EVO Implantable Collamer Lens

EVO Implantable Collamer Lens


Designed for patients with higher degrees of refractive errors, the Implantable Collamer® Lens, or ICL™, was designed to be placed within an eye, overlying the eye’s natural lens. No corneal tissue gets removed, making this procedure an alternative option for patients with thin corneas who would otherwise not qualify for laser vision correction.

ICL™s are made from Collamer®, a proprietary material containing collagen—a naturally occurring protein in your body. This makes them biocompatible with the eye tissues to stay in the eye indefinitely. They are removable if necessary, but this is very rarely needed. Another advantage of Collamer® is that it has anti-reflectivity and UV protection.

Visian ICL Edmonton and Northern Alberta

Implanting the ICL™ is performed as an outpatient procedure. Topical drops are used to anesthetize the eye, so no injection is necessary. In rare cases, patients are mildly sedated with oral medication, but only if it is necessary for the patient’s comfort. The whole procedure takes approximately 10-15 minutes for each eye.

The ICL™ is inserted through a 2.7mm incision and is carefully positioned inside the eye, in front of the eye’s natural lens. The ICL™ becomes the eye’s third focusing lens (the cornea and the natural lens being the other two lenses), similar to wearing a contact lens.

Dr. Senekal uses the new generation STAAR EVO ICL™, which requires no peripheral iridotomy (drainage hole made in the iris by laser) due to pre-existing drainage apertures or small openings in the ICL™ called Aquaports. The surgery is usually completed without sutures since the incision is designed to be self-sealing. 

For some patients with very high refractive errors, a combined procedure might be necessary to correct the full refractive error, such as an ICL™ implantation followed by LASIK or SMILE.

ICL™ surgery is referred to as additive vision correction since it does not require any removal of corneal tissue, and the inserted lenses are biocompatible. This makes recovery after an ICL™ procedure quick and easy. 

Most patients achieve driving standard or better vision within two days of surgery. Mild discomfort is normal, and eyes may be light-sensitive in the first few days after surgery, requiring protection from the sun when you go out. Dr. Senekal will prescribe an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops for the first week after surgery. 

Eye rubbing should be avoided, and swimming is not recommended for a few weeks, but there are few other restrictions on activity after this procedure.

If you are between 21 and 60 and have had a stable eye prescription for a year, you may be a good candidate for the ICL™ procedure. Additionally, if you have dry eye syndrome, or a highly irregular or thin cornea, you may consider this option with Dr. Senekal.

ICL™ can be inserted to correct the hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism in pseudophakic patients, or patients who previously underwent cataract surgery. Pseudophakia is the Latin word for “false lens.” During cataract surgery, patients have their natural lenses replaced with artificial lenses. 

Some patients may be dissatisfied with the visual outcome after the surgery and seek greater independence from eyeglasses or contact lenses. ICL™ could be a safe and stable add-on option to enhance visual acuity for pseudophakic patients.  

Patients who underwent a corneal transplant or graft and are left with significant visual impairment due to astigmatism or myopia can often be visually rehabilitated by implanting an ICL™.

The following refractive errors can be corrected by an ICL™ surgery (exceptions may apply):

Myopia (nearsightedness): From -2.0 up to -20.0 Diopters
Hypermetropia (Farsightedness): From +0.5 up to +10.0 Diopters
Astigmatism: up to 5.00 diopters

​Find out if EVO Visian Implantable Collamer Lenses can correct your vision

At Visionmax Eye Centre, we do a thorough eye evaluation to determine if you can expect positive results from an EVO Implantable Collamer Lenses. Call our office at 780-452-4111 to schedule a consultation today. 

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