Read:
Columbus
Dispatch 3/3/2006 -
Front page: "Quick Fix for Nearsightedness"
View:
10TV 5PM News 3/2/2006 -
Dr. Erdey is among the first in the U.S. to implant
the ICL following FDA approval. His patient, Laurel
Santino, MD, an Obstetrician practicing in Lancaster
, is interviewed.
View:
10TV 11PM News
3/2/2006 -
Dr. Erdey's patient, Janet Knotts, relates her experience
since receiving the ICL 8 years ago (1998), as part
of the US FDA Study.
Read: Review
of Ophthalmology 2001 -
The Posterior-Chamber Implantable Contact Lens by
Richard A. Erdey, M.D.
View: NBC4
News 1998 -
Dr. Erdey's patient, Lisa Carson, is the first in
Ohio to receive myopia ICL in 1998
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The
Implantable Contact Lens (ICL™)
is a lens made of a highly biocompatible Collamer® material
that is permanently implanted into the eye,
providing an alternative to glasses, contact
lenses and Laser Vision
Correction (PRK/LASIK) surgery. It is similar
in design to implants inserted routinely during
cataract surgery. The implant focuses light
rays onto the retina resulting in clearer vision
(How
this works).
It is the only minimally-invasive foldable
lens of its kind approved for the U.S. market
by the Food and Drug Administration.  As
a result of the unique foldable design, the
ICL procedure allows an incision up to 50%
smaller than competing technology, and its
placement in the eye in front of the natural
lens and behind the iris provides a more aesthetically
pleasing outcome. (Click
video clip above to play).
This sutureless procedure is typically painless
and visual rehabilitation is usually rapid.
Richard
A. Erdey, MD has been an investigator
for Staar Surgical’s Visian ICL™ U.S
FDA Study since 1998. (View: NBC4
News – Dr.
Erdey’s patient is first in Ohio to receive
myopia ICL in 1998) His interest in the
ICL continued to build throughout the approval
process; it was driven by superior clinical
outcomes, the stability and safety of the procedure
and the high patient satisfaction rate. (Read:
The Posterior-Chamber
Implantable Contact Lens by Richard Erdey,
M.D).
Gregory D. Searcy, MD also maintains an active
interest in this technology.
The
ICL offers patients opportunities to achieve
higher quality visual outcomes, particularly
in those cases where laser vision correction
is unsuitable because of moderate to severe
myopia and / or corneas that are too thin to
safely withstand laser reshaping.
STAAR
Surgical's Visian ICL™ is approved
for sale in 41 countries, including the European
Union and Canada. It has successfully been
implanted in more than 40,000 eyes worldwide.
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| Who
are the best candidates for the
ICL? |
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People with thick glasses, excessively
dry eyes, or corneas that are too thin or
flat for LASIK are among the best candidates
for the ICL. To determine if you are a suitable
candidate, contact
us to schedule a complimentary
evaluation.
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| What
are the U.S. FDA indications
for the ICL? |
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The
Visian ICL™ was
U.S. FDA approved in December
2005. It is intended for
use in adults with healthy
eyes and stable spectacle
and / or contact lens prescriptions. It
is designed for:
· The
correction of myopia
ranging from -3 to -15 diopters
(D) with less than or equal
to 2.5D of astigmatism
at the spectacle plane
· The
reduction of myopia ranging
from -15D to -20D with less
than or equal to 2.5D astigmatism
at the spectacle
plane
· Adults
21 years of age or
older with a stable refractive
history within 0.5D for 1
year before implantation
The
Visian ICL™ is
not yet approved for
patients with hyperopia.
A toric version for patients
with myopia and astigmatism
is still in FDA trials;
initial results are very
promising!
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| What
will it accomplish? |
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The Visian ICL™ may
reduce or eliminate your dependence on
glasses or contact lenses. In a
clinical study of 294 patients implanted
with the Visian ICL™, 95 percent
had 20/40 or better vision (considered
standard vision necessary to obtain a driver's
license), and 59 percent had 20/20 or
better after three years.
