laser vision correction suitability. ICL is also considered to be a safer choice than laser eye surgery for anyone with pre-existing cornea or eye surface problems.
It can be a great option for those with high prescriptions, thin corneas, and existing dry eye risk factors or concerns. To give you a guide of the prescriptions that can be treated successfully, we would recommend up to -18.00D for short sightedness, +10.00D for long sightedness and up to + or -4.50D of astigmatism. If your prescription is beyond this, ICL surgery can be followed a few months later with laser treatment to correct any residual focusing issues.
Even though younger patients can be particularly suitable for ICL, you need to be over 21 years old to have the treatment and you also need to have a stable glasses prescription.
If you have other eye problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma or recurrent inflammation, then ICL may not be a suitable option. You will also need an eye scan at your first consultation to check that you have enough room in the front of your eye to fit the ICL safely.
There is a small risk with all forms of eye surgery, and these will be discussed with you in detail at your consultation. However, your chances of having problems are significantly reduced when you put yourself in expert hands and an approved clinical environment. You can rest assured that Moorfields Private Eye Hospital has a well-established safety track record with ICL treatment.
The initial consultation fee is £195. The full cost of your onward treatment will be confirmed once you have agreed your personalised plan with your consultant.
The cost of surgery is £4,245 for one eye or £7,795 for both eyes. This price is inclusive of your consultant’s professional fees, as well as your personalised care plan, detailed diagnostic tests and checks, and two follow up appointments for your aftercare. There may be circumstances where additional scans/tests are required that are outside the package price. Find out more about package pricing.
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