ICL (IMPLANTABLE CONTACT LENSE) UP TO 50 YEARS
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ICL (Implantable contact lenses) for patients up to the age of 55
Most visual defects such as near-/far-sightedness and corneal irregularity stabilise starting approx. at the age of 21. Virtually all types of defective vision (except presbyopia), regardless of the severity, can be corrected with implantable contact lenses (ICL).
During surgery the ICL is implanted into the eye in front of the patient’s natural lens and behind the iris through a 2.8mm, self-sealing incision (i.e. requiring no sutures). This lens is not visible from the outside.
Vision recovers normally quickly (you can usually work normally the next day) and pain-free.Though this intervention is known to be safe and efficient, please take always into consideration that it is an intervention at a healthy eye.
Find out more about implantable contact lenses vs. laser surgery in various articles.
Article from 16 October 2024
The laser eye surgery was cheap – then she almost went blind.
To get rid of glasses or contact lenses, short-sighted people have laser eye surgery. In 5 per cent of cases, something goes wrong. This was the case for Maja Hauser (32) from Glattbrugg.
Article from 18 October 2024
She had eye surgery at a renowned Swiss clinic and reports on her ordeal.
Betterview, the market leader for laser eye treatments in Switzerland, is facing several customer complaints about the results and side effects of its procedures. The company and one of its alleged co-founders deny these allegations.
On this overview page, you will find information from international scientific studies about implantable contact lenses (ICLs) and their advantages over laser surgery.
A rigorous (FDA-controlled) study on 629 eyes, in which an ICL was implanted, aimed to analyze the effectiveness and side effects/complications. The patients were followed for another 3 years after the surgery.
Key findings:
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Good visual performance: 49% of patients saw even better than before with glasses or contact lenses.
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High accuracy and stability: the ICL lens corrects myopia and astigmatism precisely. Even after 3 years, 99% of eyes were within ±1.0 diopters of the refraction target, and visual acuity remained stable.
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Low complication risk: one eye (0.16%) developed a cataract (successfully operated on afterwards) and in two eyes (0.32%), the ICL was too large and had to be exchanged for a smaller one – there were no serious complications such as permanent corneal damage.