EVO ICL

Eyeglasses or contact lenses may not be the answer to many people’s visual difficulties. Our doctors at Middletown Eye Care realize that patients want a range of choices to give them the freedom from glasses or contact lenses.

In recent years, LASIK has become a popular choice as a surgical approach to improving vision. However, it is not for everyone. ICLs, implantable contact lenses, are an exciting, state-of-the art option for vision correction. People with moderate to severe nearsightedness, and/or astigmatism, are discovering ICLs as an alternative not only to laser procedures such as LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) but also to lens based procedures such as Refractive Lens Exchange. ICLs are especially beneficial for people for whom LASIK surgery is not an option due to irregularly shaped corneas or a high refractive correction.

WHAT ARE ICLS (IMPLANTABLE CONTACT LENSES)?

Eye Care EVO ICL implantable contact lenses, or ICLs, are removable lens implants that are no-maintenance and a permanent solution for vision improvement.

EVO ICLs are implanted between the iris (the colored part of the eye) and the natural lens, which modifies the eye’s focusing power and reduces the need for glasses or external contact lenses. EVO ICLs are safe enough to remain in the eye indefinitely but can be removed or replaced in response to changes in your vision, if necessary.

Eye Care EVO Unlike LASIK, in which the shape of the cornea is changed, ICLs do not affect the shape or function of the cornea, and are not felt by the wearer or seen by others. Also, ICLs differ from intraocular lenses (IOLs) that replace the eye’s deficient lens that may have been removed in cataract surgery.

First introduced in Europe in 1997 and approved for use in the U.S. in 2005, EVO ICLs have a track record of safety and effectiveness. EVO ICLs are made from Collamer, a biocompatible, soft, flexible material that functions with the natural eye and does not cause irritation or side effects. Because the body does not treat the lens as a foreign material, the rates of infection or rejection are very low.

WHY CHOOSE EVO ICLS?

The many advantages to EVO ICLs for vision correction include:

• Corneal tissue is never removed or reshaped.
• Sharper, clearer and more vivid vision with greater depth and dimension. There is immediate improvement in vision at all distances, and improvement in night vision, resulting in the reduction or elimination of the need to wear glasses or contacts.
• Protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays that is built into the biocompatible lens.
• No need to disinfect or clean, as is necessary with external contact lenses.
• No resulting dry eye syndrome.
• Minimal discomfort during the procedure which allows you to resume daily activities within a day or so.

Eye drops will be administered to dilate your pupil and to anesthetize your eye. Gel will be inserted into the eye before the doctor creates a micro-opening through which the EVO ICL will be inserted. The doctor may make adjustments for proper positioning, ensuring optimal vision correction. The process for each eye takes only 10 to 15 minutes.

Your vision will be improved almost immediately. You will be given aftercare instructions and prescribed eye drops to prevent infection.  Be sure to make arrangements for someone to drive you home since your vision will be adjustingView Video

ARE EVO ICLS FOR YOU?

EVO ICLs may be an excellent option for vision improvement if you are:

• Between 21 and 45 years old and have been diagnosed with moderate to severe nearsightedness, whether or not you have coexisting astigmatism. (If you have both astigmatism and nearsightedness, you might want to speak to us about the EVO Toric ICL.)
• You have not had a change in your prescription of more than 0.5 D in the past year.
• Your doctor says you have enough endothelial cell density and adequate anterior chamber depth for safe implantation of the EVO ICL.

Conditions that may prevent you from getting implantable contact lenses include a significant change in your vision correction prescription in the last six months, being pregnant or nursing, having a diagnosis of uncontrolled dry eye or blepharitis, or having certain other physiological conditions such as cataract formation.

EVO ICLs have allowed over a million men and women to no longer rely on eyeglasses or contact lenses. Please call Middletown Eye Care, at 502-245-0305, to schedule a complimentary consultation with David Strickland, M.D. to learn more about this extraordinary vision correction procedure.