Any experience with ICL (eye) surgery?
October 27, 2024 8:03 AM   Subscribe

I was told my prescription was too high for Lasik, but that I should be an eligible candidate for ICL surgery instead. I’ve seen a range of mixed experiences online, so wanted to see if anyone here had ICL for their eyes, and if the procedure was successful or not?

I believe I have myopia, and I’m not exactly sure how to read/understand my current prescription, but it is:

OD -7.50 -1.25 100
OS -11.25 -0.5 040

I went in last year to get a series of Lasik consultations, which was kind of a mess (you can see my Ask history), but ultimately I was referred to ICL surgery instead, which apparently is a more advanced version of LASIK (from my understanding) that can correct myopia and high prescriptions so I’d essentially have great, if not 20/20 vision.

A few factors to keep in mind:

-Cost. ICL is about $10k, vs. ~$5000 for LASIK.
-Age. I’m nearing 40, so chances are I might need reading glasses anyway.
-I am Deaf, and depend very much on my eyesight.

I have an upcoming consultation and plan to discuss this with the doctor/nurse there, but wanted to see if any of you had similar high prescriptions that ICL was able to correct? I’ve done some online research and experiences seem mixed — some people love it, some hate it. Some say ICL gave them double vision, blurry vision, bad night vision, and other problems with their eyes.

I can just continue using eyeglasses, but I’m tired of them and the inevitable back and forth, adjustments, and just the overall hassle. Having sharp vision the instant I wake up is extremely appealing to me, and I wouldn’t have to worry about eyeglasses breaking, getting scratched, etc. However, it’s quite a gamble with potential (?) long-term negative effects, and extremely expensive, so it better be worth it.

Any insight/experiences and any suggested questions I should ask the doctor when I go into my consultation would be welcomed and very helpful.

Thanks!
posted by dubious_dude to Health & Fitness (7 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I had intraocular lens replacement and it worked well for me. I see halos on distant lights at night but it doesn't effect my ability to drive, I don't find it distracting. Other than that zero side effects.

The procedure itself is much more involved than laser surgery, it wasn't so much pain but was extremely unpleasant.
posted by onya at 8:50 AM on October 27


Because you depend so much on your eyesight, would it be possible to do one eye at a time with ICL ? I know nothing about it, but I do know several people including a surgeon who did one eye at a time with Lasik because of the risk of it going bad on both. One actually decided to never do the other eye bc he was able to adjust and could therefore read with no glasses (undone eye) and see distance with the done eye.

Good luck d_d!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:02 AM on October 27 [3 favorites]


I had lens replacement surgery and am glad I did, even though it didn't work as well as I hoped. I still wear glasses, but now can function (and even legally drive) without them. I got the multifocal lenses and haven't had any problems with them. My night vision is better, colors are more vivid, and for the first time in decades I can see which is the shampoo and which is the conditioner.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:54 AM on October 27 [1 favorite]


Focusing just on a part of your question (reading the prescription):
OD ………………… oculus dexter (the right eye)
OS ………………… oculus sinister (the left eye)
OU ………………… oculus uterque (both eyes)

Believe it or not I have heard of situations where a nurse took OD to mean "Once Daily" when the doctor meant "in the right eye".
posted by forthright at 3:37 PM on October 27


I have not yet had it done, but I’ve had a consultation and am planning to schedule. From what I understand, it actually has several advantages over lasik:

- it’s reversible, whereas lasik is not. ICL involves making a small slit in the eye to implant the lens, which eventually heals. LASIK involves the permanent removal of eye tissue to change the shape of the eye. Note: earlier versions of ICL did involve making a small hole in the iris (I think?) to help with intraocular pressure. The newest versions no longer require this, as the hole is in the implanted lens itself.

- the downtime is shorter. My surgeon said many people can see immediately following the procedure. There is still healing time, during which your vision continues to improve.

- due to the reversible nature of the procedure, if revisions are required, the lens can be swapped. That means that in the future, if you start needing reading glasses, you could have multifocal lenses put in.


The downside is that it’s much more expensive than lasik. I was quoted about $9k for both eyes.
posted by bluloo at 3:43 PM on October 27


I went for a consultation and was warned that I would need reading glasses to see anything nearer than a foot. If you have presbyopia, then this may affect your morning routine or other situations when you may not necessarily be wearing reading glasses or be able to wear them.

My condition is bad enough that I have to remove my progressive eyeglasses to view anything at close distance. If I was to have ICL then I would be forced to carry glasses with me wherever I go to deal with that situation. While I have to wear glasses now for distance vision, at least I have the ability to see things up close by simply removing my glasses. The inverse situation would be more complicated for most real-world situations I am in.

Also, while the procedure is reversible in theory, the impression I got was that this was generally not done in practice, or at least that the doctor providing my consultation seemed to highly discourage it.

ICL is new enough that I was also concerned about safety and healing issues. Others obviously will have other views on this. So far I have tabled this decision for these reasons.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:49 PM on October 27


I got ICL last summer and have been so, so happy with it. My vision previously was -13 in both eyes; severely myopic and therefore not a candidate for LASIK.

The procedure itself was fine, if a little intense. As mentioned upthread, a small slit is made in your eye, the lens is inserted (rolled up like a cigar is how it was described to me) and then once inside the surgeon will use tools to "unfurl" the lens and make sure it's situated properly. Maybe 10 minutes per eye total? I was offered a valium before surgery but, having never had a benzo of any kind before, declined due to a bad family history, and honestly the whole thing was fine.

By that afternoon my vision was already very good, and within two days it was 20/20. I had halos at night for about two months after the surgery but even those have largely disappeared. It's been absolutely life-changing and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Definitely MeMail me if you have any other questions.
posted by saladin at 4:03 AM on October 28 [1 favorite]


« Older Giving up air travel and travel dreams   |   How can I make a background for a music video? Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments