CLE - ICL - lens implantation

If you are told that you are not a good candidate for LASIK there are several choices for you, namely ICL, ARTISAN, ARTIFLEX and CLE. At Kaskaloglu Eye Hospital our surgeons are experienced in all of these techniques. After a detailed eye examination we will tell you if you are suitable for these techniques. Below you will find information about these techniques.

Clear Lens Extraction (CLE)

If you are tired of wearing glasses, but have been told that you are not a candidate for LASIK, there is another vision correction option that may be right for you. It?s called Clear Lens Extraction (CLE).

Unlike LASIK and other refractive surgery techniques that correct vision by changing the shape of the cornea, CLE corrects your vision by changing the focusing power of the eye?s lens. To do this, we replace your natural lens with a new intraocular lens (IOL).

Like the lens of a camera, which focuses images sharply on the film, the eye?s lens focuses light and images on the retina at the back of your eye. With CLE, your natural lens is replaced with an IOL selected to give you the best vision for your needs. CLE is well suited for people over 40 because that is the age that most of us begin to lose the ability to focus up close. This occurs when the natural lens becomes less flexible, and no longer accommodates as well to changing its focus from distant to near vision. Then reading glasses or bifocals are needed for close work.

Some IOLs used in CLE have a fixed focal length and do not accommodate. If you select this type, you may prefer to have your new lens provide sharp distance vision for driving, golf, and similar activities. Or you may want near vision for reading, computer work and other close activities. The choice is yours. Another option is a special type of accommodating IOL that allows the eye to focus both up close and far away. This unique lens allows the eye to focus naturally without glasses.
Before the procedure, your eye is carefully measured using precision state-of-the-art ultrasound instruments. These measurements are entered into a sophisticated formula to calculate the exact corrective power of your intraocular lens.

In the area of fixt focal lenght the Kaskaloglu Eye hospital uses only Acrysof-lenses, which have the best reputation worldwide. They are available with or without correction of astigmatism.

For multifocal lenses Restore- (Alcon) or Acrilisa-lenses (Zeiss-Acritec) are used.

While CLE is not right for everyone, it may be the option you are looking for. To find out if you are a candidate for CLE, or for one of the other refractive procedures available at Kaskaloglu Eye Hospital please contact us.


Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)

ICL is an implantable lens that is implanted in the eye by an eye surgeon. The lens will stay there permanently and therefore you will be able to see clearly all the time; your glasses or contacts will not bother or limit you anymore. It seems as though you have no "refraction problem" any more. The lens lens needs no maintenance en can stay in your eye for the rest of your life.

If you should need to replace the lens for any reason, this can be done without any problem in most of the cases. The lens can be implanted in people of between 18 and 60 years of age, who meet certain conditions. The lens is available for shortsightedness (-3 to ?23,5 diopter) and long-sightedness (+1 to +12 diopter); the cylinders (astigmatism) can also be corrected. ICL offers no solution for presbyopia.

Kaskaloglu Eye hospital uses lenses of Staar.

The STAAR Visian ICL and the Visian TORIC ICL (Visian TICL?) are posterior chamber phakic intraocular lenses. Made of Collamer, STAAR?s proprietary collagen copolymer, the lens rests behind the iris in the ciliary sulcus. This unique material contains a small amount of collagen, which provides excellent biocompatibility and superior optical capability. The lens is gently folded and injected into the anterior chamber through a 3.0mm, temporal, clear corneal incision. The ICL is then carefully positioned by manipulating the footplates of the lens posterior to the iris plane and into the sulcus

Here are the most important questions and answers regarding ICL.

Q. Am I a candidate for the ICL?
A. The best candidates for the Visian ICL are between the ages of 21 and 50, with moderate to severe myopia or hyperopia with or without astigmatism.It is best if the candidate has not had any previous ophthalmic surgery and does not have a history of ophthalmic disease such as glaucoma, iritis or diabetic retinopathy.

Q. What are the advantages of the ICL?
A. The Visian ICL and Toric ICL are capable of correcting a wide range of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism without the removal or destruction of corneal tissue. The ICL is a small, foldable, injectable lens that is inserted through a tiny, 3 mm incision that does not require sutures. The ICL provides predictable refractive outcomes and excellent quality of vision due to its placement inside the eye, as well as its optical performance. The lens is made of a superior lens material called Collamer, which provides unparalleled biocompatibility.

Q. What if a patient?s vision changes?
A. If there are major changes in ones vision the Visian ICL can easily be removed and replaced, or another procedure can be done at any time. With the ICL, one can still wear glasses or contact lenses if necessary. The ICL does not help presbyopia, or the need for reading glasses due to age.

Q. Can they dry out or get dirty like a contact lens?
A. No. The Visian ICL is designed to remain in place within the eye without maintenance. An annual examination done by your ophthalmologist is recommended to make sure that everything is fine.

Q. Can the ICL be seen by the naked eye?
A. No. Because the lens is positioned behind the iris, neither you, nor an observer will be able to identify the lens in place. The cosmetic appearance of the Visian ICL is perfect, and there is no way for a non-professional to notice that a visual correction is in place.

Q. What are ICLs made of?
A. The material is called Collamer, a collagen co-polymer that contains a small amount of purified collagen. It is very biocompatible (doesn't cause a reaction inside the eye) and stable. It also contains an ultraviolet light filter. This material is proprietary to STAAR Surgical.

Q. What is involved in the ICL procedure?
A. The ICL surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, which means that the patient has surgery and leaves the same day. Please note that someone will have to drive the patient to and from surgery. A light, topical or local anesthetic is administered and there is very little discomfort and normally no pain associated with the procedure. Some drops or perhaps oral medication may be prescribed and a visit is usually scheduled the day after surgery.     

Pricing

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