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| What
preparation is required? |
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Prior to placement
of the Implantable Contact Lens, it is
necessary to make two small holes in the
colored portion of the eye (the iris) to
ensure that intraocular fluid does not
build up behind the iris or the ICL, resulting
in secondary glaucoma.
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| Can
both eyes be implanted with an
ICL at once? If not, how long
must I wait before surgery is
performed on the second eye? |
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For safety, one eye
is operated on at a time. Once you are
comfortable with the visual results of
the first eye (generally 1-4 weeks) then
the second eye may be implanted with the
ICL.
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| Is
the ICL better than Laser Vision
Correction (PRK / LASIK)? |
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In general an ICL is better suited
in patients requiring correction of severe
myopia (nearsightedness) because, it
spares the excessive cornea flattening
associated with LASIK. In these circumstances,
it is not unusual for an ICL to provide
better visual quality than LASIK. In
fact, certain ICL-implanted patients
are actually able to see better than
they could with glasses or contacts.
LASIK rarely provides such an optical
benefit in this patient population.
Also, if a -10.0 D myope were treated
with LASIK, about 40% of the cornea thickness
must be removed by the excimer laser
to achieve the corneal flattening required
to neutralize the refractive error. Thinning
and flattening the cornea this much may
lead to night vision disturbances such
as glare/haloes, degrade the sensitive
optics of the eye in all lighting conditions,
and potentially lead to a severe instability
and distortion of the cornea called Keratoconus.
The ICL may also be preferable in older
patients that may be expected to develop
cataracts; the ICL can easily
be removed should cataract surgery become
necessary.
On the other hand, in younger, less nearsighted
patients with corneas that are not too
thin, Laser Vision Correction is preferred.
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| Can
the ICL dry out or
become soiled or damaged like
a contact lens? |
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No. The ICL is designed to remain
in place within the eye without maintenance.
We recommend an annual eye examination
to make sure that everything is fine.
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| Can
I feel the ICL once it is in
place? |
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The ICL is not noticeable
after it is implanted. It does not attach
to any structures within the eye and
does not move around after it is in position.
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| If
I receive an ICL will I always
remain free of corrective lenses? |
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After ICL implantation,
glasses or contact lenses may be worn if
necessary. Some people may still need glasses
for night driving and other activities
preformed in low light conditions even
after ICL implantation. Some may benefit
by having supplemental Laser Vision Correction
to “fine tune” their result.
The ICL does not help presbyopia--the
need for reading glasses due to age.
If a dramatic shift in the prescription
occurs due to progressive cataract
formation, the ICL can be removed and
cataract surgery with lens implantation
may be performed.
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| What
should I expect if I eventually
require cataract surgery and
I have an
ICL? |
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Many patients who developed cataracts
years after they had a cornea refractive
procedure (LASIK,
PRK, RK) have had successful
cataract surgery and intraocular lens
(IOL) implantation with excellent results.
However, the required implant
power is sometimes difficult to predict,
and the optics of this combination are
typically not quite as good as the same
theoretical patient who develops a cataract
years after ICL implantation. In the
latter case, the ICL is easily removed,
the original corneal curvature is preserved
and cataract
surgery with an intraocular lens
is implanted, yielding superior optical
results.
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| Are
there risks to ICL implantation? |
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No surgical procedure
is risk-free. The proximity of the ICL
to the iris and natural lens raises the
possibility of late onset pigment dispersion
syndrome or
lens opacities (cataracts). Fortunately,
both are rare. Lens opacities
occurred in < 1% of patients in the
FDA Study at three-year follow-up and
are considered far easier to fix than corneal
complications following LASIK surgery.
Current evidence supports ICLs as
being a very effective option
for most patients who are suitable candidates.
Your doctor will provide a more thorough
discussion of the risks and benefits of
this procedure during your office visit.
With this information, you can make an
informed decision about choosing this or
other options available to reduce or eliminate
your myopia (nearsightedness).
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