ICL is new corrective eye surgery alternative to Lasik
KOLD News 13 went into a Tucson surgical suite to see how ICL surgery actually happens and how it can potentially replace Lasik surgery and become a strong alternative. If you know recently, STARR Visian ICL sales grew by over 60% and Lasik sales fell by 40% which clearly indicates that people and doctors (surgeons) are moving towards ICL and leaving Lasik behind.
Lasik will slowly become totally outdated in the market as ICL takes over. A clinical trial patient Patricia Larson was chosen for ICL surgery. Patricia can’t even see big E on the eye chart, she gets cloudy images. That’s why she has decided to have her vision corrected with Implantable Collamer Lens surgery, or ICL.
In less than an hour, ophthalmologist, Dr. James Goldman, of the Eye Institute of Southern Arizona, performs the surgery to correct Larson’s nearsightedness. There are many people who may have been told in the past they are not good LASIK candidates, but may be excellent candidates for the ICL because it doesn’t matter the shape or thickness of your cornea,” Dr. Goldman says.
Here’s how the procedure works.
The doctor makes a very tiny incision on the eyeball, then injects the soft lens, which unfolds. He then positions it. The incisions close up on their own. No stitches needed. And, unlike LASIK that actually reshapes the eye, ICL is reversible. That means you can redo another operation of ICL trated eye or go back to where you started like undo ICL surgery. Lasik does not provide this option, once lasik is done you are pretty much done for that eye, you can’t do anything if the lasik isnt successful.
Considering the risk involved in Lasik, ICL is 1000% more risk free since it can be reversed. One of the reason more and more patients are going for ICL. When you look at that cost over time and safety considerations, coupled with reversibility, and better quality vision, it’s a pretty negligible difference,” Dr. Goldman says.
ICL procedure costs a little more than $3,000 per eye. Insurance does not pay for it. However you may find a medical insurer soon who can cover for ICL surgery procedures as ICL becomes more mainstream.
