Premium Lens Implants
Patients having cataract surgery and lens implants at Eyecare Medical Group (EMG), Maine will find that there are many types of cataract lens implants, or intraocular lens implants (IOL) that we can use in order to provide you with the best results to match your lifestyle and activities after cataract surgery. These different types of lens implants include monofocal lens implants which are the most basic type of lens implant and only correct for one focal distance; aspheric lens implants which offer a higher quality vision but still for only one focal distance; toric lens implants for those patients with astigmatism; and near vision presbyopia correcting lens implants such as the Symphony lens that will correct for distance and near vision.
If you decide to have astigmatism correcting toric lens implant, near vision presbyopia correcting multifocal lens implant or near vision presbyopia correcting accommodating lens implant our staff will make sure to review your questions and fully explain any additional fees related to the lens implant or procedure that you might be responsible for. Medicare and most insurance plans cover the surgical facility fee for cataract surgery and the surgeon fee for cataract surgery, but not the cost of additional testing and the actually advanced technology lens implants. Our staff will be pleased to review any costs as well as arrange easy affordable monthly payments to fit your budget, should you decide that these lenses are your best choice.
The Visian ICL Implantable Collamer Lens
At Eyecare Medical Group we offer the Visian™ ICL Implantable Collamer Lens as an option for very nearsighted people who are tired of thick glasses and who are not candidates for LASIK surgery.
The Visian ICL is a phakic intraocular lens (IOL) used during refractive surgery for correcting myopia, or nearsightedness. Unlike IOLs that are used during cataract surgery, the Visian™ ICL does not replace the eye’s natural lens. Instead, the ICL is placed between the iris and the natural lens. Because the phakic IOL does not replace the lens but supplements it like a prescription contact lens, it is sometimes referred to as an implantable contact lens.
What Makes the Visian™ ICL Different?
Although the Visian™ ICL is often informally defined as an “implantable contact lens,” in the United States, the “ICL” in the Visian™. ICL actually stands for “implantable collamer lens.” This designation acknowledges the unique material that comprises the lens.
Unique Lens Composition
Unlike other phakic IOLs, the Visian™ ICL is made from collamer, a unique, organic lens material, designed especially for the Visian Lens Implant. This proprietary lens material has greater biocompatibility than acrylic and silicone lenses. The Visian™ ICL Implant is also foldable, requiring a smaller incision during the surgical procedure than other available lenses.
Safe, Proven Procedure
The safety and effectiveness of the Visian ICL implantation procedure have been proven with hundreds of thousands of implants worldwide. The Visian™ ICL Implant does not permanently alter the structure of the eye. Instead, the phakic IOL is placed in the eye’s posterior chamber, where it works with the natural lens to correct vision.
Small Incision
Unlike other phakic IOLs, the Visian™ ICL is foldable. This feature allows our physicians to implant the lens using a tiny incision. The small incision procedure is a technique that is familiar to our eye surgeons. The Visian™ ICL requires a 2.8mm to 3.0mm incision as opposed to the 6.0mm incision required by other phakic IOLs. This smaller incision is seen as less invasive, does not require sutures and does not create astigmatism.
Removable, if Necessary
The Visian™ ICL is meant to stay in the eye indefinitely. However, if overcorrection or undercorrection occurs, a complication develops, or a patient’s vision changes, the Visian™ ICL can be removed or exchanged by your surgeon.